1. Is my organization a good candidate to receive MRG funding?

To find out whether your proposal might be a good fit, please take a look at our eligibility requirements and grant making overview page. If you have questions still, you can schedule a time to chat with our Grants Program Director by clicking here.

Please note that each cycle, MRG receives more applications than we are able to fund. If you are not funded, we will be happy to give you feedback on your application.

2. Can I apply to more than one grant?

You cannot apply for more than one General Fund grant at a time. You may, however, apply for a Rapid Response grant if you have already been awarded a General Fund grant or vice versa.

3. What types of grants do you award?

Our General Fund grants may be used for general operating support or special projects, depending on a few criteria.

Our Rapid Response grants are meant for current grantees whose budgets are below $500,000 a year and that are either seeking travel/technology funds (rural organizations only) or are coordinating specific projects in response to immediate opportunities or crises.

4. How many grant proposals do you fund each year?

Our total grant making budget is about $400,000 a year. MRG awards 15-20 General Fund grants each cycle (there are two cycles a year) and approximately 10 Rapid Response grants.

5. What’s the award amount range?

For General Fund grants, awards generally range between $5,000 and $15,000 depending on organizational need/budget. The average award tends to fall in the $10,000 range.

Rapid Response grants range between $500 and $3,000.

6. Who makes grant making decisions at MRG?

MRG’s grant making decisions are made by our volunteer Grant making Committee, a group of activists and community organizers who are themselves directly involved in addressing their communities’ most urgent issues.

This model is radically different from traditional philanthropy. Control of funding by grassroots organizers and activists ensures that resources are directed where they are needed most and that power is shared among communities, not held by individuals or MRG itself.

Our model also ensures that community organizers get to develop and exercise their leadership by serving on the committee, and learn about issues and organizations from across Oregon.

7. We are not a 501(c)(3). Can we still apply?

MRG prides itself on supporting groups, regardless of tax-exempt status, that are coming together to solve problems and address the needs of their communities. That means we fund 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations, fiscally sponsored groups, and groups that are neither tax exempt nor have a fiscal sponsors.

Having said that, if groups that are not 501(c)(3) tax exempt receive a grant, there are some additional requirements. We are happy to discuss this situation with you—you can schedule some time to talk here.

Please make sure to check out our eligibility requirements and our open opportunities, as different tax-exempt statuses may have different requirements or benefits.

8. Our budget exceeds $500,000 a year. Can we apply for funding from MRG?

MRG will consider applications from large-budget organizations but only for project support. Operating support is reserved for small, grassroots organizations that have 501(c)(3) tax exempt status and an annual budget below $500,000.

9. We are fiscally sponsored. Can we apply for operating support?

When you’re fiscally sponsored, the grant is technically made to your sponsor. If we gave operating support (i.e. unrestricted support) to your sponsor, they could, theoretically, use it for whatever they deemed appropriate.

By giving fiscal sponsors a project support grant, we can restrict the grant to ensure your group (the project) receives and uses the funding.

10. If our organization engages in lobbying, are we eligible to apply for MRG funding?

Yes, you may still apply for MRG grants (provided you meet all other eligibility requirements) but none of the MRG grant funding may be earmarked for lobbying.

For a more thorough explanation of what foundations can and cannot fund re: lobbying, here’s a great resource from Bolder Advocacy. 

1. When do you open your General Fund grant applications?

General Fund grant applications open in the Spring and Fall each year but the dates vary. Generally, however, you can count on applications opening in mid-March for Spring and mid-August for Fall.

To make sure you don’t miss any announcements about grant opportunities, please sign up to receive MRG’s electronic newsletter and/or follow us on social media.

2. How do I apply for General Fund grants?

You may apply to all of our open opportunities here: https://mrgfoundation.submittable.com.

3. Where can I find a list of questions you’ll be asking in the application?

You can see the application questions here.

4. What attachments do I need to submit with my application?

You will need to submit an organizational budget. If you’re applying for project support, you’ll also need to submit a project budget. Later in the process we may request additional documents, such as financial statements or a fiscal sponsorship agreement.

1. Do we need to submit year-end financial documents with our applications?

No. We ask for a simple organizational budget—and if you’re applying for project support, a project budget—with your initial application. If/when your group moves to the next stage, we’ll ask for other financial information. Depending on the size of your organization, that may include a Profit & Loss and Balance Sheet.

2. What do you look for in a budget?

We are looking for evidence that groups carefully thought through what they will need to do their work well. MRG grantmakers will look at your budget to confirm that your revenues and expenses are reasonable and consistent with the work you described in the application narrative. If your budget is missing key line items, grantmakers will question how well you have thought through your project.

Grantmakers will also look at your budget as a reflection of your organizational values. For example, if you say in your application narrative that your staff’s welfare is a priority, your budget will tell grantmakers whether you are paying (or at least attempting to pay) living wages and benefits that make your employees feel valued.

3. We have never created a budget. Where can I find a template?

If you need a template for a project or operating support budget, you may download one here.

1. When do you open your grant applications?

Rapid Response grants open on July 1 each year and we accept applications on an ongoing basis until we run out of funds.

To make sure you don’t miss any announcements about grant opportunities, please sign up to receive MRG’s electronic newsletter and/or follow us on social media.

2. How do I apply for Rapid Response grants?

Rapid Response grants are reserved for current MRG grantees. If you are a current grantee, you can contact us and we’ll send you the link to apply.

If you are not a current grantee, but you believe MRG may be interested in investing in your project, send us a line and we can talk.