With the variety of funds and programs The Oregon Community Foundation oversees, we understand that it can sometimes be challenging to identify the correct form to use when submitting an evaluation report. If you are uncertain about the type of grant you have received, or the appropriate form to use, please don’t hesitate to call us at (503) 227-6846 and ask to speak to an Advised Funds Associate or Program Associate. Alternatively, you may e-mail our staff at advisedfunds@oregoncf.org or grants@oregoncf.org.
We value your time, and want to make the most of it! In this effort, we are always looking for ways to streamline our requests; if you have received multiple evaluation report requests for similar (or the same) projects, please contact us. Below is a list of the Foundation’s primary grant making programs.
Competitive Grants
Reed and Carolee Walker Fund Grants
Designated Grants
Advised Fund Grants
Environmental Education Program Grants
The term "competitive grants" simply refers to grants awarded through a competitive grant process. Unless specified otherwise in the grant award letter, these programs use the standard grant evaluation form. Programs that use this form include our broad Community Grant program and a variety of more narrow grant programs (such as the Oregon Historic Trails Fund). In general, OCF requests a nine-month report for competitive grants so that we may share grant progress with our board of directors at the meeting held a year after the grant was awarded. We also share grant progress with volunteer advisory committees involved with proposal review.
If the grantee is on track to meet project objectives at the nine-month point, we do not request a final report. The only time we request a 12-month report instead of a nine-month report is when it is the final year of a multi-year Community Grant. The same form is used for both the nine-month report and the 12-month report. Due dates for reports are specified in grant award letters, but please feel free to call the foundation if you have questions (503.227.6846).
Our standard grant evaluation form is simple, to minimize the reporting burden on the grantee. Our hope is that grantees will use their results as much for their own benefit as for ours, to help guide their decision making and future use of resources in connection with their program.
We understand that not all grant-funded programs begin when expected. And we understand that unanticipated events may interfere with a grantee’s progress. We know that sometimes projects fail. Our philosophy is that if all of our grant-funded projects are successful, we are not taking enough risks.
When a project does veer from its original timeline or goals, we are interested in how the grantee responded to setbacks and what was learned. Please do not delay submission of your report for fear of our reaction to a project being behind or having more modest results than anticipated. Also, please feel free to contact us with any questions. We can delay a reporting due date if the situation calls for it, or extend the project period.
For the Reed and Carolee Walker Fund program, both a progress report and a final report are required. Grants are awarded in May each year, with progress reports due the following February and final reports due in August.
Designated grants are awarded annually, as long as the grantee uses funds as specified in the grant award letter. These grants generally are distributed in July, with a report due the following March. The designated fund grant report is reviewed by our board of directors to ensure that funds were used as required; if so, the next distribution is approved.
Advised fund grants generally are made at the recommendation of an advised fund donor and are not the result of a grant application submitted by a nonprofit. Most advised fund grants support a nonprofit’s general operations or core programs. As a result, we usually do not require submission of a progress report. Exceptions are sometimes made if the grant is for a specific project or for a large sum. In these cases, the grant award letter will let the grantee know if a report is required; this form is available online.
For a grant received through an application to the Environmental Education Program, please use this form.