DECEMBER 15, 2017
S moke S ignals
13
Community Fund surpasses $76 million in giving
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
Spirit Mountain Com-
munity Fund, the phil-
anthropic arm of the
Confederated Tribes
of Grand Ronde, sur-
passed the $76 mil-
lion mark in giving on
Wednesday, Dec. 13,
when it awarded 31
large grants and nine
small grants totaling
$770,422 during its
fourth-quarter check
presentation held in
the Governance Center
Atrium.
For the year, the
Community Fund
awarded 170 large
and small grants that
Photo by Michelle Alaimo
totaled $4,128,158.
Those grants included Salem Dream Center Executive Director Craig Oviatt speaks about his nonprofit during
101 large grants worth Spirit Mountain Community Fund’s Winter Grant Presentation held in the Governance
more than $3 million, Center Atrium on Wednesday, Dec. 13. Next to him is his wife, Renee, associate director at
50 small grants totaling the organization.
more than $250,000,
• Business Education Compact of
poor educational outcomes in the
seven grants to Oregon Tribes total-
Beaverton, $25,000, for STEM
community.
ing $770,000 and 12 20th anniver-
(Science, Technology, Engineer-
“We decided to move into a neigh-
sary celebration grants that were
ing and Math) Connect Program
borhood that was predominantly
worth $5,000 each or $60,000 total.
expansion;
run by gangs,” he said. “It was a very
Since its inception in 1997, the
• CAPACES Leadership Institute
violent, dark, hungry, scary place.”
Community Fund has awarded
of Woodburn, $10,000, for the
However, after 14 years of work-
2,570 grants to 1,115 nonprofit
Re-Turno Youth program;
ing
in
the
community,
Salem
organizations in 11 northwestern
•
CASA
of Marion County Inc. of
Dream Center has improved the
Oregon counties that total approx-
Keizer, $25,000, for increasing
neighborhood through establish-
imately $76.5 million.
advocacy for foster youth in Mar-
ing relationships, even with gang
The annual Oregon Tribal grants,
ion County;
members.
which are designed to aid Tribes
• CAUSA Oregon of Salem, $15,000,
The Dream Center established a
that are traditionally underserved
for the Latino Leadership Devel-
medical clinic, helped youth with
by charitable organizations, were
opment and Education project;
their homework and ran a mentor-
worth $110,000 each and award-
•
Community Action Resources En-
ship program, as well as opened the
ed to the Confederated Tribes of
terprises of Tillamook, $50,000,
local middle school on the weekend
Grand Ronde, Confederated Tribes
to help find a home for the orga-
to give youth something to do.
of Coos, Lower Umpqua & Siuslaw
nization;
“We learned right away that the
Indians, Burns Paiute Tribe, Co-
• Familias in Accion of Portland,
only way to mend a broken heart
quille Indian Tribe, Confederated
$15,000, to fund food equity for
or a devastated life is through a
Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Res-
healthy Latino families;
relationship,” he said.
ervation, Confederated Tribes of
•
Financial Beginnings of Portland,
Today, Craig said, the juvenile
Siletz Indians and Confederated
$15,000, to fund financial educa-
crime rate in Edgewater is 29 per-
Tribes of Warm Springs.
tion for low-income youth, young
cent lower than communities with
The Grand Ronde grant will
adults and adults;
similar demographics in the nation
help fund child and adolescent
• Friends of the Children of Port-
and the local middle school has
psychiatric services at the Health
land, $25,000, to promote youth
the lowest vandalism rate in the
& Wellness Center.
leadership for college and career
Salem-Keizer School District. In
Tribal Council Secretary Jon A.
readiness;
addition, the neighborhood gangs
George opened the check presen-
• Gate Youth Association of Inde-
are gone and people are not afraid
tation with a prayer song before
pendence, $75,000, to improve
to walk in the community.
Spirit Mountain Community Fund
youth outcomes in the Monmouth
“We were there to tell these kids
Board of Trustees Chairman Sho
and Independence area through
that they matter,” he said, before
Dozono introduced Tribal Council
a community youth center;
introducing two youth who have
members in attendance, which
•
Healthy Moves of Eugene,
been helped by the Dream Center.
included Jack Giffen Jr. and De-
$10,000, for the Trainer in Res-
“Making a difference in lives takes
nise Harvey. Giffen and Harvey
idence program;
partnerships and we thank you so
also serve on the fund’s Board of
• Innovative Changes of Portland,
much for partnering with us and
Trustees.
