Meyer seeks to change systems that protect the status quo and create barriers to equity.

We recognize that change does not happen in isolation and that we cannot expect long-term transformative change if we focus only on narrowly defined issues. Earlier this year, I spoke during an interview and Q&A discussion about changes in Meyer’s Building Community portfolio ⁠— an interim year of focused grantmaking without an open funding call — to refine our focus, approach and support for nonprofits and organizations working toward “systems-level change” while serving communities throughout Oregon.

For Building Community, systems-level change focuses on meaningful shifts in policies, processes, relationships and power structures as well as deeply held values and norms. Our particular interest is in systems change that alleviates current and historical barriers impacting marginalized and underserved communities, specifically communities of color and Indigenous communities.

Today, our portfolio’s commitment to supporting diverse organizations and leaders serving Oregon communities has never felt stronger. Building Community is now accepting applications for the Services to Systems RFP, a new funding opportunity for nonprofit organizations that provide direct services and are interested in strengthening their connection to systems-level change work in Oregon.

The Services to Systems RFP will provide up to $80,000 in new grant funding, disbursed in two phases. Phase I funding will support involvement in a peer-focused Services to Systems learning circle, comprised of 10-12 organizations. A participation stipend of $5,000 will be provided for each organization, with a maximum of two staff members per organization. Phase II funding will be available only for participating organizations and range between $25,000 and $75,000 to implement work that deepens an organization’s connection to systems-level change. Meyer anticipates that all organizations that choose to submit plans will receive Phase II funding and will offer individualized coaching as organizations approach the plan development stage.

To be clear: The Services to Systems RFP is designed for direct service providers that have already started considering or may be taking early steps toward supporting systems change but are not yet deeply engaged in that work. Organizations that have not yet started this work or are already deeply engaged in systems change will be less competitive. We recommend reviewing Meyer’s Direct Services to Systems Change Continuum to get a better sense of what early or advanced systems change work might look like.

Organizations that have an active grant with Meyer are still eligible to apply for the Services to Systems RFP and this RFP does not stop organizations from submitting proposals for other Meyer funding opportunities. Those awarded grants under this RFP will be invited to participate in one or more convenings and will have a chance to network with and learn from other grantees in the learning circle.

An information session took place on Tuesday, July 16 to explain the learning circle style RFP in detail and answer questions. A recap of the questions and answers that arose during that info session can be found on the Services to Systems RFP Q&A page.

Applications for this funding opportunity are due by 5 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2019.

Our portfolio looks forward to deepening connections with nonprofits, groups and leaders working to make Oregon an equitable, safe and prosperous place.

— Dahnesh

Building Community: Services to Systems RFP details

1. Grant overview
2. Funding phases
3. Information session

The Services to Systems RFP supports organizations that are primarily focused on providing direct services and not deeply engaged in systems change work but want to deepen their connection to the work. Up to $80,000 in new grant funding will be available.

Applicants will be notified of their award status in late September, with Phase I funding available in early to mid-October.

This RFP will provide up to $80,000 in grant funding, disbursed in two phases:

• Phase I funding will support involvement in a peer-focused Services to Systems learning circle, comprised of 10-12 organizations. (A participation stipend of $5,000 will be provided for each organization, with a maximum of two staff members per organization).
• Phase II funding will only be available for participating organizations and ranges between $25,000-$75,000 to implement work that deepens an organization’s connection to systems-level change.

Meyer staff will present an overview of the RFP and answer questions during an online information session on Tuesday, July 16, from 11 a.m. to noon.

To register for the session, please visit: eventbrite.com/e/building-community-virtual-information-session-services-to-systems-rfp-registration-64272075508. Attendance is encouraged but not mandatory.

Nonprofit leaders participating in a group activity during a covening for Meyer’s two-year leadership development and learning collaborative

The Equitable Education portfolio is excited to announce our 2019 Annual Funding Opportunity!

Meyer will invest approximately $3.55 million to advance our vision of eliminating predictable gaps and increasing opportunity for priority students in Oregon’s public schools.

This is the third round of annual funding for the Equitable Education portfolio. At the end of 2018, we awarded 40 grants out of 99 competitive applications. These grants reflected a mix of rural and urban organizations offering both a vision and approach to directly address educational disparities. Of primary importance was their collective belief that for Oregon to flourish, each student — regardless of race, ethnicity, family income, geography, disability, sexuality, gender identity or language — must have the opportunity to succeed in school. We are excited to see how this work flourishes over the next few years!

The Equitable Education portfolio will begin accepting applications on April 15, with a deadline of 5 p.m., on May 15, to accomplish one of the following Equitable Education funding goals:

• Advance education equity through systems- and policy-level change
• Improve priority student achievement and college and career readiness

Meyer has identified several intended outcomes under each of these two goals, and we invite you to take a deeper look at our funding goals and intended outcomes as you consider how your work aligns with the vision for this portfolio.

What did we learn from last year’s Annual Funding Opportunity?

The 2019 Annual Funding Opportunity represents a refinement of our framework based on current data as well as feedback we received from nonprofit and education partners. It's also designed to create what we believe to be the greatest opportunity to leverage Meyer's investments in education.

Although there might be modest adjustments to the Equitable Education goals and outcomes, equity remains central to all portfolio grantmaking. In 2019, successful applicants will continue to demonstrate a clear commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. Through this lens, organizations will propose a vision and approach to analyzing and directly addressing education disparities experienced by our priority populations across Oregon. These students include:

• English Language Learners (ELL)
• First-generation college students
• Indigenous students
• Students of color
• Students with disabilities
• Students in or aging out of foster care
• Students living on low-incomes
• LGBTQ students

After our experience last year, we decided to re-release a visual guide to clarify what fits within the scope of our portfolio. The "fit flowchart" gives a broad overview to see if your work would generally fit within the scope of the portfolio; a companion piece to this is a one-page "insights" document that answers some common questions addressing application competitiveness. You can view that resource here.

