The Fund and its processes are designed to minimize burdens for both applicants and Funding Partners. Applicants complete a single, brief application to be considered on a rolling basis by participating Funding Partners. 

This is a collaborative initiative, not a pooled fund. Funder Partners maintain autonomy over funds and opt to support all or part of requests at their discretion. 

The Fund’s Management & Liaison team oversees the application and review process, provides resource navigation to grantees, and works with referral partners and technical assistance providers.

Funding Partners primarily review requests from aligned Oregon communities and organizations identified through Referral Partners. As the Fund evolves, applications are opening to a wider audience. We also have plans to expand FRLF to Washington and beyond. 

Please feel free to connect with us, as this helps us gauge interest and build partnerships. If your organization/jurisdiction and project are a strong fit for FRLF, we will refer you to submit a request.

We prioritize funding community- or organization-strengthening projects for which flexible funds would help address barriers to secure federal funding (and/or would help ensure federal funds are well-managed). Preference is given to those with identified, near-term federal opportunities. 

Projects that reach priority populations, serve a rural and/or disinvested area, and address one or more of the Fund’s four Focus Areas are more competitive for funding. 

The current allowable range is $10k to $200k. It is common to be awarded funds from more than one Funding Partner or to receive partial support.

These philanthropic dollars are designed to address one or more barriers to applicants seeking federal funding or to increase the competitiveness of their federal requests.

In addition to project funding, grantees are eligible to receive curated Resource Navigation, including technical assistance recommendations to build their internal capacity; a Federal Funding Readiness Assessment and accompanying compliance support; and additional funds earmarked for Technical Assistance, subject matter expertise, or other support.

Federal grant funding introduces a range of management, compliance, and reporting obstacles, especially for entities with limited administrative capacity and/or experience with federal funding. This can cause organizations to forgo federal grant opportunities or to be deemed ineligible or ill-prepared during a review by federal agencies, resulting in missed awards.

To help address this, FRLF grantees receive a one-on-one Federal Funding Readiness Assessment accompanied by tailored compliance support (such as: help with tracking restricted grants; managing and tracking direct and indirect costs; complying with Uniform Administrative Requirements; and preparing for audit requirements).

No – services are offered to grantees in a tiered structure, based on level of identified need, and this support is not a requirement of receiving FRLF funds.

• Entities identified as “low need” receive up to 10 hours of overview and assessment of their accounting and control systems, including a customized, actionable report.
• Organizations in the “medium need” tier receive ~10-20 hours including assistance with specific accounting questions as well as a more thorough review of policies and procedures.
• The “high need” group will receive the assistance above plus ad hoc support on areas in which they are deficit. Add-ons for entities with the greatest need could include setting up accounting software, creating a comprehensive chart of accounts, or providing support specific to a current federal opportunity.

Potential applicants are identified through a variety of avenues:

• Through participating Funding Partners, who can recommend potential applicants or pass along promising initiatives or entities for additional exploration.
• Through Referral Partners and Programs, such as via Business Oregon’s Rural Opportunities Initiative program, via a Thriving Community Technical Assistance Center, through Economic Development Districts, and other natural partners. Suggested applicant referrals or requests to apply can also be made through the Federal Readiness & Leverage Fund’s website.
• The Fund’s Manager and Liaison Team proactively identifies potential applicants.

This Fund helps leverage ALL federal funds. Federal funding is routinely left “on the table” in disinvested communities. This Fund aims to rectify that – it will help ensure long-term impact by building capacity to secure both current and future federal funding.

Yes! FRLF launched in 2024 and requests are shared with participating Funding Partners on a rolling basis. New Funding Partners and Referral Partners can join anytime.

Absolutely! Funders can join at any time – please contact us to learn more.

Funding Partners complete a Memorandum of Understanding (non legally-binding, describes responsibilities and what can be expected) and join a brief onboarding call. Funding Partners retain full autonomy over their funds and are not required to make awards if opportunities don’t align with current preferences.

Referral Partners work with the Fund Manager to help identify potential grantees who would benefit from and align with the Fund’s Focus Areas – in particular, those with potential to leverage federal funding or help others do so.

Referral Partners should aim to identify 3-6 grantees per year and should plan on joining two meetings – one 1:1 onboarding and one annual group meeting. 

Contact us to learn more or to refer an Oregon-based organization or community.

If you are based in the Pacific Northwest and provide technical assistance or subject matter expertise to strengthen under-resourced organizations and communities, we’d love to hear from you. 

Contact us to express your interest and tell us more about your expertise or programming.

This significantly benefits potential grantees, who have their requests viewed by multiple funders at once, allowing them to more quickly attain their funding goal. 

Benefits to funding partners include learning about new funding opportunities, building relationships with your peers, and advocating for opportunities you wish to support with your fellow funders. 

There are many additional benefits.

No. Funding Partners are encouraged to maintain or pursue whatever applicant communication or relationship is already in place. This program is not a substitute for that but instead helps leverage the full collective potential of all participating Funding Partners.