Our Funding Policies

We urge all interested applicants to please review our funding priorities prior to submitting an application.

REQUIREMENTS

We consider requests from most applicants who meet the following requirements:

  • Applicants must be a registered and recognized 501(c)(3) public charity, a government entity, or Tribal nation;

  • All Foundation applicants (i.e. grantees) must directly and explicitly address education, community, arts, creativity, health, and/or well-being;

  • Applicants must be based in and committed to serving Oregon; exceptions are issued to Washington-based organizations applying to our Washington Impact Fund;

  • Applicants must demonstrate financial viability and health, consistent with sound, organized financial management and philanthropic stewardship;

  • Applicants must be able to demonstrate impact, ideally through data collection and informed operational strategies;

  • Applicants demonstrate a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and/or belonging, especially as it pertains to policies and programs impacting those served and employed by the organization. Furthermore:

    • Applicants must recognize, celebrate, and include all persons no matter their sexual orientation and/or gender identity – including support for their right to publicly identify and their right to publicly date, marry, and/or enter into lawful union – without any associative retaliation, termination, or disciplinary action;

    • Applicants must extend equal welcome, opportunity, and services to all employees, participants, volunteers, leadership, and/or members without their subscription to, participation in, or pledged commitment to any one religion, faith tradition, or belief system.

RESTRICTIONS

We do not consider the following requests for any applicant for whom the following applies:

  • Fiscally sponsored organizations

  • Sectarian, faith-based, or religious organizations whose principal activity is for the primary benefit of or prioritizes their own members or adherent, including faith-based organizations whose mission or programs proselytize or preach traditions of a given faith or belief system;

  • Institutions, who — in policy or practice — discriminate against persons because of their race, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, religion, ability, socioeconomic status, age, or other marginalized identities;

  • Organizations that exist for the purpose of propagandizing and/or for influencing legislation and elections;

  • Individuals unauthorized to act on behalf of a qualified tax-exempt organizations;

  • Individuals for their personal benefit

Additionally, we do not:

  • Support endowments or the investment of grant-awarded funds, such that we expect awarded dollars to be leveraged during the grant term assigned;

  • Permit the use of grant dollars to pay off debts unless explicitly authorized to do so (uncommon)

Grant Terms & Reapplication

A grant term — unless otherwise noted or agreed upon in writing — is considered to be twelve (12) months. A grant term is only complete when:

  • All awarded funds have been expensed

  • A grant report has been submitted and approved

  • It has been 12-months since the last grant payment was issued

Once a term is complete, unless otherwise directed by the Foundation in writing, organizations are eligible to reapply for funding. Applicants will be awarded no more than one Primary grant (i.e. Sunflower, Rose, Daffodil) per year unless otherwise articulated in a grant policy.

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.

Withdrawal or Gift Returns

The Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation reserves the right to withdraw funding and/or have funds returned should organizations or partners:

  • not utilize the funds awarded in the agreed upon (or extended) grant term;

  • utilize funds in ways not agreed to in the Grant Agreement and/or in such a way the potential jeopardizes the Foundation’s private foundation status;

  • demonstrate behavior that does not align with the values and priorities of the Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation.

Organizations who do not utilize all funds awarded may request an extension via email; extension requests should be submitted 3-6 weeks prior to the conclusion of the grant term, if not sooner. Failure to request an extension may result in the return of unspent funds.

POLICIES