Oregon Law Foundation
The Oregon Law Foundation is a public charity based in Portland, Oregon, formed in 1981. It funds justice-related work in Oregon, including civil legal help for people who cannot afford a lawyer, efforts to promote diversity in the legal profession, and public education about the law.
Oregon Law Foundation at a glance
In short: Oregon Law Foundation gave $2.7M across 27 grants in 2024 (avg $99K), mostly in Oregon. 26% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $2,681,369
- +27.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 27
- +28.6% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $99,310
- -1.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $35,000
- Total assets
- $16,194,114
- +97.0% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 26% first-time grantees (7 of 27, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Oregon (96% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Oregon Law Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The Foundation provides application materials for its funding categories and invites first-time applicants or programs with questions to discuss the categories and process. Current grantees not reapplying are asked to submit a narrative grantee report.
- Review Cycle
- October 1, 2026, for 2027 grant applications.
- Deadline
- October 1, 2026, for 2027 grant applications.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 8367, Portland, OR 97207
Phone: (503) 447-3353
Website: https://oregonlawfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Oregon Law Foundation
Who Oregon Law Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Oregon Law Center ($1.0M). Together the top 10 received $2.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
100 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 53 grants of 100 (53%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation describes its funding categories as statewide in Oregon. In 2024, 96% of grant dollars went to recipients in Oregon, 2% to Massachusetts, and 1% to Washington. The stated purposes of the listed grants focus on civil legal help for Oregonians.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 27 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Oregon Law Foundation open to new grantees?
26%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 7 of 27 grantees (26%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $29K; repeat grants $124K. How we count
Medians: $25K first-time, $53K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $2.1M (2023) to $2.7M (2024). In 2024 it made 27 grants totaling $2.7M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Oregon Law Center Portland, OR | To support civil legal help for oregonians with low incomes | $1,031,587 |
| Legal Aid Services of Oregon Portland, OR | To support civil legal help for oregonians with low incomes | $261,105 |
| Immigration Counseling Service Portland, OR | To support civil legal help for refugee and immigrant oregonians | $200,000 |
| Catholic Charities Portland, OR | To support civil legal help for refugee and immigrant oregonians | $183,000 |
| St Andrew Legal Clinic Portland, OR | To support civil legal help for Oregon workers with low incomes | $161,750 |
| Disability Rights Oregon Portland, OR | To support civil legal help for oregonians with disabilities | $110,000 |
| Center for Non Profit Legal Services Medford, OR | To support civil legal help for oregonians with low incomes | $82,527 |
| Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon - Soar Portland, OR | To support civil legal help for refugee and immigrant oregonians | $75,000 |
| Victim Rights Law Center Boston, MA | To support civil legal help for Oregon survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault | $63,000 |
| New Avenues for Youth Portland, OR | To support civil legal help for Oregon youth experiencing homelessness | $60,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Oregon Law Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The Foundation’s 2024 filing describes approximately $2.6 million in grants supporting Oregon’s civil legal system.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $16,194,114 | $10,831,492 | $3,308,336 | $2,681,369 | 27 | $414,785 |
| 2023 | $8,219,765 | $7,915,149 | $2,604,470 | $2,111,395 | 21 | $167,369 |
| 2022 | $2,736,939 | $2,318,151 | $2,497,090 | $2,208,640 | 18 | $16,448 |
| 2021 | $3,134,573 | $1,811,840 | $2,503,047 | $2,192,020 | 17 | $257,312 |
| 2020 | $3,832,833 | $1,955,501 | $2,970,460 | $2,665,034 | 17 | $135,739 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation’s stated mission is to build a fairer legal system and support justice for all in Oregon by ensuring access to civil legal help for people with low incomes or other systemic barriers, promoting access to legal education and legal professions, and educating the public about law and the legal system.
