Miller Foundation Fiscal Sponsorship

Overview

About the Foundation

The Miller Foundation believes that the arts keep Oregonians of all ages creative and connected, and that holistic educational approaches keep our children engaged and inspired.

Mission

The James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation was founded with the mission to enhance the quality of life of Oregonians through the support of classroom education and the performing, visual, and literary arts.

Who is eligible

* Oregonians: We fund organizations in Oregon with activities in arts or K-12 education.
* Established: Organizations can apply after providing programs or services to the community for 3 years or more.
* Charitable: Applicants can be 501(c)(3) organizations, public entities, tribal or municipal governments, schools, or school districts. We sometimes fund work that has a fiscal sponsor.

We provide operating support through our standard grant process. (Occasionally we also provide project support.) To help our grantees succeed, we offer a flexible partnership model with single- and multi-year grants.

We understand that for some of our applicants, the opportunity to apply for operating support is rare. The Miller Foundation has been prioritizing operating support for well over a decade because we want you to have maximum flexibility in your work. We know that to realize your vision, you need support that helps you keep the lights on, make payroll, and respond to unexpected challenges and opportunities.

Eligibility

_You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website._

* Requirements
* The fiscal sponsor must be based in Oregon, with proven financial management experience.
* The fiscal sponsor's mission must align closely with the proposed sponsored work.
* Either the project is on a trajectory to become its own 501(c)(3) - or project leaders have proven experience related to the proposed work.
* The sponsored organization or project can demonstrate sustained community need and support for the proposed work.
* The fiscal sponsor's board chair and executive director, as well as the sponsored organization's leader, must sign and submit a fiscal sponsorship agreement to the Foundation.
* A fiscal sponsor may apply for a Miller Foundation grant for its own work, in addition to applying as a fiscal sponsor of other projects.

Ineligibility

* Capital purchase and permanently installed (non-movable) equipment
* Facilities construction
* Debt relief and endowment
* Religious institutions and programs significantly shaped by religious affiliation (with rare exceptions for religiously-affiliated schools providing tuition-free opportunities to specific student populations)
* Libraries or library foundations
* Colleges and universities‍
* Requests for individual schools or classrooms for in-school projects or programs (arts education courses, assemblies, school trips to performances, school clubs, field trips, art materials, or musical instruments)
* Adult education, including adult literacy programs and standalone adult arts education