What doesn't fit within the Equitable Education portfolio

The Equitable Education portfolio team values the essential work occurring every day across the education continuum and we recognize that preparing an application requires a considerable investment of time and resources by an organization. Insights from last year have provided us with a clear perspective on what doesn't fit within the Equitable Education portfolio:

• Education programs with universal, one-size-fits-all strategies not specifically designed for priority students, regardless of school, district or regional demographics.
• Direct early education services; we will, however, support students during the transition between early education programs and kindergarten as well as preparing public schools to offer a smooth transition from home to school.
• Strategies to address college retention and completion; however, we are interested in supporting efforts that smooth the transition between high school, or equivalent, and college and/or career.
• K-12 private schools.
• New or expanded programming developed without meaningful engagement with the priority population it is intended to impact.
• Environmental education programming not specifically designed to meet the academic, social or cultural needs of priority students.

Learn more

The Equitable Education team has conducted information webinars in which we shared insights into what fits within the scope of the portfolio; introduced our priority populations; provided additional information about our vision, goals and outcomes for eliminating gaps and increasing opportunities for students; and much more.

Finally, we've organized a set of Applicant Resources to make the process easier. You'll find additional information, tools and advice on topics ranging from diversity, equity and inclusion to Meyer's definition of collaborations.

We look forward to working with you in the coming year, apply soon!

— Matt

As our portfolio name suggests, it is indeed a time of Housing Opportunities across the state. Sizeable new funding resources, innovative public-private partnerships and passage of statewide tenant protection legislation are evidence of the impressive energy and creativity responding to housing challenges across the state. In this moment of great potential, Meyer’s Housing Opportunities portfolio is pleased to open its doors for our 2019 Annual Funding Opportunity.

This is the fourth Annual Funding Opportunity cycle since restructuring our grantmaking program. We continue to refine and (we hope!) clarify the process. The list below highlights those elements that are the same this year, followed by those that have changed.

What’s the same in the Annual Funding Opportunity?

1. Our overarching housing goals are essentially the same:

• Preserve and increase the number of affordable housing rental units for priority populations

• Support the housing stability and success of priority populations

• Foster stronger, more equitable and more effective affordable housing systems and strategies

We’ve tweaked the goal language here to reflect a focus on priority populations — the people who experience the impacts of historical and current racist and discriminatory housing practices. These impacts are widely felt by people of color, Indigenous communities and Tribes, as well as people with disabilities and other marginalized communities. To achieve our vision that every Oregonian has a stable, safe and affordable place to call home, we strive to focus on those who face the disproportionate impacts of housing discrimination and instability. More on that below.

2. Grant-funded work should connect to and advance the outcomes we’ve identified under the three goal areas. In addition to the nine outcomes offered last year, we have added three more. This chart provides a snapshot of the funding goals, outcomes, funding ranges and grant types to help you assess the best fit. The grant types and ranges are the same as last year. Don’t forget to take a look at the shorter list of what doesn’t fit well within the portfolio.

3. Applicants must demonstrate a commitment to ongoing growth through the integration of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) principles into both their external programming or services and internal structures and operations. We seek organizations that share our values and are making progress toward DEI integration.

As part of those DEI values, Meyer believes people experiencing housing challenges are experts on their own situations and key stakeholders in housing solutions. We seek to support work centering the lived experience and expertise of people benefitting from programs and also building the capacity of impacted communities that have faced systemic housing disparities to define and implement their own solutions to housing needs. (This ties to a new outcome around Community Influence.) We are more likely to fund projects that demonstrate meaningful involvement by the people with lived experience in defining the issues and solutions proposed.

4. General operating support grants face a high bar. As noted in our funding guidelines, we have heightened expectations from organizations that are awarded unrestricted operating support. First and foremost, they should be housing organizations (do a majority of their work in affordable housing) and strongly advance the core funding goals in our Housing Opportunities portfolio. Additionally, they should play a unique and/or important role in the field and have wider impact for the sector (e.g., as an intermediary, seen as a field leader in Oregon or nationally); demonstrate leadership for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the context of the communities where they work; and have DEI strategies as a meaningful part of their work plan for the grant period. Reach out if you have questions about whether to apply for this funding type.

5. The Annual Funding Opportunity continues to be a competitive process, with limited funding. In the past two funding cycles, the Housing Opportunities portfolio has funded about half of the proposals we received. This means we’ve had to turn down many solid proposals. We also expect the 2019 Annual Funding Opportunity to have robust demand, due in part to the fact that the Housing Opportunities portfolio will not be offering other Requests for Proposals (RFPs) this year. Moreover, our funding amount for 2019 is smaller ($3.5 million, compared with $3.9 million last year).

What has changed in the Annual Funding Opportunity?

1. The application process will be open for four weeks instead of five. The application period opens Monday, April 15, this year and will stay open for a month, closing at 5 p.m. Wednesday, May 15, 2019.
2. In lieu of multiple information sessions around the state, the Housing Opportunities portfolio is offering an on-demand webinar on our website. Potential applicants are encouraged to watch the webinar and review the online resources. Those with specific questions can then email questions [at] mmt.org (questions[at]mmt[dot]org) to sign up for a 20-minute phone consultation with a member of the housing team. We want to spend more time giving personalized and concentrated feedback to applicants and less time in big, general sessions or travel.
3. We’re trying a one-step application process this year. We heard from many of you that the initial application in our two-step application was much more intense than a typical “letter of inquiry.” This year, we’re going to try a one-step application that looks fairly similar to the questions asked last year. By combining the inquiry application and the full application, we hope for less duplication of content. By early July, we will notify applicants who are invited to move forward in our process. For selected organizations, due diligence will look pretty similar to our previous process with one exception: We will prioritize in-person site visits for newer organizations or complex projects. Applicants who have had recent site visits may only receive a follow up via phone conference.
4. Income of people served will be a factor but not the most prominent factor in our analysis. In the past three years, we have asked all housing projects if they intend to serve people living with low-incomes (at or below 60% AMI). This year, the emphasis is on serving the priority populations who have experienced historical and current housing discrimination. Applicants should understand historical and current racist and discriminatory housing practices that have created disparities and focus their work to eliminate those disparities.

