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Grant Programs for Projects Serving Diverse Communities

Two grant programs are seeking project proposals from Portland community organizations and/or projects that seek to serve communities of color, immigrants and refugees, LGBTQ, low-income residents, people with disabilities, and other underserved communities. 

$1,000 Grants for Northeast Portland Neighborhood Projects

What: Five grants of $1,000 each will be awarded by Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods (NECN) to projects that enhance quality of life for Inner North/Northeast Portland residents. Grants will go to collaborative, community-based projects in NECN’s 12 neighborhoods.

Who should apply: Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods is home to 12 neighborhoods:  Alameda, Boise, Concordia, Eliot, Grant Park, Humboldt, Irvington, King, Sabin, Sullivan’s Gulch, Vernon and Woodlawn. The Coalition is a forum for neighbors to address issues of shared concern, advocate for their priorities, and work together to shape the future of their neighborhoods. NECN actively supports collaborations across lines of race, culture, economic status and neighborhood boundary.

Criteria: Awards will be based on projects’ potential to 1) enhance quality of life – socially, culturally, economically or otherwise; 2) create or utilize partnerships among groups that have not traditionally worked together; and 3) advance the leadership of underrepresented communities, including people of color, immigrants and refugees, low-income residents, youth and elders, people with disabilities, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

Application deadline:  Applications are due Friday, March 14. An optional info session for prospective applicants will be held February 19 at 7:00pm at NECN (4815 NE 7th Ave).

More information: Full program information and the application are online at www.necoalition.org/programs/grants.

Arts Education and Access Grants for Underserved Communities

What: The Regional Arts & Culture Council’s (RACC)  “Expanding Cultural Access” grant program will invest approximately $50,000 in nonprofit organizations that are making arts and culture more accessible for communities of color, immigrants, refugees, underserved neighborhoods such as East Portland, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ communities, and other under-represented populations.

Who should apply: Organizations must be based in Portland and offer arts-related programming for underserved communities between July 1, 2015 and June 30, 2016.

Criteria: Examples of programming that would be competitive for these grants include: 
    
  • An event or program that gives underserved artists increased outlets to promote and market their work;
  • A technical assistance/learning/training program for artists in underserved cultural communities;
  • An event that highlights and promotes the art and culture of one particular community;
  • Ongoing programming that serves these goals.  

Application deadline: All proposals due by March 3 at 5pm, and awards will be announced in May.

More information: Visit www.racc.org/eca grants. Application materials are also available in Spanish, with other languages available upon request. Applicants whose primary fluency is in a language other than English can call 503-823-5071 to receive live, over-the-phone interpreted assistance from RACC.


NAYA Family Center’s 2014 Neerchokikoo Honoring Powwow, funded in part with an Expanding Cultural Access grant from RACC.

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