[Oregon Community Foundation](https://oregoncf.org)

April 30, 2026 (Full application submission deadline)

$25,000–$40,000 per year for up to 3 years (total $75,000–$120,000 per award)

Three-year grants supporting Oregon out-of-school programs serving underserved adolescents with a strong social-emotional learning (SEL) focus and commitment to program quality improvement.

Significant staff participation in a structured learning community is required for grant renewal.

--- ## Description This grant opportunity, offered by the Oregon Community Foundation (OCF) in partnership with The Ford Family Foundation, supports out-of-school time (OST) programs in Oregon (and Siskiyou County, CA) through a three-year, highly structured Learning Community focused on program quality improvement. The initiative targets organizations serving adolescents—especially middle school youth from low-income families, youth of color, and youth from under-resourced rural communities—with a strong emphasis on social-emotional learning (SEL). Selected programs will engage with a research-based program quality framework, receive ongoing professional development, strengthen internal evaluation and organizational learning capacity, and collaborate with peers to drive continuous improvement. Participation in the learning community, including in-person convenings and ongoing assessments, is required for continued funding. --- ## Due Dates - April 30, 2026: Full application submission deadline (applications must be received by end of day) A funding decision is expected in August 2026. --- ## Funding Amount - Annual award: $25,000–$40,000 per year - Duration: Up to 3 years (total possible award: $75,000–$120,000) - Funding is for general program support, including staffing, travel to learning community events, and program improvement activities. --- ## Eligibility - Eligible applicants include: - Public charities with IRS 501(c)(3) status registered with the Oregon Department of Justice - Government entities - Churches - Federally recognized tribes - Other organizations may apply with a qualified 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor (must submit a formal agreement) - Programs must: - Serve adolescent youth (particularly middle schoolers) from low-income families, youth of color, and/or rural communities - Have a significant SEL focus (or similar programming incorporating teamwork, responsibility, empathy, initiative, and problem-solving) - Provide a significant portion of programming during the school year (summer-only programs are not competitive) - Be group-based, staff-run (not drop-in) - Be prepared to participate fully in the structured learning community and continuous quality improvement process - Organizations with current OCF grants are eligible to apply - Organizations that have participated in the 2022 or 2024 SEL Cohorts of this initiative are not eligible --- ## Application Process - Applications open March 16, 2026, and must be submitted online by April 30, 2026 - Required materials: - Completed online application - Organization and project budgets - Fiscal sponsorship agreement (if applicable) - Review process: - Proposals are reviewed by OCF Program Officers and an advisory committee for alignment with initiative goals - Final recommendations are made to the OCF board - Funding decisions are announced in August 2026 - Renewal for years two and three is contingent on compliance with learning community participation and program improvement activities --- ## Additional Information - Grantees are expected to: - Attend annual in-person 2-day kick-off training (October 2026) - Conduct program observations and submit data each November–December - Send two staff (decision-maker and program lead) to an annual 2-day convening each January - Engage in program improvement planning and implementation (January–June) - Participate in ongoing trainings (in-person and virtual) throughout the year - Grant funds may be used for staffing, travel, program improvements, and other costs to support participation and quality improvement --- ## External Links - [Program page & application portal](https://oregoncf.org/grants-and-scholarships/grants/k-12-student-success-out-of-school-initiative) - [Request for Applications (RFP, PDF)](https://oregoncf.org/assets/PDFs-and-Docs/PDFs/Grants/2026/2026-OST-SEL-RFP-FINAL.pdf) - [Preview of Application Form (PDF)](https://oregoncf.org/assets/PDFs-and-Docs/PDFs/Grants/2026/Out-of-School-Time-2026-Application.pdf) - [Informational Webinar Recording](https://oregoncf.zoom.us/rec/play/RmPUJbWYRkzAo5B2I4RFokgnaOLnNYO26BOc_vEnmUuPS7yRX4zoNpD67FAuQm9mVVofzA_8jqb6Tmc.D-qHvmL1F2zl_sfA?eagerLoadZvaPages=sidemenu.billing.plan_management&accessLevel=meeting&canPlayFromShare=true&from=share_recording_detail&continueMode=true&oldStyle=true&componentName=rec-play&originRequestUrl=https%3A%2F%2Foregoncf.zoom.us%2Frec%2Fshare%2FKALiwFjIg9IuCpyc7j0XoOXaNkDvbpAgJGHyrA8-_YrN846VHhklR45JqUnwmwiB.M9fD7OC7WcuzHoqk) - [OST Initiative Evaluation Report](https://oregoncf.org/community-impact/research/out-of-school-time-initiative-final-evaluation-report) --- ## Contact Information | Name | Role | Email | Phone | |---------------------|---------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|-----------------| | Alysia Yamasaki | Associate Program Officer, Education | [ayamasaki@oregoncf.org](mailto:ayamasaki@oregoncf.org) | (503) 227-6846 | | Belle Cantor | Senior Program Officer, Education K-12| [bcantor@oregoncf.org](mailto:bcantor@oregoncf.org) | (503) 227-6846 | | OCF General Contact | - | [info@oregoncf.org](mailto:info@oregoncf.org) | (503) 227-6846 |

Out of School Time

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