Time and again, we have seen that having a “one size fits all” approach to solving housing instability tends to be less successful than projects that use strategies designed with community input, tailored to the needs of a specific group of people. Foremost, we want to know how your project is designed to serve the needs of priority populations. The language of our goals was revised to connect all of the outcomes to the priority populations. More information on the priority populations can be found in our webinar.

Additional resources
Want more information about what we look for? We’ve gathered a set of Applicant Resources, with everything from building a budget to understanding our definition of collaborations and learning more about diversity, equity and inclusion. You are encouraged to review those resources as you prepare your proposal.

Final thoughts
Your work inspires us every day. Your efforts to serve the person in front of you, while keeping an eye on the larger systems-level changes needed to address housing discrimination and disparities. You push for new tools and resources to bring housing stability to more Oregonians and then figure out how to align resources and efforts for maximum impact. We hope to be the thought-partners and funders that you need to bolster your efforts.

Yours in partnership,

—Theresa

The exterior of Carolyn Gardens in Southeast Portland. Photo source: Human Solutions

Is there a better way to create more affordable housing in Oregon? We intend to find out over the next few years, as four dynamic teams test, improve and iterate on very different innovative ideas.

Last year, Meyer laid down an unusual and ambitious invitation, which we called the “1 Million Months Challenge,” to encourage innovation around affordable housing design, finance and construction. The basic intent was to empower people who think mainstream affordable development isn’t concerned enough with cost, and those who claim there are less costly ways to help people attain housing that’s affordable, but also meets some basic threshold of quality, dignity and comfort (while still attending to long-term costs of operating and maintaining housing).

A Caveat - This is Harder than it Looks!

Full disclosure: After nearly five years of engaging with experts on these issues, we are not entirely certain there’s a path that can deliver dramatic cost reductions. Too often, people who criticize the (admittedly eye-wateringly high) cost of delivering new housing do so without much experience with the thicket of constraints and cross-cutting pressures that define a typical government-subsidized multifamily development. And too often, critics suggest cutting corners without thinking through the tradeoffs of throwing out (for instance) prevailing wage requirements or building to a high standard for energy-efficiency.

As we outlined in our 2015 report, the basic math involved in building high-quality buildings makes it essentially impossible to aim for rents affordable to people earning a modest wage (or far less), and that necessarily means that public funding will be an important part of most affordable development. Factor in a white-hot construction market, expensive land, the string of expectations that follow public dollars, and the risk mitigation requirements of a dozen or more funding partners, and affordable housing seems far from affordable.

Still, that’s not an excuse for complacency, and as the 2015-16 round of grantees pursuing innovative cost efficient strategies demonstrated, there are some important ways to trim costs at the margin in design and construction, as well as some finance and design strategies that haven’t been fully tested that deserve to be further developed.

The 1 Million Months Challenge
As we reflected on what we learned from the 2015-16 RFP focused on innovation, we wanted to open the doors even wider to innovative ideas and approaches and to focus more clearly on the end goal: creating as much access as possible to affordable housing for as little public subsidy as possible. This led us to last year’s 1 Million Months Challenge, a moonshot-style competition, focusing creativity and energy around a specific, lofty goal: Bring us your best ideas for guaranteeing 1 million months of affordability, using as little public subsidy as possible.

We framed the challenge this way to emphasize flexibility and focus on the big-picture outcome: This is less about developing "projects" than creating a viable new model or path that could potentially help our partners house large numbers of people for an extended period of time.

Proposals were invited under three broad categories: Rural Workforce, Extremely Low-Income/Hard to House (i.e. those with additional challenges to housing stability like mental illness, etc.), and an Open category serving any low-income population.

Meyer received 18 proposals from across Oregon, and after an extensive vetting process, awarded grants to four projects:

BRIDGE Housing Corporation: Creating Equitable Opportunity through Opportunity Zone Investments (Statewide/Open)

BRIDGE will explore utilizing the new Opportunity Zones to promote the creation of affordable housing in Oregon without relying on scarce and competitive federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits. The recent federal tax cut package created tax incentives for investing in economically distressed communities (“Opportunity Zones”) defined by the state. BRIDGE will partner with Novogradac & Associates (a national tax and real estate development consultant) to develop a model for creating housing with the help of new investors expected to be drawn to the Opportunity Zones. Many in the affordable housing world are wondering whether Opportunity Zones could be an effective tool for developing affordable housing, and BRIDGE is well-positioned to be an “early-mover” here and to share what they learn with the field.

Housing Development Center: Zero Energy Modular for Rural Workforce Homeownership (Statewide/Rural Workforce)

Housing Development Center (HDC) will partner with Vermont Energy Investment Corp. to bring VEIC’s interesting zero-energy modular housing model to scale in Oregon, combined with a land trust model to assure long-term affordability. HDC is a leading nonprofit consulting firm focused on affordable housing finance and development across the state and a partner with Meyer on several recent important projects. This proposal takes on several key unresolved issues in affordable housing in Oregon: how to scale up modular design and construction beyond its very small current market share, how to jump-start affordable housing production in rural Oregon, and how to leverage highly energy-efficient new construction for long-term affordability.

