Oregon Community Foundation funds 24 nonprofits to help local entrepreneurs | News

Oregon Community Foundation (OCF)’s Thriving Entrepreneurs Program is awarding 24 Oregon-based nonprofit organizations nearly $575,000 in grant funding to support local entrepreneurs. This funding will be shared among the 24 different nonprofits, including two providing services within Polk County, all of which provide mentoring, technical assistance, and access to capital for under-resourced entrepreneurs, and help strengthen Oregon’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

This year’s nonprofit grant recipients support a wide variety of entrepreneurs, including Oregon youth, Black and Native American, rural business owners and other diverse entrepreneurs from across the state. During this cycle, each Thriving Entrepreneur grant ranges from $15,000-$25,000. The Thriving Entrepreneurs grant program aims to support entrepreneurs who are overlooked by traditional markets, or lack other resources or access to capital.

The Be Blac Foundation, received $25,000 for its Black Business Development Program to offer culturally specific venture catalyst workshops, training and bootcamps for emerging and well-established Black business owners and entrepreneurs throughout Marion and Polk counties.

Micro Enterprise Resources Initiatives & Training also received $25,000 for their Savings Program for Entrepreneurs to support a 1 FTE position to support minority owned businesses and increase access to capital in distressed communities of color within Polk, Marion, Malheur, Umatilla and Yamhill counties.

“Oregon’s entrepreneurial landscape is growing, and there is so much potential for innovation. The state is home to a diverse array of small businesses, brimming with innovative concepts. Many local entrepreneurs need assistance to develop business plans, recruit skilled teams, or access additional capital to fuel their ventures,” said Maribel De Leon, Program Officer for Economic Vitality. “These entrepreneurs are instrumental in propelling innovation across the state, and supporting them leads to more thriving communities.”

The Thriving Entrepreneurs Grant is an open, responsive grantmaking opportunity that offers organizations flexible funding. The program prioritizes support for organizations that serve entrepreneurs who are women, people of color, living in under-resourced rural communities, or working in under-resourced sectors. Grant funding is only available to nonprofit organizations, and not individuals.

For a complete list of OCF Thriving Entrepreneur 2023 grantees, go to https://bit.ly/46IywnU.