MEDFORD, Ore. (Nov. 9, 2026) — The Oregon Community Foundation is awarding more than $5.3 million to 259 nonprofit organizations serving communities across all 36 Oregon counties, including several organizations in Southern Oregon.
The funding is part of the foundation’s Fall 2026 Community Grants program, which supports a wide range of community needs, including education, housing, arts and culture, economic development, environmental protection and culturally responsive programs.
Among the Southern Oregon recipients are the Maslow Project in Medford, Ashland Family YMCA and Illinois Valley Family Coalition in Cave Junction.
The Maslow Project will receive funding to increase its food storage capacity to better serve vulnerable youth and families. The Ashland Family YMCA will use its grant to launch an early childhood education program at Orchard Hill Elementary School.
The Illinois Valley Family Coalition will expand access to community services through funding for a new coordinator position.
Additional grants are supporting organizations along the Southern Oregon Coast. Southern Oregon Coast Pride in Coos Bay will use its funding for educational workshops and a community care directory.
The Coos Watershed Association will expand outdoor education and recreation opportunities for adults with limited mobility and families with young children. Bandon Food and Flourish will expand community support services through its CARE coordinator program.
The foundation said the Fall 2026 grants were selected through a competitive process that included 67 volunteer community reviewers working alongside Oregon Community Foundation staff to evaluate applications and inform funding recommendations.
“The Community Grants Program works best when local voices are part of the decision-making process,” said Rachel Alm, senior program officer for Community Grants, based in the foundation’s Bend office.
The volunteer reviewers bring local knowledge, lived experience and an understanding of the communities they serve, helping ensure funding reflects local priorities and opportunities, Alm said.
The program has supported nonprofit organizations across Oregon for nearly three decades, with an emphasis on organizations serving people and communities that have historically experienced significant bias, discrimination or underinvestment.
“There is so much need in the communities we serve,” said Amy Drake, senior program officer for Community Grants, based in the foundation’s Medford office.
Drake encouraged Oregonians to support nonprofit organizations working to address local needs, either through the foundation or by giving directly to organizations in their communities.
In addition to the more than $5.3 million awarded through the grant program, Oregon Community Foundation donors recommended more than $1 million in additional grants to organizations that applied during the Fall 2026 cycle.
The Community Grants program also receives support from the foundation’s Stronger Together Fund, a collective giving initiative that allows donors to contribute toward community-led solutions throughout Oregon.
Applications for the foundation’s 2027 Spring Community Grants cycle will be accepted Nov. 17 through Dec. 15, 2026. Information about eligibility, funding priorities and application requirements is available on the foundation’s Community Grants webpage.
Oregon Community Foundation has worked to improve the lives of Oregonians through philanthropy since 1973. The organization distributes more than $200 million annually in grants and scholarships throughout the state in partnership with donors and volunteers.
Discover more from Medford Alert News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