SquareOne Villages: Affordable Together: scaling a community-based approach to housing (Lane County/Open)

SquareOne Villages was a grantee in the first round of Cost Efficiency grants in 2015-16, developing and documenting best practices around creating new tiny home villages for extremely low-income people (typically those leaving homelessness) in Lane County. In its next phase of work, it will explore combining limited equity cooperative ownership with a community land trust structure to create a new affordable homeownership model. Since it began experimenting with very low-cost housing options, SquareOne has progressively stepped up its ability to improve the quality and design of tiny homes, and if this hybrid ownership structure is successful, it could benefit a range of similar efforts across the state.

In addition to those three projects, a fourth organization was awarded a grant under Meyer’s 2018 RFP to improve access to private market housing and was invited to join the 1 Million Months cohort because its work aligns well with the goals and intent of the 1MM RFP:

Hacienda CDC: Community-based affordable ADU rentals to increase the supply of private market units and stabilize low-income homeowners at risk of displacement. (Portland/Open)

Hacienda has been a leading partner in the Living Cully collaborative (along with Verde, NAYA and Habitat for Humanity Portland/Metro East), which has been engaged in robust neighborhood-focused work on affordable housing and community development since 2010.

This project will fund the design, planning and implementation of affordable accessory dwelling units to be rented to low-income tenants and people of color in Cully, Lents and Inner North/Northeast Portland. The project will not only create new affordable units, but also help insulate low-income homeowners from displacement pressures by supplying them with supplemental income from the rentals.

What Comes Next

The four grantees are just beginning their work now and are committed to sharing what they discover over the next two years. Meyer plans to provide a series of opportunities for stakeholders and other interested parties to engage with the cohort and learn from their work to build out replicable and scalable new approaches. Stay tuned for more!

— Michael

The Building Community portfolio is excited to share this year's open call for applications between March 15 and April 18. Approximately $4.3 million in funding has been designated to advance three goals:

• Community connection and belonging.
• Strong nonprofit leaders and organizations.
• Civic engagement and systems change.

Our portfolio's goals for this coming year represent an adjustment from what we had been using over the past two years. The adjustments were made, in part, based on feedback we received from grantees and applicants and are an attempt to more clearly communicate the focus of the portfolio. Arts and culture aimed at encouraging inclusion, for example, had been a distinct goal in the past. With the new changes, arts and culture organizations are eligible to apply in any of the goal areas. More information on these three goal areas can be found in the Goals and Outcomes section of our website. Additional insight on arts organizations can be found here.

This portfolio is focused on both creating opportunities to equitable outcomes and removing barriers that make these outcomes difficult to achieve. Equitable outcomes for communities that have been and continue to be marginalized are of particular interest to us as are the different ways in which these communities have a voice in decisions that impact their lives. We believe that when people are part of inclusive and supportive communities — when they can see promising paths for themselves, influence decisions that affect them and connect with others and express their shared humanity — they can truly thrive. And we all benefit.

Put another way, the Building Community portfolio is interested in who is served and how they are involved in achieving equitable outcomes for themselves. Through our investments, we hope to encourage a sense of shared responsibility for creating a multicultural society in which all people can thrive and realize their full potential. More insight on how we think about determining whether or not there is a fit between your work and Meyer's goals can be found here.

Learning from the past two years

With the benefit of two years of grantmaking as a program, the Building Community team and board of trustees have tried to learn from applicants and grantees about how the priorities of this portfolio are understood and how the work toward equitable outcomes takes shape. We always appreciate feedback!

In our 2017 round of funding, we received 284 applications or roughly $31 million in requests. With a budget of $4.6 million, we were able to make 66 grants — about 23 percent of all applicants. Notable characteristics from last year's batch include:

• An increase in the percentage of applicants from rural communities (from 30 percent in 2016 to 37 percent in 2017) and from those who work statewide (from 14 percent to 20 percent over the two years).
• A slight increase in the percentage of first-time applicants (15 percent in 2016 to 18 percent in 2017).
• An increase in applicants seeking capacity building support (from 30 percent to 42 percent).
• A drop in those requesting operating support (from 15 percent in 2016 to 10 percent in 2017).
• About 60 percent of applicants in 2017 reported that they were in the early stages (i.e., Not Yet Started, Ready to Start or Launched) of our diversity, equity and inclusion spectrum tool.

Get more information

Over the next month, Meyer staff will be traveling the state to share information about the 2018 funding opportunity and our four portfolios. A list of information sessions can be found here. The Building Community team will be hosting two portfolio-specific webinars on April 3 and April 6, where we will provide more details about our grantmaking and respond to specific questions.

Of course, you can also visit our new Applicant Resources page for more information. And feel free to contact us at questions [at] mmt.org (questions[at]mmt[dot]org).

— Dahnesh

The Equitable Education portfolio is excited to announce our 2018 Annual Funding Opportunity! Meyer will invest approximately $3.4 million to advance our vision of ensuring meaningful public education for all students in Oregon through focusing on the urgent needs of today's students and reshaping the system to eliminate gaps before they begin.

This is the second round of annual funding for the Equitable Education portfolio. At the end of 2017, we awarded 50 grants out of 167 competitive applications. These grants reflected a mix of rural and urban organizations offering both a vision and approach to directly address educational disparities. Of primary importance was their collective belief that for Oregon to flourish, each student — regardless of race, ethnicity, family income, geography, disability, sexual/gender identity or language — must have the opportunity to succeed in school. We are excited to see how this work flourishes over the next few years!

The Equitable Education portfolio will begin accepting Initial Applications on March 15, with a deadline of 5 p.m. April 18, to advance one of the following Equitable Education funding goals:

1. Build a movement to align community + education institutions to create systems- and policy-level impact.
2. Improve student achievement and college and career readiness.

Meyer has identified several intended outcomes under each of these two goals, and we invite you to take a deeper look at our funding goals, strategies and outcomes as you consider how your work aligns with the vision for this portfolio.

