APRIL 1, 2017
S moke S ignals
5
Fund tops $73 million in charitable giving
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
New Spirit Mountain Community
Fund Director Mychal Cherry pre-
sided over her first quarterly check
distribution on Wednesday, March
15, which saw the Tribe’s charitable
arm surpass the $73 million mark
in giving.
“I am so honored to be here,”
Cherry said at the event held in
the Tribal Governance Center. “It’s
a privilege to meet you. I am just
excited to see so many people here. I
just really appreciate the wonderful
work you do in the community.”
The Community Fund distrib-
uted 22 large grants that totaled
$751,344.50 and 18 small grants
that totaled $79,560. Small grants
are $5,000 or less.
Combined, the Community
Fund gave out 40 grants totaling
$830,904.50, which catapulted the
Tribe’s charitable giving since the
fund was established in 1997 to
$73.4 million. In that time span,
the fund has awarded 2,440 grants.
The Community Fund, as part of
the Tribe’s compact with the state
of Oregon, receives 6 percent of
Spirit Mountain Casino proceeds
and then distributes those funds
to nonprofit organizations in 11
northwestern Oregon counties. In
addition, the Community Fund
annually awards grants to Oregon’s
nine federally recognized Tribes,
which are regularly underfunded
by charities.
Cherry started as Community
Fund director on Feb. 15, succeed-
ing Kathleen George, who resigned
upon being elected to Tribal Council
in September 2016.
George was not absent, however.
She received a bouquet of flowers
from Community Fund Board of
Trustees Chairman Sho Dozono
and a Pendleton blanket from Cher-
ry and Community Fund Grants
Coordinator Julia Willis.
“You get to work with the heroes
of Oregon who are out there creat-
ing solutions in our communities,”
George said. “Thank you for the
honor of getting to work with you,
your communities, your organiza-
tions. … It has been a tremendous
honor.”
The check distribution opened
with cultural drumming and sing-
ing performed by Tribal Council
Secretary Jon A. George and Cul-
tural Resources Department em-
ployees David Harrelson, Jordan
Mercier and Brian Krehbiel.
Other Tribal Council members
in attendance included Chairman
Reyn Leno, Brenda Tuomi, Denise
Harvey, Jack Giffen Jr. and Tonya
Gleason-Shepek. Leno, Harvey and
Giffen also serve on the Community
Fund’s Board of Trustees.
Joining Dozono from the Board
of Trustees were Ron Reibach, Fa-
cilities director at Spirit Mountain
Casino, and Portland attorney Chip
Lazenby.
After showing attendees a re-
vamped 12-minute video that ex-
plained the history of the Tribe
and the effects of Community
Fund grants on nonprofit agencies,
Cherry read off the recipients while
Dozono handed out the checks.
• MediaRites of Portland,
$5,000, for “Theatre Diaspo-
ra: Family Ties That Bind”;
• Metropolitan Youth Sym-
phony of Portland, $2,500,
for its Beginning Strings and
School Outreach programs;
• North End Senior Solutions
and Adult Day Services of
Otis, $5,000, to support adult
day service, transportation
and nursing services;
• Open Hearts Open Minds
of Portland, $2,500, for its
Theatre at Coffee Creek;
• Paradise of Samoa of Keiz-
er, $4,000, for its Pacific cul-
tural exchange program;
• Peace Village Inc. of Port-
land, $5,000, for its school-
based programming;
• Portland Actors Conserva-
tory of Portland, $5,000, for
its 2017 diversity initiative;
• RideAble of Springfield,
$5,000, for its tuition assis-
tance program for children
Photo by Michelle Alaimo
with disabilities;
Beach Pace, left, chief executive officer of Big Brothers Big Sisters Columbia
• Salem Public Library Foun-
Northwest, talks with Spirit Mountain Community Fund Director Mychal Cherry,
dation, $3,000, for “Salem
middle, and Tribal Council member and Community Fund Board of Trustees
Reads: One Book, One Com-
member Denise Harvey during the fund’s quarterly check presentation held in the
munity”;
• Siletz Bay Music Festival
Governance Center Atrium on Wednesday, March 15.
