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Community Impact Grant Program
Community Impact Grant program applications are closed.
The City of Forest Grove Community Impact Grant (Impact Grant) is issuing a new three-year grant opportunity designed to provide funding to a nonprofit organization for a project or program that makes a sustained, targeted impact in a priority area of community concern. The grant is funded from Metro Community Enhancement Program (CEP) funds paid to the City of Forest Grove based on a fee collected on each ton of solid waste collected at the Forest Grove Transfer Station.
The Community Impact Grant is a competitive grant that will be awarded to an organization for a three-year period. Organizations may apply for up to $120,000 in funds to be distributed over a three-year period (maximum $40,000 per year). Nonprofit organizations are invited to apply for Community Impact Grant funds with proposals for projects or programs that emphasize direct services, innovation and creativity, measurable outcomes, financial sustainability, collaboration with community partners, and other criteria.
Grant recipients are decided through the Community Enhancement Program Committee.
Capital projects are not eligible. Organizations can apply for both CEP and Impact grants; however, if they are awarded the Impact Grant, they will not be considered for CEP grants.
2024 Community Impact Grant Program Schedule:
(dates are subject to change except for the application deadline)
- April 1: Applications for project proposals will be available.
- April 30: Applications must be completed and returned by email to Joyce Phillips, Programs and Communications Assistant, or at City Hall, 1924 Council Street, by 5 pm
- May 28: The CEPC will hold a meeting to hear the sponsor's presentation of the proposed project. Presentations should be limited to 5 minutes after which the CEPC will have the opportunity to ask questions. The Committee will determine grant recipients and award grants.
- July 1: Contracts for awarded projects will be distributed to Sponsors.
Contracts must be executed by September 30, 2024, or the grant is forfeited.
Applicant Information
- The name of the non-profit group, organization, or committee should be listed in Sponsor Information.
- Contact person, phone, and address should be provided for notification purposes and in case further information is required.
- The contact person should be the person who prepared the project proposal or can answer questions about the project.
- The person signing the proposal should be the person authorized to submit the application.
- Applicants must be a qualified nonprofit, tax-exempt organization.
- Only one grant application per 3-year grant cycle will be considered for each organization.
- Organizations may be named as partners in an application and still be eligible for their own application submittal.
- Organizations may combine the Impact Grant with non-CEP grand funds and other revenue sources.
- Projects or programs must be within the City's Urban Growth Boundary (UBG) or benefit citizens within the UGB to be eligible for funding.
- Projects or programs must meet at least one or eight Metro-approved goals.
- Project or program must not be used to replace any other readily available source of federal, state, local, or regional funds.
- Projects must not promote or inhibit religion or discriminate based on race, ethnicity, age, gender, or sexual orientation.
If awarded, organizations will be asked to present an annual progress report on project implementation, both in written form and in person at a City Council meeting each July during the three years of grant funding. Organizations may also be asked to provide information as requested by the City at any time over the course of the grant.
Applications will be scored by the Community Enhancement Program Committee (CEPC) based on the following areas:
- Impact of the proposed project or program in addressing the area of community concern.
- Level of innovation, creative approaches, new programming, and service enhancements.
- Does the proposed project or program meet at least one of the Metro CEP goals?
- Do the outcomes of the proposed project advance the values described in the City's Vision Statement and the City Council 2024-2025 Goals, especially diversity, equity, and inclusion of the most vulnerable?
- Collaboration with community partners, including relevant City agencies.
- Long-term financial sustainability of the project or program.
- Clarity of 3-year project or program implementation plan and timeline.
- Measurable outcomes and deliverables and a clear method for tracking.
- Complete a cost-effective project or program budget.
- Effectiveness of project.
In addition to the grant application, please provide the following (1-page max each):
- Proof of non-profit status
- List of current board members
- Project or program budget (3 years), including revenues and expenditures
- Organizational budget summary for the current year, including revenues and expenditures. Please provide any government funding and other pending grants related to the project or program to which you are applying for funding.
- Financial Report for last fiscal year.
- Improve the appearance or environmental quality of the community.
- Reduce the amount or toxicity of waste.
- Increase reuse and recycling opportunities.
- Result in rehabilitation or upgrade of real or personal property owned or operated by a nonprofit organization having 501(c)(3) status.
- Result in the preservation or enhancement of wildlife, riparian zones, wetlands, forest lands, and marine areas, and/or improve the public awareness and the opportunities to enjoy them.
- Result in improvement to, or an increase in, recreational areas and programs.
- Result in improvement in safety.
- Benefit youth, seniors, low-income persons or underserved populations.