What did we learn from last year's Annual Funding Opportunity?

The 2018 Annual Funding Opportunity represents a refinement of last year's framework based on current data as well as feedback we received from nonprofit and education partners. It's also designed to create what we believe to be the greatest opportunity to leverage Meyer's investments in education.

Although there might be modest adjustments to this year's Equitable Education goals and outcomes, equity remains central to all portfolio grantmaking. In 2018, successful applicants will continue to demonstrate a clear commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. Through this lens, organizations will propose a vision and approach to analyzing and directly addressing education disparities experienced by our priority populations across Oregon. These students include:

• Students of color
• Indigenous students
• English Language Learners
• First-generation college students
• Students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and/or other sexual/gender identities
• Students with disabilities
• Students living on low incomes
• Students in foster care

After our experience last year, we decided to create a visual guide to clarify what fits within the scope of our portfolio. We designed a "fit flowchart" that gives a broad-level glance to see if your work would generally fit with the scope of the portfolio; a companion piece to this is a one-page "insights" document that answers some common questions addresses application competitiveness. You can view that resource here.

What doesn't fit within the Equitable Education portfolio

The Equitable Education portfolio team values the essential work occuring every day across the education continuum, and we recognize that preparing an application requires a considerable investment of time and resources by an organization. Insights from last year have provided us with a clear perspective on what doesn't fit within the Equitable Education portfolio:

• Education programs with universal, one-size-fits-all strategies not specifically designed for priority students, regardless of school, district or regional demographics.
• Direct early education services; we will, however, support students during the transition between early education programs and kindergarten as well as preparing public schools to offer a smooth transition from home to school.
• Strategies to address college retention and completion; however, we are interested in supporting efforts that smooth the transition between high school, or equivalent, and college and/or career.
• K-12 private schools.
• New or expanded programming developed without meaningful engagement with the priority population it's intended to impact.
• Environmental education programming not specifically designed to meet the academic, social or cultural needs of priority students.

Learn more

Over the next month, general information sessions will be held across the state. In addition, two Equitable Education webinars will be conducted March 19 and March 23. You can sign up for the Equitable Education webinars here. If you're unable to attend any sessions, or if you have questions about a specific project, please feel free to contact us at questions [at] mmt.org or 503-228-5512. You can also check out our Feb. 27 "Get to know Meyer's Equitable Education portfolio" webinar where we shared insights into what fits within the scope of our portfolio, offered our strategy for investing in the "gap," introduced our priority populations and much more.

Finally, we've organized a set of Applicant Resources to make the process easier. You'll find additional information, tools and advice on topics ranging from diversity, equity and inclusion to Meyer's definition of collaborations.

We look forward to working with you in the coming year!

— Matt

I am pleased to announce Meyer's 2018 Annual Funding Opportunity. Through this opportunity, Meyer will invest approximately $3.6 million to advance the Healthy Environment portfolio vision of nurturing a resilient natural environment, while supporting the well-being of Oregon's diverse cultures and communities.

Starting March 15 — with a deadline of 5 p.m. April 18 — the Healthy Environment portfolio begins accepting Initial Applications that advance one of the following portfolio goals:

1. Support efforts that mutually achieve community well-being, economic vitality and environmental stewardship.
2. Ensure that environmental impacts and benefits are equitably distributed among communities.
3. Support a movement for a healthy environment that is effective and relevant for all Oregon's diverse communities.
4. Ensure that natural systems are healthy and able to adapt to changing conditions and long-term impacts.

This is the third round of annual funding in Meyer's new program structure. Last November, we announced the 2017 grants supporting a broad range of forward-thinking efforts for a healthy environment in rural and urban communities across Oregon. This year, we will continue to look for partners who share our commitment to disrupting the extractive systems that are harming the environment and our communities across Oregon and implementing programs and policies that are just, sustainable and work for all.

There are no big changes to the application process this year, but we made some refinements to streamline the application and make it easier for you to navigate. We also created information resources to help clarify areas where we received a lot of questions. Following is our "top seven list" that we think are most relevant to Healthy Environment portfolio applicants for the 2018 funding opportunity.

1. How to pick a portfolio goal for your application. We get a lot of questions about which goal applicants should select for their request. We recommend that you not only assess the alignment of your request with one of the portfolio goals but that you also zero in on the outcome categories connected to each of the goals. Consider your project-specific outcomes and how they fit into the one or two outcome categories for any one of the portfolio goals. In addition, take a look this list of what doesn't fit specific to this funding opportunity to help guide you.
2. If you select "organizational capacity" as an outcome for your request in Goal One or Goal Four make sure you also make the programmatic connection to our goals clear. Strong applicants for capacity building grants in these two goals will be those whose core programmatic work advances one of the other outcomes in that goal. For more details, check out our goals and outcomes information.
3. What's a "collaborative grant" for the purposes of Meyer's annual funding opportunity? We know that organizations are partnering with other organizations in many informal and formal ways, and we believe that this is a valuable strategy for making change in our communities. However, for the purposes of a collaborative grant application, we've got something specific in mind. Check out this new information to help you understand how we are defining collaboratives for the purposes of a collaborative application and answer other common questions about Meyer's collaborative grants.
4. Demographic data collection from your staff and board — let's make it happen! Last year we simplified our demographic data request to applicants, and the new process seems to be working better for groups. However, last year we found that demographic data collection by Healthy Environment portfolio applicants was substantially lower compared with our other portfolios. Here's the data from our 2017 grant applicants:
   

5. We encourage applicants to take this request to heart, and we hope to see more complete results this year. One way this information is important is to establish a baseline of how your organization reflects the communities you serve. Here is a tip sheet that D5 Coalition put together on how to do this. And, if you are successful with your grant, we will be looking for how you plan to address this issue during the grant period.