of Lincoln City, $5,000, for
its “Music Is Instrumental”
The large grant recipients were:
$40,000, for parent-child devel-
program;
• All Hands Raised of Portland,
opment services;
• Spect Actors Collective of Gresh-
• Long Tom Watershed Council of
$25,000, for its Strengthening
am, $5,000, for its “LADO, Doulas
Eugene, $15,000, for improving
the Kindergarten Transition
Latinas” effort;
its watershed land stewardship
program;
• Tillamook Serenity Club, $5,000,
through Tribal engagement;
• Beaverton Education Foundation,
for expansion of its Recovery Out-
• National Indian Child Welfare
$25,000, for its Camp Achieve
reach program;
Association of Portland, $40,000,
2016-17;
• Trash for Peace of Portland,
for its Indian Child Welfare Act
• Big Brothers Big Sisters Co-
$4,960, for its sustainability ed-
crisis response and family sup-
lumbia Northwest of Portland,
ucation program;
$40,000, to launch its “Bigs in
port project;
•
Yamhill County CERT Associ-
Blue” program in Multnomah and
• Oregon Children’s Foundation of
ation Inc. of Dundee, $5,000, to
Washington counties;
Portland, $40,000, for its SMART
purchase 20 UHF radios.
• Boys & Girls Club of Albany,
program for pre-kindergarteners
The Community Fund also raffled
$26,000, to its STEAM Ahead
in eight counties;
off three door prizes and the win-
program;
• Oregon State University Foun-
ning organizations were the Oregon
• Boys & Girls Club of Salem Mari-
dation of Corvallis, $45,962, for
Children’s Foundation, Portland
on & Polk Counties Inc., $40,000,
its “Where do wood restoration
State University Foundation and
for expanding access to dental
efforts increase fish habitat?”
Paradise of Samoa.
care for low-income youth in the
research;
Then the Community Fund and
two counties;
• Parrott Creek Child & Family
Leno honored important Resto-
• Bridgeway House of Eugene,
Services of Oregon City, $25,000,
ration-era figure and former Tribal
$15,000, to create social groups
to help fund a youth therapist and
Council Chairwoman Kathryn
for children with autism;
certified alcohol-drug counselor;
Harrison, who celebrated her 93rd
• Call to Safety of Portland,
• Portland State University Foun-
birthday on March 28, and former
$20,000, to provide self-determi-
dation, $23,118, to improve
Tribal Council Vice Chair Ed Lars-
nation and support for survivors
digital literacy in underserved
en, who was in the audience.
schools;
with developmental disabilities;
Leno said that he was elected to
• Providence Milwaukie Founda-
• Child Advocates Inc. of Oregon
Tribal Council in 1996, the same
tion of Milwaukie, $25,000, for
City, $40,000, for its A CASA
year that Harrison became Tribal
its community teaching kitchen/
(Court Appointed Special Advo-
Council chairwoman.
food pharmacy;
cate) for Every Child effort;
“They are the ones who actually
• Shadow Project of Portland,
• Children’s Center of Oregon City,
came up with the idea of the 6
$38,000, for advancing equity for
$30,000, to protect children from
percent fund,” Leno said. “Kathryn
children with learning challeng-
abuse through focused prevention
said, ‘The community took care of
es.
initiatives;
us, so we want to take care of the
Small grant recipients were:
• Clackamas Women’s Services
community.’ We have lived up to
• Children’s Repertory of Ore-
of Oregon City, $50,000, for its
that now (with) over $73 million.
gon Workshops Inc. of Florence,
Village of Hope;
… It was people like Kathryn and
$5,000, for operational support
• Confederated Tribes of Grand
a lot of past figures who made all of
for its Blossoming Youth Theatre;
Ronde, $80,642.50, for its 24/7
this the success it is today. We are
• Circle of Children of Blachly,
Community Tribal Police Ser-
just the maintainers of their ideals
$5,000, for facility repairs to
vices Prevention and Enforce-
and their thoughts.”
expand outdoor education for
ment program;
Attendees gave Harrison a stand-
children and youth;
• Friends of Saturday Academy of
ing ovation.
• Junction City Local Aid, $4,000,
Portland, $20,000, for an academ-
The event closed with Tribal
for social and community ser-
ic summer camp for low-income
Lands Manager Jan Looking Wolf
vices;
youth;
Reibach, a multiple Native Ameri-
• Lane Senior Support Coalition
• Head Start in Lincoln County of
can Music Awards recipient, play-
Corp. of Eugene, $3,600, for oper-
Lincoln City, $47,622, for health
ing “Happy Birthday” on a Native
ational support for its emergency
services to improve learning;
flute. n
fund;
• Impact Northwest of Portland,