PGE Foundation: Career Pathways Grant Program

PGE Foundation: Career Pathways Grant Program

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: PGE Foundation
Amount: US $5,000 - US $25,000
Last Updated: November 01, 2025

Summary

The PGE Foundation's Career Pathways Grant Program aims to enhance economic mobility for Oregonians by providing support for programs that facilitate access to family-wage jobs and entrepreneurship. This initiative prioritizes nonprofit organizations focused on skill development, mentorship, and wrap-around services. The foundation is particularly interested in proposals that address barriers faced by underrepresented communities, including BIPOC and women-owned businesses, and encourages collaborative efforts among nonprofits to achieve measurable outcomes.

Overview

The PGE Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Portland General Electric. Founded in 1997, the foundation was created through an endowment with the purpose of improving the quality of life for all Oregonians. PGE Foundation welcomes applications from eligible nonprofits through three focus-specific grant cycles: Education, Creative Expression and Career Pathways. While the majority of grants support projects and programs that align with our funding priorities, we also award grants for operating expenses and new and existing capital construction projects. Career Pathways We are committed to helping individuals and communities overcome common barriers to economic mobility and generational wealth-building by increasing avenues to family wage jobs, entrepreneurship and small business ownership. If you’re interested in submitting a proposal for a career-oriented program, consider: Programs that facilitate access to in-demand, family-wage jobs in the trades, sciences and green sectorsPrograms for adults focused on skill developmentWrap-around services offering mentorship, transportation and other resources that impact workforce participationProposals that offer entrepreneurship and business-ownership support for minority- and woman-owned small businesses

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. We award grants to:Charitable, nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations classified as 501 (c) (3) by the Internal Revenue Service or those with a qualifying equivalent statusOrganizations based in Oregon and serving Oregonians with priority to organizations located in counties where PGE has customers and power-generating plantsOrganizations, programs and services that are aligned with one or more of our three focus areas.Organizations that comply with our non discrimination policyThe PGE Foundation reviews only one request per calendar year from an organization.Previous grant recipients must complete an impact report prior to submitting a new request.

Ineligibility

We do not consider requests for the following:Previous grant recipients who have not completed a final impact reportBridge grants, debt retirement or operational deficitsEndowment fundsGeneral fund drives or annual appealsRequests to support political entities, ballot measure campaigns or candidates for political officeRequests from organizations that discriminate, in services provided and/or hiring practices, based on race, religion, nationality, ethnicity, sex, marital status, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, veterans status or colorRequests from fraternal, sectarian and/or religious organizations, especially if the grant is intended for the principal benefit of the organization’s own members or adherentsAny activities or organizations for which support would violate IRS regulations for private foundationsDirect grants to individualsDirect support for library operations, or capitalTravel expensesConferences, symposiums, festivals, events, team sponsorships or user feesCapital expenses to purchase vehicles, office furniture, computers, etc.