6. More on what we mean by diversity, equity and inclusion. We continue to have a robust discussion with prospective grant applicants and others about what Meyer means by equity and what our expectations are for applicants. Although we expect the dialogue to continue, we've also put together some new resources in an effort to answer your questions. These include The DEI Journey, Is Your Organization Ready? and Understanding Meyer's DEI Spectrum Tool.
   
   In addition, our Applicant Resources page includes tools and resources to help you understand how we think about and assess diversity, equity and inclusion in the context of organizations' internal operations and their mission and programs.
7. Clearer direction on what dollar amount to request and what support type to pick. This year, the request amounts for the different grant types (capacity, operating, project or capital) are more consistent across all the portfolios. We've also clarified our support type definitions and provided more guidance on what amount to request by sharing the average size of 2017 grants.
8. Operating support candidates are very specific. For the Healthy Environment portfolio, operating support grants will primarily be awarded to organizations working on public policy and systems change; key intermediaries and networks that serve the interests of many organizations working for a healthy environment; or key organizations or networks that play a unique role in the field and that have wider impact for the sector (e.g. is a field leader in Oregon or nationally). All operating support grantees will have demonstrated internal and external commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion; the strongest candidate organizations will also demonstrate diversity, equity and inclusion leadership in the context of the community and field where they work. Please contact us at questions [at] mmt.org to discuss whether your organization is a good fit for operating support.

Getting more info

If you'd like to discuss the 2018 Annual Funding Opportunity and your proposal plans, please participate in one of the upcoming information sessions or contact us at questions [at] mmt.org. Make sure to also review Candy Solovjovs' recent article about the funding call, which offers guidance and tips relevant to all the portfolios.

Our work together is now more important than ever. Please don't hesitate to get in touch to discuss your ideas and questions.

— Jill

We're open! The Housing Opportunities portfolio is pleased to begin accepting applications for a third cycle of our Annual Funding Opportunity. In 2018, we will be deploying about $3.9 million to open doors to opportunity and strengthen communities through safe, affordable housing.

The application process kicks off March 15, 2018, and will continue for almost five weeks, closing at 5 p.m. April 18, 2018. In that time, Meyer will be hosting information sessions at seven sites around the state. Two additional virtual information sessions, March 20 and April 4, will focus on the Housing Opportunities portfolio. Attending a live or virtual session will give you the most up-to-date information on our process and the details of the Annual Funding Opportunity.

Initial Applications should advance one of our overarching Housing Opportunities funding goals:

1. Preserve + increase the number of affordable housing rental units.
2. Support the housing stability + success of Oregonians living on low incomes.
3. Strengthen the housing sector by building capacity, diversity, equity and inclusion + collaboration.

Each of these goals has intended outcomes, and you are encouraged to review the funding goals, strategies and outcomes as you consider how your work aligns with the vision for this portfolio. Click here to find a visual representation of Meyer's goals, outcomes, funding ranges and types to help you assess the best fit. Equally important is the shorter list of what doesn't fit well with the portfolio.

In 2017, the Housing Opportunities portfolio received 78 applications in the Annual Funding Opportunity and ultimately awarded 39 grants in a competitive process (a 50 percent funding rate). These grants reflected a range of approaches, united by a common understanding that housing is key to flourishing and equitable communities and a vision that every Oregonian has a stable, safe and affordable place to call home. More information on the 2017 housing grant slate can be found here, and all of last year's Annual Funding Opportunity grants are listed here.

What we've learned

With two annual funding cycles under our belt, we can share a few observations about the process.

• Showing an equity commitment. Meyer's grantmaking centers around equity principles, such as understanding and working to address the disparate housing outcomes experienced by seniors, people with disabilities, people of color and other marginalized populations. All applicants must demonstrate a commitment to ongoing growth through the integration of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) principles into both their external programming or services and internal structures and operations.

Although we don't expect perfection from our partners (nor do we have it ourselves!), we do expect to see commitment to advancing DEI principles in your work. Conversely, a proposal that mentions no specific efforts to advance your organizational commitment to DEI will be challenged to succeed in the competitive batch.

• Timing for capital proposals can be tricky. The Initial Applications we see can be at all stages of the development process, from firm concept to nearly completing the fundraising process or breaking ground. If your project is on the more nascent side — indicated perhaps by a lack of site control, the design is far from ready and the financing plan is still unclear — it is hard to be competitive against projects farther along the development path.

Think about when these pieces might be coming into place. If you expect important legal decisions, site control or design features finalized soon, and major funding decisions determined by late summer, it probably makes sense to apply in this year's cycle. If many of these pieces are not expected until late 2018 or beyond, we'd likely counsel you to consider waiting. At a minimum, you should feel free to consult with housing staff by emailing questions [at] mmt.org (questions[at]mmt[dot]org).

• General operating support has a high bar. As noted in our funding guidelines, we have heightened expectations from organizations that are awarded unrestricted operating support. First and foremost, they should be housing organizations (do a majority of their work in affordable housing) and strongly advance the core funding goals in our Housing Opportunities portfolio. Additionally, they should play a unique and/or important role in the field and have wider impact for the sector (e.g., as an intermediary, is seen as a field leader in Oregon or nationally); demonstrate leadership for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the context of the communities where they work; and have DEI strategies as a meaningful part of their work plan for the grant period. Reach out if you have questions about whether to apply for this funding type.

• Multiple grants and organizational capacity. Two rounds of annual funding opportunities and multiple Requests for Proposals over the past four years mean that some organizations are managing multiple Meyer grants, in either the housing portfolio and/or other portfolios.