$20,000, for expanding the Youth
helping us to make a difference.”
Attendees watched a 12-minute
Education Program;
Community Fund Grants Coor-
video that surveyed the Tribe’s
•
LGBTQ Community Center Fund
dinator Julia Willis and Program
history and featured organizations
of
Portland, $10,000, for increas-
Coordinator Angela Sears then
that have been helped by Commu-
ing Q Center capacity to broaden
read off this quarter’s grant recip-
nity Fund grants. Dozono, who
services;
ients while Community Director
was festively attired in a Santa
• Life Counseling of McMinnville,
Mychal Cherry handed out gift bags
hat, then quizzed grant recipients
$8,822, to fund the Youth Inter-
and Dozono distributed the checks.
with 10 questions that were mostly
vention
Program;
Other
large
grants
recipients
on
answered correctly.
•
Mid-Willamette
Family YMCA
Dec. 13 were:
Craig and Renee Oviatt from
of Albany, $30,000, to fund an
• Active Children Portland,
Salem Dream Center, which re-
after-school program;
$25,000, for increasing qualified
ceived a $25,000 large grant to help
• Neurotherapeutic Pediatricthera-
coach/mentors for underserved
break generational poverty through
pies Inc. of Oregon City, $30,000,
youth;
building a learning center, gave a
to expand the mental health pro-
• American Diabetes Association of
brief presentation on the work they
gram;
Portland, $25,000, for the “What
do in the Edgewater neighborhood
•
Northwest
Family Services of
Can I Eat?” Program;
in west Salem.
Portland, $25,000, to enhance
• Building Blocks to Success Corp.
Craig Oviatt said the Dream Cen-
peer court/gang prevention efforts;
of Portland, $30,000, for the
ter helped combat high crime rates,
• Northwest Housing Alternatives
LEGO Robotics programming;
gang activity, food insufficiency and
Inc. of Milwaukie, $25,000, to
expand the Annie Ross House
emergency homeless shelter;
• Old Mill Center for Children
and Families Inc. of Corvallis,
$20,000, for creating trauma-in-
formed after-school environ-
ments;
• Oregon Black Pioneers Corp. of
Salem, $10,000, for the “Racing
to Change: Oregon’s Civil Rights
Years” project;
• Oregon Health & Science Uni-
versity Foundation of Portland,
$10,000, to support the OnTrack-
OSHU! Effort;
• Oregon Partnership Inc. of Port-
land, $25,000, to fund an inte-
grated approach in addressing
and preventing youth suicide;
• Providence Child Center Founda-
tion of Portland, $25,000, to help
build a strong dental home for
children with special needs;
• Returning Veterans Project of
Portland, $10,000, for the Mult-
nomah County service project;
• Southwestern Polk County Rural
Fire Protection District of Dallas,
$15,000, to improve the district’s
communications system;
• SPOON Foundation of Portland,
$30,000, for the Nourishing Ore-
gon’s Foster Children effort;
• Todos Juntos Inc. of Canby,
$30,000, to improve culturally
competent equitable after-school
programming for rural Clacka-
mas County youth;
• World Arts Foundation of Port-
land, $25,000, for “Race Talks,”
which works to break the chains
of racism.
Small grant recipients were:
• Black United Fund of Oregon
Inc. of Portland, $7,000, for the
Mentor4Success program;
• Campus Compact of Oregon of
Portland, $6,600, for Equity Ac-
tion Teams that promote racial
equity in higher education;
• City Club of Portland, $3,000, to
fund civic scholars;
• Elevate Oregon of Portland,
$7,500, for the “Dreamreachers”
program that helps young women
navigate success;
• Forward Stride of Beaverton,
$7,500, for the Youth Tribal
Horse project;
• Friends of the Sweet Home Li-
brary, $2,500, for the Keeping
Kids Reach effort;
• Girls on the Run International
of Portland, $7,500, for program
scholarships;
• Northwest Noggin of Portland,
$5,000, for “Synapses & Sto-
ries: Coyote, Grizzly and Their
Brains”;
• And Yamhill County Treatment
Courts Foundation of McMinn-
ville, $5,000, to support recovery
for Treatment Court participants.
Spirit Mountain Community
Fund receives 6 percent of Spir-
it Mountain Casino proceeds to
distribute to nonprofits in 11
northwestern Oregon counties
in categories that include public
safety, education, environmental
protection, health, arts and culture
and problem gaming.
After the check presentation con-
cluded, check recipients had their
photos taken by Smoke Signals
photographer Michelle Alaimo.