Black Student Success Capacity Building Grants

Black Student Success Capacity Building Grants

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: The Oregon Community Foundation
Amount: Up to US $50,000
Last Updated: July 25, 2025

Summary

The Oregon Community Foundation offers the Black Student Success Capacity Building Grants to support Black-led organizations in Oregon. With a total funding of $720,000, these grants aim to enhance the operational capacity of these organizations, enabling them to better serve marginalized Black children and families. Eligible organizations can request up to $50,000 for projects focusing on education, community engagement, and culturally responsive programming, contributing to transformative change in the community.

Overview

About Oregon Community Foundation (OCF) Our mission is to improve the lives of all Oregonians through the power of philanthropy. As a statewide community foundation we work alongside donors, stewarding their priorities into strategic giving to support diverse communities across Oregon, creating lasting, transformative change. Black Student Success Capacity Building Grants Background The educational challenges that face marginalized Black children in Oregon are too great for one organization or group to tackle alone. Success requires strategic, ongoing collaboration. Within the past few years, the Black Student Success Initiative has used this lens to support the operation and programming of Black-led, Black-serving organizations across the state as part of the Black Student Success Network (BSSN). Through these efforts, OCF learned that many organizations within this target demographic needed additional support to continue serving Black children and their families – increasing the capacity of these organizations would surely increase the impact they are able to make in service of Black Student Success across Oregon. Grant Opportunity In response to community feedback received through BSSN renewal applications, OCF was able to create the current opportunity to fund $720,000 capacity building grants for Black-led, Black-serving organizations across Oregon. Grants will be awarded for a one-year period, with a maximum request of $50,000 per organization.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Organizations/coalitions eligible for this grant opportunity must meet the following criteria: Must have 501(c)(3) status as a public charity (not a private foundation), be a public entity, or have a qualified fiscal sponsorThe staff and leadership reflect the African/Black community (or communities) that is servedA significant number of clients/children/families served are from African/Black communitiesThe organization/leadership has a track record of successful community engagement and involvement with African/ Black communities being servedThe community (or communities) being served recognizes the organization and as advancing the best interest of the community (or communities African/African Immigrant pan African)The organization can demonstrate an understanding of the unique needs of African/Black students In addition, all organizations applying should be providing at least one program related to the focus areas below for Black Students and must have a focus that falls within the scale of Birth through Pre-K, K-12 or post-secondary: Early learning programsDiversification of the educator workforce through recruitment, hiring, and retention effortsTransitions between early childhood-K-3 education; elementary to middle school; middle school to high school; high school to post-secondary educationNewcomer programs and supports for African studentsCulturally responsive curriculumLiteracy and numeracy outcomes for students in the K-12 systemDisproportionate disciplineAttendance and absenteeismFreshman on-trackGraduation ratesPost-secondary enrollmentCredit acquisition (post-secondary)Completion of associates degree and/or bachelor’s degree (40-40-20 goal)