We allow these multiple grants and encourage them if the organization has sufficient capacity to advance multiple projects and collaborative efforts at the same time. During the review process, we look at capacity concerns and also consider how much of an organization's overall financial support may be coming from various Meyer grants, including collaborative grants. We wouldn't want an organization to inadvertently bump up against the "tipping" rules of the Internal Revenue Service (which seek to ensure nonprofits have a diversified funding base and do not "tip" over to be treated as private foundations).

As a reminder, if you received a multiyear grant from a previous annual funding opportunity and that grant is ending this year, you can apply again in the 2018 round. If you are in doubt, reach out and we'll confirm your eligibility.

Other funding opportunities this year

In addition to the 2018 Annual Funding Opportunity, the Housing portfolio expects to release two Requests for Proposals (RFPs) that tie to the Affordable Housing Initiative, Meyer's focused five-year effort to catalyze outcome-oriented, transformational strategies that will move the dial on affordable housing in Oregon.

These RFPs will be tied to the Cost Efficiencies Strategy (an effort to develop models for creating and preserving affordable units as cost effectively as possible over the units' lifespan) and the Private Market Strategy (efforts to expand low-income renters' access to safe, decent, affordable housing through existing private market units). Both of these RFPs are expected to be released around July 2018, and organizations that apply to the 2018 Annual Funding Opportunity are not precluded from applying to a targeted RFP (assuming it has sufficient capacity, as described above). Sign up for the Meyer newsletter to make sure you hear about any RFP releases.

Additional resources

Want more information about what we look for? We've gathered a set of Applicant Resources, with everything from building a budget to understanding our definition of collaborations and learning more about diversity, equity and inclusion. You are encouraged to review those resources at any time.

Final thoughts

One of the best parts of our year is seeing all the amazing work across the state to bring affordable housing to our neighbors. Your work is deeply impressive and energizing. We're excited to see what you're working on and connecting in the 2018 Annual Funding Opportunity and the coming year!

— Theresa

It's that time of year again: We are excited to invite initial applications for the 2018 Annual Funding Opportunity! We anticipate awarding over $15 million to partners who share our vision and commitment to creating a flourishing and equitable Oregon where each one of us can thrive — an Oregon filled with vibrant communities where every voice is heard and a public education system where every child has true opportunity to learn and discover and pursue dreams. A place where our amazing natural environment is healthy and strong and supports our diverse cultures and communities and where every single person has a safe, stable and affordable place to call home. If your work brings us closer to this vision, please consider applying!

All four of Meyer's portfolios — Building Community, Equitable Education, Healthy Environment and Housing Opportunities — are now accepting applications until 5 p.m. April 18. You can find details about this opportunity and how to apply here. And read what portfolio directors Theresa Deibele (Housing Opportunities), Jill Fuglister (Healthy Environment), Matt Morton (Equitable Education) and Dahnesh Medora (Building Community) have to share about the specifics of their respective portfolio opportunities.

We also invite you to join us in conversation. Over the next two weeks, our team will be holding in-person information sessions in communities across Oregon, as well as virtual sessions. Check out the schedule here and don't forget to RSVP so we can be sure to have a seat for you. During our in-person sessions, staff from all four portfolios will be on hand to provide information and answer your questions. This year, our virtual sessions will include one general session and several portfolio-specific sessions. And we are offering two new virtual sessions: one for folks interested in submitting a collaborative proposal (April 2) and one for arts and cultures organizations (April 6). We hope you will join us!

Much remains consistent with last year's annual funding opportunity, but if you have previously applied, you will notice a few changes this year. First, we listened to your feedback and have made some improvements to our application — thank you for the great suggestions! As examples, we have streamlined the demographic data we are requesting, re-ordered some sections so they are easier to navigate and reduced the number of attachments. Our Building Community and Equitable Education portfolios also look a little different, having refined their goals and outcomes to clarify what "fits," and we've added priority populations in some portfolios. We've also made modest changes to funding amounts for some types of grants and increased consistency in funding amounts across portfolios.

Keep a few things in mind as you consider applying:

• We are looking for partners who demonstrate commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and want to continue to build their own capacity — in both the services they provide and their internal operations. Learn more about how we think about this here and here.

• We value rural communities and our rural partners. We remain committed to supporting organizations and work across Oregon — last year, we funded organizations in 27 Oregon counties and work in every region of the state. Between 31 and 64 percent of each portfolio's funding supported projects that benefitted one or more rural communities.

• New-to-Meyer organizations and small organizations are welcome. In fact, over 20 percent of 2017 grantees were organizations that had never before received a Meyer grant. And if you are a smaller organization, no need to be intimidated — remember that our grants come in a range of sizes and that we are happy to provide guidance about applying — just contact us at questions [at] mmt.org (questions[at]mmt[dot]org).

• Different types of funding are available to meet your needs. Capacity building (including technical assistance), operating support, project support and, in some portfolios, capital construction dollars are available. Check the details for each portfolio and reach out if you have questions about what type or amount to apply for (if you are a smaller-budget organization, you can also read a helpful blog on "tipping" by my colleague Mijounga Chang).

• Applying on behalf of a collaborative? We believe in the power of working together. If your collaborative meets our criteria, we have a specific application opportunity for you so you won't have to choose between applying for your own organization or applying on behalf of your collaborative. Learn more here and sign up for our virtual Collaborative information session on April 2.

• Currently receiving Meyer grant funding? Be sure to contact your assigned Meyer team member to clarify whether you are eligible to apply to this funding opportunity. And if you are eligible but will have multiple active Meyer grants, seek guidance in determining your request amount.