Its three funding categories are full-service civil legal aid providers; other direct civil legal services providers; and organizations that promote diversity in the legal profession or support education about the law. Among its 2024 grantees, the Oregon Law Center describes its mission as providing high-quality civil legal services to low-income communities in Oregon. Disability Rights Oregon says it promotes and defends the rights of people with disabilities. Immigration Counseling Service describes itself as an independent nonprofit law firm serving Oregon and southwest Washington.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the Foundation reported 27 grants totaling $2,681,369. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $1,031,587, with a median of $35,000. The largest awards included $1,031,587 to Oregon Law Center, $261,105 to Legal Aid Services of Oregon, and $200,000 to Immigration Counseling Service. The stated purposes included civil legal help for Oregonians with low incomes, immigrants and refugees, workers, people with disabilities, survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, and youth experiencing homelessness.
Applications for the 2027 funding year are available in Categories A, B, and C. The Foundation provides separate application materials for current Category A and B grantees, new Category B applicants, and new or current Category C applicants. Applicants are directed to review the Foundation’s policies and procedures; first-time applicants or programs with questions may ask the Foundation to discuss funding categories and the process. The Foundation says its Grants Committee makes recommendations to the Board, which awards grants and notifies grantees in December.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Rima Ghandour as president, Justin Thorp as president-elect, Elise Bouneff as secretary, and Kristen Connor as treasurer. It also lists G Valerie Colas, Chris Costantino, Brent Hall, Gus Martin, Faith Morse, and Bonnie Richardson as directors.
The Foundation’s website identifies Bill Penn as executive director, Brooke Thacher as assistant director, and Laura Greer as program coordinator.
Oregon Law Foundation is led by William Penn, Executive Director on every filing since 2021; 1 of 14 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
William Penn
Executive Director
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$58K (2021) → $134K (2024)
Rima Ghandour
President
Director → President, 2023
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Brent Hall
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
G. Valerie Colas
Director
President-Elect → President, 2022
President → Director, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Debra Velure
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Bonnie Richardson
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Laura Shipley-Strobbe
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Chris Costantino
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Diane Sykes
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Faith Morse
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gus Martin
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Elise Bouneff
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Justin Thorp
President-Elect
Director → President-Elect, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kristen Connor
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (10)
- Former: Chanpone Sinlapasai (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: David Rosen (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Randy Compton (2020–2023) — Treasurer
- Former: Magali Sosa-Tirado (2022–2023) — Director
- Former: Bernie Thurber (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Laura Shipley (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Ethan Knight (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Judith Baker (2020–2021) — Executive Director
- Former: Traci Renee Ray (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Kamron L. Graham (2020) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $134K, to William Penn (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about Oregon Law Foundation
How much does Oregon Law Foundation give each year?
Oregon Law Foundation gave $2.7M across 27 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $2.1M across 21 grants.
What is Oregon Law Foundation's typical grant size?
Oregon Law Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $35,000, and its average grant was $99,310, across 27 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Oregon Law Foundation that year got $29K on average.
Where does Oregon Law Foundation give grants?
Oregon Law Foundation gives mostly in Oregon: 96% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Portland, OR (19 grants), Oregon City, OR (2 grants) and Tigard, OR (2 grants).
Does Oregon Law Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 27 grants with a stated purpose on Oregon Law Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "To Support Civil Legal Help for Oregonians with Low Incomes" (6 grants).
Who are Oregon Law Foundation's largest grantees?
Oregon Law Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Oregon Law Center ($1,031,587), Legal Aid Services of Oregon ($261,105) and Immigration Counseling Service ($200,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 56% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Oregon Law Foundation?
Oregon Law Foundation reported $16.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $10.8M.
What does Oregon Law Foundation fund?
The Foundation’s stated mission is to build a fairer legal system and support justice for all in Oregon by ensuring access to civil legal help for people with low incomes or other systemic barriers, promoting access to legal education and legal professions, and educating the public about law and the legal system. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Oregon Law Foundation?
The Foundation provides application materials for its funding categories and invites first-time applicants or programs with questions to discuss the categories and process. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Oregon Law Foundation's EIN?
Oregon Law Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 93-0817536. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 25, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 13, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 13, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Oregon Law Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Oregon Law Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/oregon-law-foundation-morg_e67038fc079f4f2ba592328692af693a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_930817536_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Oregon Law Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/oregon-law-foundation-morg_e67038fc079f4f2ba592328692af693a},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Oregon Law Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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