Grant Details

The Collins Foundation was established in 1974 by Truman W. Collins as an independent, private foundation dedicated to supporting religious, educational, cultural, and scientific endeavors throughout Oregon. Its overall goal is to improve the quality of life for all residents in the state. The Foundation funds colleges and universities, organized religious groups, artistic, cultural, and civic organizations, and agencies serving the needs of the community's health, welfare, and youth.

Funding Priorities & Guidelines

• A central priority for the Foundation is to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion through our grantmaking. We are interested in supporting organizations at various stages in their pursuit of equity, and many successful applicants will have made efforts to learn about the root causes of social inequities and will have thought about how racial equity informs their work and operations.
• Each year, we award significant funding in the areas of arts and culture; child welfare and development; education; environmental protection; health equity; and a broad range of efforts to enhance community welfare. 
• Grants are made in support of programs and projects, capacity building efforts, collaborations, capital projects, challenge match campaigns, and general operations. Please review the FAQ page for more information about the types of grants awarded by the Foundation.
• In considering applications for substantial projects, the Foundation prefers to participate with other contributors, and strongly encourages applicants to seek support from other sources to share in the total project. The Foundation prioritizes support for the implementation phase of projects over earlier planning stages, so requests for planning and research are generally not competitive.
• While, we have funded civic engagement, community organizing, and systems change work – particularly when it's rooted in and led by communities that have been excluded from leadership roles – the IRS prohibits us from funding lobbying or voter registration activities. This resource from Bolder Advocacy is a good primer on the limits on private foundation support for advocacy. 
• Particularly in the areas of health, housing, workforce development, and asset building, we focus our grants to benefit low-income communities. 
• Grants are rarely made for sports or outdoor recreation programs, short term events, youth camping programs, and programs involving animals. If you're considering applying in one of these areas, you should contact a program officer before starting your LOI.
• Grants are not made for development office personnel, marketing staff or activities, fundraising events, consumable goods for distribution to clients (e.g. food, clothing, school supplies), individual scholarships, endowments, operational deficits, financial emergencies, or debt retirement.