More than $5 million in funding will be available when Oregon Cultural Trust Manager Aili Schreiner joins with colleagues from the Cultural Trust’s Statewide Partners and other funders Feb. 12 through March 11 for “Conversations with Funders and Partners,” a seven-stop series of application workshops. Attendees will learn about funding programs available from multiple grantmakers and will have the opportunity to discuss their projects and programming. Other statewide programming resources and application preparation guidance (three locations) also will be presented. 

Participating will be representatives from the Cultural Trust’s Statewide Partners – the Oregon Arts Commission, Oregon Heritage, Oregon Humanities and the Oregon State Historic Preservation Office – as well as counterparts from The Oregon Community Foundation (most locations), the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation, Travel Oregon and Portland’s Regional Arts and Culture Council (Portland location).

As a special bonus for potential applicants, the events in Lincoln City, La Grande and Roseburg will be combined with free application writing workshops presented by Meredith Howell of Travel Oregon. The application writing workshops are scheduled for 9 a.m. to noon in Lincoln City and La Grande and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in Roseburg, all in the same locations. Travel Oregon will also participate in the Conversations events in those locations.

Organizations encouraged to attend “Conversations with Funders and Partners” include libraries, arts organizations, museums, cultural centers, historical societies, arts alliances, literary groups and heritage organizations. All cultural nonprofit organizations are welcome.

“There are more than 1,450 cultural nonprofits serving Oregonians,” said Schreiner. “We want to make sure they know about the significant funding and programming resources that are here to support them.”

Among the funding opportunities discussed will be the Cultural Trust’s 2019 Cultural Development Program; application guidelines will be posted on the Trust website Friday, Feb. 8, with an April 19 application deadline (see details below).

“Conversations with Funders and Partners” begin Tuesday, Feb. 12, in Bandon and conclude in Roseburg on Monday, March 11. Registration is not required.

The full schedule is*:

* Please note:  Free grant application prep workshops, presented by Travel Oregon , will precede the events in Lincoln City, La Grande  and  Roseburg. The workshops are scheduled for 9 a.m. to noon in Lincoln City and La Grande and from 1 to 4 p.m. in Roseburg, all at the same event locations.

The Cultural Trust’s Cultural Development Program recognizes and supports significant projects through four program funded categories: Access; Preservation; Creativity; and Capacity.

In 2018 the Cultural Trust awarded more than $3 million in statewide grants. Cultural Development Program grants represent one third of the annual funding the Cultural Trust provides to Oregon’s cultural nonprofits. Other funding includes grants to the Trust’s five statewide partners – to support their mission goals and respective funding programs – and to 45 county and tribal cultural coalitions that fund local initiatives, projects and programs.

FY2020 Cultural Development Program grants are for projects and activities that will occur between Aug. 1, 2019, and July 30, 2020.

Grant guidelines will be posted by Friday, Feb. 8, for an application deadline of 5 p.m. on Friday, April 19.

For more information contact Schreiner at  aili.schreiner@oregon.gov  or 503-986-0089.