Community enhancement grants available for Northwest Portland neighborhoods

Meals on Wheels used grant funds to serve and deliver healthy, hot meals to elderly residents living in downtown and Northwest Portland.

children and an instructor tend to seedlings in a garden at Sauvie Island Center

The Sauvie Island Center used grant funds to provide educational field trips to students of James John and Chapman elementary schools.

Store to Door used grant funds for a new staff position -- volunteer and outreach manager -- to help grow the program and serve more community members.

Friends of Trees used grant funds to plant and care for hundreds of trees in Portland’s Northwest Industrial District.

July 17, 2017 10:27 a.m.

How would you improve your community?

Metro has $236,000 available in community enhancement grants for Northwest Portland neighborhoods. Applications are due by midnight, Friday, Sept. 15, 2017.

“The money helps build vibrant communities, protect clean air and water, maintain healthy ecosystems and improve regional equity,” said Molly Chidsey, Metro community partnerships project manager.

Apply now for 2018 grants

Applications close on September 15, 2017.

Apply now.

The grants are awarded annually through Metro’s Community Enhancement Program. They are funded by a $1 surcharge on each ton of waste at the Metro Central Transfer Station, located off of Highway 30 in Northwest Portland. The grants benefit the neighborhoods of Forest Park, Cathedral Park and Linnton; the Northwest District Association and the Northwest Industrial Area; and an area directly adjacent to the St. Johns Bridge.

A committee of local residents review and select projects to fund. Application requests are typically between $10,000 and $50,000, and cover one year (Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2018). This year, the committee will also consider grant applications requesting up to two years to complete.

Community enhancement grants are intended to serve people within the target area of all ages, abilities and backgrounds. Individuals, community groups, neighborhoods, nonprofits, schools and school groups, government agencies, faith groups and service groups with nonprofit or other tax-exempt status may apply.

Metro encourages applications for projects that involve the leadership and meaningful participation of people of color, immigrants, elders, youth, those with disabilities, low-income residents, and other underrepresented groups.

Questions? Join us for an information session on Tuesday, Aug. 1, from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. at the Metro Regional Center, 600 NE Grand Ave., room 270. Or, contact Molly Chidsey at 503-797-1690 or [email protected].

Did you know?

Metro’s Community Enhancement Program serves seven cities: Forest Grove, Gresham, Portland, Oregon City, Sherwood, Troutdale and Wilsonville. Grants for each target area are managed by local committees.

Learn more.