Questions

— Frequently Asked —

Do you fund general operating?

Yes! Nearly 90% of our awards are for general operating. In fact, one of the measures we use to evaluate an applicant is whether or not we would support their efforts across-the-board. Additionally, we gladly support capital campaigns and programming support as desirable.

Do you ever fund multi-year awards?

Absolutely! While competitive, we often issue 2-3 year award terms to strong applicants. Applicants can express their interest in multi-year funding at the time of their application.

Do you fund religious or faith based organizations?

We very rarely fund faith-based organizations. We do not fund organizations that have faith or participatory requirements for employees, participants, or volunteers, nor those who proselytize, promote, or center one particular faith tradition.

How competitive are the grant programs?

Each grant program is very competitive. Because our philanthropic interests are broad in nature and the scope of need in Oregon is so great, it positions the process to be very competitive. In general for 2025, we expect that only 1 of every 4 applications received will likely be funded, however some programs (e.g. Sunflower) are less competitive than others (e.g. Daffodil).

Do you partner outside of Oregon or Washington State?

Most of our philanthropic efforts occur in Oregon, with some efforts in Washington State (esp. southwest, central, and eastern Washington). Occasionally, we issue grants to out of state organizations for emergency needs or special projects that uniquely connect to Marie or her family — though we usually identify those opportunities proactively. We do not, however, give outside of the United States.

What if my proposal wasn’t funded?

We don’t enjoy saying no, but we often do so because we had to prioritize other needs or make difficult budget considerations. In some cases, an organization may not be a good fit; sometimes, an organization may not be the strongest fit, but may be eligible to return later. We work to communicate those conditions or circumstances as best as we can if/when we decline a proposal.

Our budget is on the cusp of eligibility. Can we still apply?

Each of our programs have budget requirements. Recognizing that budgets change, we typically award some modest flexibility to candidates whose budgets are within $5,000 to $10,000 of the requirement. However, rarely do we encourage applicants that are on the cusp of eligibility to pursue a more competitive award.

Do you award partial funding?

Absolutely. In fact, when budget or eligibility conditions limit our ability to fully fund a proposal, often times organizations are awarded partial funding in an effort to still support their work. As such, applicants should be prepared for such funding and exercise caution around a fixed plan for fund expenditure (e.g. hiring a full-time role).

Is there a maximum award amount?

Generally, we do not issue funding in excess of 10% of an organization’s operating budget or capital campaign budget. While some exceptions may be made, these are especially rare.

Do you fund emergency or urgent needs?

We do support emergency response pertaining to crises like wildfires, earthquakes, or other natural disasters. We do not, however, typically support organizations with bridge or emergency funding beyond such circumstances.

Can I talk with someone about my application?

Before they open to applicants, we hold information sessions almost every week for upcoming grant programs. If you want to ask clarifying questions or confirm your eligibility, you are encouraged to attend. Learn more here.

U S E F U L C O N T E X T F O R

Declined Proposals

The needs of Oregon are significant and thousands of nonprofit organizations throughout the state are working to address them. In 2025, we anticipate receiving more than 1,250 grant proposals and will be able to consider no more than 40% of them. As such, a declined proposal, while never desirable, is certainly possible, even for aligned applicants. 

While we hope to give feedback as we are able, it is difficult to do so for every organization. As such, we hope you may consider some of the following as key factors that might lead to a declined proposal. 

  • Alignment

    While we work to communicate our values and priorities as best we can, we still have applicants that are often not well-aligned. In some cases, this could mean that an applicant organization is doing exceptional work in the community but that the body of work is simply not something we prioritize in our funding right now. In other scenarios, applicants may not be committed to our values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.

    Tip: If you feel like your organization may not be well-aligned for funding, you are encouraged to reach out to us before you apply or attend one of our information sessions before application cycles open.

  • Prioritization

    As we review applicant pools, we evaluate organizations through a number of measures and lenses, including but not limited to impact, location, operational health, financial position, and scope of need. Despite trying to support as many applicants as possible, the size of our applicant pool requires us to identify the most aligned applicants and then ask, “Among these applicants, who are the strongest overall candidates for funding?” As such, even well-aligned, impactful organizations may not be approved for funding. In these cases, feedback can be challenging to give (and receive) because a decline may not be for one or two specific reasons, but rather due to the fact that overall, another applicant was more competitive.

    Tip: If you believe your organization to be well-aligned for funding (or maybe you have been awarded funding in the past) but still had a proposal declined, consider reaching out to a Foundation staff member. While we may be able to give you some feedback on your proposal, if nothing else, we can confirm or clarify any assumptions you may be making about your alignment.

