2021 Community Activities Fund is Now Opened.

What is the CAF?

The Community Activities Fund (CAF) is a reimbursement program which provides funding support to East Portland’s diverse, volunteer-led community groups and organizations.
Each group/organization may apply for up to $500 this fiscal year. There is a total of $15,000 available to support community-building and civic engagement activities in East Portland that occurred or will occur between July 1, 2019 to May 31, 2021. CAF funding can be applied to offset expenses incurred due to COVID-19.
The East Portland Community Office (EPCO) will accept applications until the CAF fund is gone, or the absolute final deadline of May 31, 2021—whichever comes first. Please submit your application as soon as possible to improve your chances for reimbursement of expenses.
Funding is provided through reimbursement checks for funds spent. Your group cannot be reimbursed without receipts and proper documentation of expenses.

Who is eligible?

Community groups/organizations in East Portland that serve East Portlanders.
Activities must have a public benefit; no private events are eligible for funding.
To be eligible, your group/organization must be entirely volunteer led and volunteer run.
Organizations with paid staff are not eligible for funding through this program. If you are not eligible for CAF, contact EPCO to ask about our other funding opportunities.
If you are not sure if your group/organization is eligible, please contact the EPCO office.
Groups/organizations that have not received funding from the City of Portland in the past will need to set up a vendor account to receive payments. EPCO staff are here to help with this process.

What can the funds be used for?

The spirit of this funding is to support East Portland’s volunteer community groups in community-building and civic engagement activities. The funds may be used for:

Meeting/workshop costs – Zoom accounts, rental space, interpretation, translation, childcare, food, masks, COVID cleaning, adjustments needed for social distancing
Project, event, and activity costs - supplies and materials, rental space
Payment for services supporting a project or activity (speakers, performers, presenters, etc.)
Production of promotional materials (outreach materials, flyers, posters, etc.)
Making changes to your projects that support you during the COVID-19 pandemic (for example, moving your gatherings online and purchasing equipment or materials to do so).

What can’t the funds be used for?

Funds cannot be used for:

Private events or activities
Direct social services or grants, scholarships, or loans that benefit specific individuals
Projects that are solely or primarily capital improvements
Donations or sponsorship to another organization
Expenditures that violate City policies or ordinances

How does the CAF work?

Eligible groups/organizations will submit a Funding Request Form, included in this packet.
EPCO staff will review your form and ask you follow-up questions if needed. Approximately one-week turnaround time.
EPCO staff will consider three questions when determining whether to approve the request:
- Is the group/organization eligible?
- Does the funding request meet criteria?
- Has the group reached their funding limit?
If you are eligible, you meet the funding criteria, and you have not reached the spending limit, then EPCO staff will approve your request. This program is a reimbursement program, not a competitive grant program.
The funding will be on a “first-come, first served” basis. This means that EPCO will process requests in the order EPCO receives them. The amount of funding available will decrease as the year progresses and requests are accepted.
If you receive approval for an activity that has not taken place with the expectation of being reimbursed once your activities happen, please communicate changes in your planned activity, if there are any changes. Staff must approve the changes to your funding request before you spend any funds.
You can apply in any language. For additional language or translation support contact EPCO and request accommodations.
You can apply as soon as you know the details of your activity, even if it is weeks away. We encourage groups to plan ahead!
This fiscal year only, we will reimburse for COVID-related expenses and expenses incurred due to the hardship of COVID in the past, present or future. Some restrictions may apply. Please contact us with your questions.

Funding schedule and limit:

Each group/organization is limited to $500 this fiscal year.
Payments made from July 1^st, 2019 – May 31^st, 2021 are eligible for reimbursement.
No payments will be accepted from June 1^st – June 30^th to allow for final accounting at the end of the fiscal year.
After you complete your activities, you will need to submit a Reimbursement Request Invoice and copies of all receipts to EPCO staff. An invoice template is included in this packet.
Reimbursement payments will be paid approximately 30 days after submitting complete invoice and receipts.