• The Initial Application is an important step in our process — don't wait until the last minute! Meyer's initial application is admittedly longer than a typical inquiry, and it is also a key stage of our process. Last year, we received over 600 Annual Funding Opportunity applications and only 34 percent were invited to move forward. So we suggest you start early and give it thoughtful attention. Make sure you are registered through and can access GrantIS, our online application portal, as it can take a few days to finalize. Read the application materials and peruse the Inquiry Application questions. Browse last year's Annual Funding Opportunity grant awards for the portfolio you are interested in and take a look at our Applicant Resources. Come to an information session and follow up with us if you still have questions. We want you to make an informed decision about whether to put the time into applying and, if you do, to put your best foot forward.

 

We look forward to seeing you soon, and we can't wait to learn more about the amazing work you are doing to make communities throughout Oregon places where everyone is seen, valued, supported and celebrated.

— Candy

Equitable Education program associate Nicole Kendrick chats at 2017 funding information session with Antonio Jackson, co-founder & Executive Director of Building Blocks To Success.

Each year, the bulk of Meyer’s funding is awarded through an open annual funding opportunity. Our 2018 Annual Funding Opportunity will launch March 15. Please join us for one of our upcoming in-person or virtual information sessions to learn more about our vision and funding goals, and what we look for in our funding partnerships. You can see the schedule and RSVP for a session here. We look forward to connecting with you soon!

In the meantime, we are excited to share with you our January grantmaking: 39 grants totaling $2,251,017. These are grants made through our program initiatives, funder partnerships and other Meyer-directed awards. What an amazing way to kick off 2018!

This year, the Museum at Warm Springs is celebrating its 25th anniversary as a cultural treasure by hosting documents of the Treaty of 1855. Meyer is contributing to this unique and timely opportunity by providing $200,000 to support the museum in hosting the document and carrying out a year of programming centered on treaty rights. Stay tuned in the coming months to learn more about the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs and the museum’s anniversary events.

We also continue to engage in the Oregon Immigrant and Refugee Funders Collaborative alongside our partners at the Collins Foundation, MRG Foundation, Oregon Community Foundation and Pride Foundation. In January, Meyer provided $26,000 in follow-on funding to the Rural Organizing Project for statewide organizing to defend and protect rural immigrants and refugees. Efforts include trainings, local inclusivity campaigns, rapid response infrastructure building, intervention with law enforcement and building support for statewide advocacy. January also marks a year of quick response grants addressing crucial and time-sensitive issues facing immigrants and refugees, most of which were made as part of this funder collaborative.

More than half of the funds awarded in January — $1.34 million — were through our Housing Opportunities portfolio, primarily to support our nonprofit housing partners in preserving and expanding much-needed affordable housing across the state. Grants included continued support for two longtime partners in our Affordable Housing Initiative for their important and unique roles in affordable housing preservation. These investments include $300,000 in the Network for Oregon Affordable Housing (NOAH) for coordination of the Oregon Housing Preservation Project, which preserves affordable housing and federal rent subsidies. Over the past 10 years of our partnership with NOAH, it has preserved 230 properties, representing 10,684 units across the state, the vast majority of which are rent assisted. It has also helped to retain $1.2 billion in rent subsidy and secure millions of state dollars to support affordable housing. We are also making a $220,000 investment in CASA of Oregon to continue supporting conversion of manufactured home communities into resident-owned cooperatives. To date, CASA has helped to convert 13 resident-owned parks, representing 827 homes. The vast majority of parks have preserved precious housing in rural Oregon communities.

As part of our Affordable Housing Initiative’s Sustaining Portfolios strategy, we awarded $360,000 to five housing organizations to implement property-specific portfolio preservation plans. These grants have wide reach across our state, supporting affordable housing preservation in Lincoln City, Roseburg, Bend and The Dalles, as well as Benton, Columbia, Jackson, Lane, Linn, Multnomah and Washington counties.

In support of new housing, we are pleased to have expanded our program-related investment with Community Housing Fund, which will provide important loan capital to finance affordable housing projects in Washington County and four adjacent counties. The $150,000 addition approved in January brings our total loan investment to $250,000. And we are excited to support Northwest Housing Alternatives with a $250,000 grant to help construct affordable family housing in central Milwaukie.

We remain so grateful for these organizations and our many other nonprofit partners for their work toward ensuring that every Oregonian has a safe, stable and affordable place to call home.  

Through our Healthy Environment portfolio, we awarded 11 grants totaling more than $436,500. Our Willamette River Initiative continued its investments in restoration, including $275,000 to support six watershed councils in their continued work toward 10-year restoration targets in the Calapooia, Long Tom Luckiamute, Marys River, and Middle Fork, North and South Santiam watersheds as part of our multi-funder model watershed program. Other Healthy Environment awards included $50,000 grants to Voz Workers’ Rights Education Project to help day laborers gain access to green job opportunities; Trust for Public Lands for mapping and analysis of Oregon communities based on their social, economic and environmental characteristics; and Columbia Land Trust to support diversity, equity and inclusion activities.

Two grants were made through our Building Community portfolio, including a $35,000 award to support Oregon Recovers' statewide community mapping process to identify service gaps in recovery support for rural and diverse Oregon populations and to generate policy improvement recommendations.

Finally, a number of grants will support Meyer’s strategic engagement with national and regional leaders in philanthropy that align with and advance our values and priorities. Examples include $45,000 grants to the Alliance for Justice to support the Bolder Advocacy Initiative, which promotes active engagement in democratic processes by giving nonprofits and foundations the knowledge and tools to advocate effectively, and in support of the U.S. Impact Investing Alliance, which works to support the growth of impact investing and help build the impact investing ecosystem with stakeholders. Other awards include support for Native Americans in Philanthropy, Hispanics in Philanthropy, Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees and Grantmakers for Effective Organizations, among other philanthropic partners.

You can see all our January awards here.

Stay tuned for our 2018 Annual Funding Opportunity launch in March — I hope to see you at one of Meyer’s information sessions. We look forward to exploring opportunities to work together in creating a vibrant Oregon where each and every one of us can truly thrive.

— Candy