The 2022-2023 Public Submission Window (PSW) is officially closed! A record number of nonprofits applied to be considered by student grantmakers. 183 organizations submitted 974 applications, a 35% increase from the previous school year. So, what happens after an application is submitted? Great question! Each student group has different needs, depending on the number of participants and the setting. When CommuniCare staff visits in the fall to help with some of the starting tasks, they also assess how many applications a group has the bandwidth to thoughtfully review. Once all the apps are in and the totals are tallied, we [...]

CommuniCare grantmakers have so many amazing talents. On top of the thoughtfulness, dedication, and passion they bring to their decision-making, they also help spread the word about the program. Kelli recently guest starred on Benson High School's radio show, hosted by CommuniCare student leader and all-around A/V whiz, Joe. Kelli was so impressed with Joe's calm and kind guidance! We love learning from students.

We are delighted to announce that the Portland State University Arts & Culture grantmakers have reached their final decisions! Grantmakers received $312,000 in requests across twenty-four organizations. Please join me in congratulating their recipients: Outside the Frame - $5,000 for their music and film collaboration with the Oregon Symphony Synth Library - $10,000 for general operating support Arts Council of Pendleton - $5,000 for general operating support Crow's Shadow Institute of the Arts - $5,000 for their Traditional Arts Workshops: Buckskin Dress & Buckskin Shirt Making program In addition to learning about incredible work happening all over Oregon, [...]

We are now accepting applications for the 2022-2023 CommuniCare grant cycle! Please follow this link to download the application form and to submit your materials. Applications will be accepted from 11/15/22 - 12/31/22. Student mission statements are grouped into general categories to make them easier to review, and many mission statements appear in more than one category. Please read them carefully and pay special attention to the geographic areas they prioritize.Answers to common questions can be found on our FAQ page.

During the 2021-2022 school year, Lincoln High School grantmakers learned about a relatively new nonprofit organization, Adopt One Block, which they ultimately decided to fund. As LHS moved into their beautiful new building and staff carefully considered ways in which students could become good stewards of their new space and the surrounding area, Adopt One Block was top of mind. We are so excited to see how community service is becoming a huge part of what it means to be a Cardinal, as exemplified by their Day of Service on October 12th. Not all CommuniCare grants become longer [...]

To better serve the Arts & Culture nonprofit community of Oregon, CommuniCare launched an exciting pilot program with Portland State University! Informed by the core values of CommuniCare and elevated to meet the rigor of PSU, this Senior Capstone course offers participants the opportunity to work as an independent grantmaking committee, responsible for distributing $25,000 this fall. Click here to learn more about this funding opportunity. Application will be accepted through 10/17/2022. Mission Statement: We are a multi-faceted group of PSU students from diverse artistic and experiential backgrounds. As students from Portland State University, we [...]

At The Harold & Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation, we dream BIG. How big, you ask? We want Oregon teens to decide what happens with $1 million each school year! As we add more amazing partners to the CommuniCare family, that means our team needs more people power, too. So, please join us in welcoming Erik! Erik joins us from the world of nonprofit refugee support, and his experience as a youth advocate means he is ready to support our students through their grantmaking journeys. Welcome aboard, Erik!

Now that it is September, it’s time for a new school year and another cycle of CommuniCare! CommuniCare groups are busy getting up and running, and grantmakers have been doing a fantastic job of spreading the word about the program to get their peers involved. Meanwhile, CommuniCare staff is delighted to return to schools to visit groups and get students excited about their role as grantmakers. During these introductory visits, students have been showing a great amount of engagement and concern for their communities. We can’t wait to hear which service area each group will choose and to [...]

The 25th year of CommuniCare was a big one! We are thrilled to announce that 1,200 CommuniCare grantmakers granted more than $683,000 to 81 nonprofits this year. We're celebrating this record-breaking year with seven Grant Award Ceremonies across Oregon. These events are a chance to celebrate our grantmakers, their nonprofit recipients, and the work all of them are doing to build a better community. We are incredibly proud of the hard work and determination students brought to the program this year, especially through the challenges of returning to in-person school. The passion and commitment of these young people should give [...]

Do you have an upcoming interview with CommuniCare grantmakers? Mary Grace and Emily, former CommuniCare participants from La Salle Prep and St. Mary’s Academy, have some great tips to share about how to shine during your meeting. Good luck!