Applying for a Grant

The Salem Foundation’s Distribution Committee entertains grant requests from local nonprofit organizations during two application cycles each year.  Please check out our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) below for more details.

FAQ

Q: Who may apply for a grant from the Salem Foundation?
A: Applicants must be charitable, 501(c)(3) organizations or governmental agencies.

Q: What size grant does the Salem Foundation award?
A: The Foundation awards grants up to $5,000 (donor advised funds excluded).

Q: What types of projects does the Foundation support?
A: The Foundation supports a variety of projects. We encourage you to apply!

Q: Does the Foundation serve a particular locale?
A: Yes, the project must serve the greater Salem Oregon area. This is typically defined by the Salem/Keizer school district.

Q: When may we apply?
A: Apply between October 1 and December 1 for the January grant cycle.  Apply between March 1 and May 1 for the June grant cycle.

Q: What should I include in my application packet?
A: Click on Application Guidelines, below.

Q: How will I know that my submission has been received?
A: Upon successful electronic submission of your request, a “thank you” message will appear on the website.  You will also receive a confirmation email.  If you do not see the “thank you” message, check your application for any missing required information.  If you see the “thank you” message but do not receive a confirmation email, contact us within 24 hours so that we can verify that it has been received.

Q: I am having difficulty uploading my grant request.  What should I do?
A: Please contact us at salemfoundation@pioneertrustbank.com or 503-480-1946.

Q: When can I expect to hear whether my grant request was approved?
A: For the January grant cycle, you should receive a response by the middle of February. For the June grant cycle, you should receive a response by mid-July.

Q: I have additional questions that weren’t covered here. Who do I talk to?
A: Please contact us at salemfoundation@pioneertrustbank.com or 503-480-1946.

If your organization has been invited to apply to one of our Donor Advised Funds (DAFs), you will also use this online portal, but not all of the FAQs apply in your case.  Specifically, DAF requests may have different application deadlines and may be for purposes or amounts differing from those outlined in the FAQs.

For help with further questions, please contact us or call us at 503-480-1946.

Grant Application Form

Apply between October 1 and December 1 for the January grant cycle.  Apply between March 1 and May 1 for the June grant cycle.

(Not applicable for organizations that have been invited to apply to Donor Advised Funds.)

A “Thank you” message will appear on the screen after your application has been successfully submitted.  If you do not see the message, check your form for missing required information.

You will also receive a confirmation email.  If you have not received an email within 24 hours of submitting your application, please contact us immediately.

  • If we have given you a code, enter it here. Otherwise, enter 000000.
  • All fields are required except for Address Line 2.
  • Include population served and number served in a year
  • Please attach the following:

    • 1. Project Narrative (up to 2 pages).
    • 2. Project Budget (include other grant funding requested and/or received).
    • 3. List of Board of Directors and affiliations.
    • 4. Copy of 501(c)(3) letter and documentation of any changes in the name of the organization.
    • 5. Most recent fiscal year end financials.
    • 6. Year-to-date financials.
    • The funds requested must not represent the payment of any personal pledge or other financial obligation of any donor or advisor, if this request is being made to any donor advised fund. If your code is 000000, this does not apply to you.
    • Hint: If you name your PDFs beginning with the numbers 1-6 in the order shown here, it magically organizes them when we download them, and we thank you! Fewer than 6 PDFs also works, especially if you can provide the files in this order.
  • Please upload no more than 6 PDFs. Each PDF may not exceed 10 MB.
    Drop files here or
    Accepted file types: pdf, Max. file size: 10 MB, Max. files: 6.
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