  • Liability

    In select cases, an organization may be declined funding because of one or two primary obstacles. These may be factors that independently, or in context with other factors, yield a declination. Examples may include an organization navigating major public scandal, an organization with unusual executive turnover, or an organization considering closure. While these factors don’t immediately or automatically yield a decline, they can certainly position an organization to be less competitive than others.

    Tip: If your organization has a significant gap or liability, we encourage you to address it or acknowledge it in your application — or wait to apply until the issue has been resolved. In some cases, we may reach out to you to clarify certain details, but we are not always positioned to do so.

  • Confusion

    Grant writing can be intimidating and complex. For first-time grant applicants or those who may not understand the process, we encourage you to reach out to us with questions or attend informational sessions with our staff. And while we aim to be understanding of mistakes or gaps in a proposal, we do not always have the bandwidth to address every mistake or investigate every potential error with the applicant. Consequently, if content or material in an application is inaccurate or incomplete, it may not be considered with your other application materials.

    Tip: We encourage applicants to have other colleagues or volunteers review an application before it is submitted. We also encourage you to coordinate in advance with appropriate personnel (e.g. your finance manager) to secure accurate documentation on time. You can even send them a copy of the application so they know what documentation is required. If you think you may have made a mistake in your application after submission (esp. those who submit early) please feel free to email us at grants@marielamfrom.org with the correction and we will work to amend your application on your behalf.

More Questions

  • Our Primary Programs support Oregon-based / Oregon-serving nonprofits. If your organization is based in Oregon but doing work in SW Washington (or other states) you are welcome to apply, but need to demonstrate your commitment to efforts in Oregon.

    If you are based in SW Washington (e.g. headquartered or mailing address) then you would be eligible and encouraged to apply for our Washington Fund, which is expected to open in April.

  • At this time, our friends across the river won't be eligible to apply for Oregon-focused grant programs. However, you will be given priority if/when you apply for our Washington Fund.

  • Organizations can only engage one Primary Program (Sunflower, Rose, Daffodil) at a time. However, Secondary Programs are open to any eligible applicant, including those who are pursuing or actively in another grant with us. In other words, you cannot pursue a Rose Grant and a Daffodil Grant at the same time, but you could pursue a Rose Grant and a Capital Fund Grant if you wanted to do so.

  • The "open" dates on our website refer to when our preliminary application (LOI) is available for submission. As we get closer to open dates, we will announce the exact day on which the program will open. Typically, applications will be open for 3-5 weeks.

  • Yes, our application will be changing to reflect a much more abbreviated Preliminary Application (LOI) and a more personalized Final Application. While our open application periods are slightly longer, our evaluation periods are shorter, meaning funding decisions get to you faster than they have in the past.

  • Absolutely! So long as your budget exceeds $250,000 you can apply for a Rose Grant. Organizations with budgets under $500,000 cannot, however, pursue a Daffodil Grant.

  • Organizations are not eligible to apply for a Sunflower, Rose, or Daffodil grant until any other Primary Grant (Sunflower, Rose, or Daffodil) is closed. In other words, if you are in a Rose Grant now, you cannot reapply until:

    • Your 12-month grant term has closed

    • Your final report is submitted

    • All or nearly all of the awarded funding has been expensed

    Organizations whose grant terms conclude while an application cycle is open are not guaranteed access to that application. Grant reports typically take 3-4 weeks to review and approve; organizations who submit a report while an application is open are unlikely to have their report reviewed and approved before the application open period closes. As such, applicants whose terms end near an open period should typically plan to pursue a new application in the following open period.

    With questions about reapplication eligibility, please contact us.

  • For most of our grant programs, applicants do not request a specific grant amount but instead select the grant program they wish to participate in. Once an application is submitted, we review the organization's financials to determine a maximum award amount, typically set at 10% of the organization's annual expenses. We then evaluate whether the maximum amount is appropriate based on additional factors.

    Applicants seeking Rose or Daffodil grants are not required to specify which of the two programs they wish to pursue, as they share a preliminary application (LOI). However, Rose and Daffodil applicants will have the option to select a dollar amount range that reflects the maximum amount they are interested in receiving.

  • While we don't leverage a newsletter, we do invite folks to opt-in to updates or announcements at the bottom of our webpage. Generally, organizations who have an up-to-date account in our grant portal will also receive updates from us.

  • Yes, but only marginally. Generally, we hope to be in partnership with organizations over time, but not necessarily year after year. Some small evaluative credit is given to returning applicants in most of our grant programs, but its impact on funding outcomes is minimal.

    Some programs, however, require funding history for participation, like our Capital Impact Fund or Zinnia Grant. These programs explicitly prioritize returning applicants.