MRG provides nearly half a million dollars each year to support radical, cutting edge, and grassroots social justice groups through primary grantmaking programs:

• Our general fund provides up to $20,000 to support grassroots social change groups
• Critical response grants provide up to $2,000 to help groups respond to an unexpected organizing opportunity or crisis
• Travel grants provide up to $1,000 for training to build the capacity of groups and leaders.
• Lilla Jewel Fund for Women Artists supports social change artists who identify as women based in Oregon.
• The Oregon Immigration and Refugee Funders Collaborative, a partnership between The Collins Foundation, Meyer Memorial Trust, MRG Foundation, Oregon Community Foundation is a coordinated approach to supporting issues impacting immigrants and refugees, and the organizations that support them, across the state.  A common application form is available here as a Word document.

MRG’s grantmaking decisions are made by a volunteer committee of community-based organizers who are directly involved in developing long-term solutions to complex social justice issues.

MRG is a community-supported foundation. This means that the grants we award to grassroots groups are funded through the support of hundreds of generous donors across the state. We offer a variety of strategies for donors to support social change organizing, including monthly giving, donor advised funds, planned giving, and stock gifts. See the impact that your gift can have here.

Oregon’s foundations move nearly $250 million into communities across the state each year. Where this money goes and how it’s used can have a huge impact on the future of the state, which is why MRG organizes within the wider foundation community to increase support for communities of color and community-based organizing. Partnering with other foundations and funder networks is an organization-wide effort:

• In 2017, MRG entered The Oregon Immigration and Refugee Funders Collaborative, a partnership between The Collins Foundation, Meyer Memorial Foundation, Oregon Community Foundation and MRG, that aims to highlight the importance of refugees and immigrants to our state and our joint commitment to address the need for their successful integration into our communities. Economic mobility and social inclusion for newcomers and their children builds communities that are stronger economically and more inclusive socially and culturally.

MRG lifts up issues of race, class, and equity to spark action for social change. One way we do that is by hosting thought-provoking forums on timely issues and events. Past community conversations have included: “Race, Class, and Occupy Portland,” “Responding to Injustice: Trayvon Martin and the Voting Rights Act,” and “Vote your Values: Social, Racial, & Economic Justice at the Ballot Box,” along with various post-election and legislative briefings. See our upcoming events.