Responsive Grant Programs- Midsize Grants

The Reser Family Foundation's Midsize Grant Program supports organizations in Oregon with annual budgets over $1.2 million. Grants range from $12,500 to $50,000 and prioritize innovative projects in Education, Health, Arts, and Environment. Eligible applicants must be established 501(c)(3) organizations for over three years and demonstrate community impact. Applications require a letter of support and collaboration with funding partners. The foundation does not fund organizations involved in active litigation or one-time events.

NOTE: Find the page for the Fast-Track Grants here.
Reser Family Foundation
The Reser Family Foundation continues Al and Pat Reser’s decades-long commitment to giving back to Oregon communities. The Reser Family is passionate about strengthening Oregonians through charitable grants made to organizations doing broad-based, innovative, inclusive work across our state.
Our Cornerstones
To help create the broadest possible benefit to Oregonians, The Reser Family Foundation focuses on four Cornerstones—Education, Health, Arts, and Environment—to guide giving.
Grants supporting student success and engagement
Education Funding Priorities:
Supporting middle and high school, campus based or school-day academic and transitional programs that encourage student success, including career technical education.             Supporting the basic needs & basic skills of K-12 students with limited economic means.
A closer look at our current funding priorities in Education:

• If your request is for capital construction and replacement of equipment, please see our Built Environment funding priority.
• Letter(s) of support, or the MOU, are required to be uploaded before the application can be submitted.
• If your request is for capital construction and replacement of equipment, please see our Built Environment funding priority.
• Health
• Grants serving vulnerable Oregonians.
• Health Funding Priorities:

Increasing access to mental health services & addiction programs for underserved youth. Providing basic needs for both those impacted by domestic violence and for low-income elders and supporting day shelters that provide wraparound services leading to successful employment for unhoused individuals.
A closer look at our current funding priorities in Health:

• We are not currently reviewing new requests for medical research funding, animal-assisted therapies, caregiver support programs, or child advocacy programs.
• If your request is for capital construction and replacement of equipment, please see our Built Environment funding priority.
• The Arts
• Grants to engage communities with the arts and increase access.
• Arts Funding Priorities
• Engage youth through creative visual and performing arts programs.Support broad-based community arts programs that increase access and enrich communities.
• A closer look at our current funding priorities in The Arts:
• If your request is for capital construction and replacement of equipment, please see our Built Environment funding priority.
• If your organization is a school, please apply under the Education Cornerstone.
• Funding for individual artists is outside of our Arts guidelines.
• Environment

Grants supporting the vitality of the natural environment. Grants supporting the built environment & community development.
Environment Funding Priorities
A closer look at our current funding priorities in Environment:
Funding for land acquisition, preliminary studies or preliminary research is outside of our current funding priorities. We are not currently reviewing requests from organizations with ongoing or pending litigation.
The foundation will consider capital fundraising requests when more than 70% of the funds needed to complete the project have been raised/pledged.
Assessment Criteria
While our funding priorities have a broad base, they all share a single purpose — to improve and strengthen communities throughout Oregon. In considering grant applications, we look for:
In considering grant applications, we look for programs or projects that hold promise to accomplish a measurable impact in the area of Education, Health, Arts, and Environment. We provide funding to applicants that possess the ability to achieve uncommon results.
The Mid Size Grant Program serves requests from $12,500 to $50,000. The Mid Size grant process is open to eligible organizations with operating budgets larger than $1,200,000 who are requesting support for projects or programs. Applications are reviewed, then organizations selected for consideration will have a site visit with Foundation representatives.

Eligibility

Eligible organizations need to be established 501(c)(3) organizations for more than 3 years.The organization, operations, services and staff should be based in Oregon, conducting Oregon activities.Before applying, other funding partners must be committed and listed on the application.A letter of support from a partner or collaborator is required on the application.Grant funding is expected to be spent within one year of disbursement to support ongoing programming.Applicants who have applied to the foundation or been funded by the foundation for 3 consecutive years in a row must take a one-year hiatus before applying again.

Ineligibility

Organizations affiliated with active litigation are not eligible for funding.
New programs, pilot programs, or research projects are not eligible for funding (except in the case of Small Community Initiative projects).
One-time events or short annual events are not eligible for funding.