2019 Community Activities Fund is Now Open.

What is the CAF?

The Community Activities Fund (CAF) is a sponsorship program which provides funding support to East Portland’s diverse, volunteer-led community groups and organizations.
The East Portland Community Office (EPCO) provides approximately $20,000 in sponsorship funding to eligible groups/organizations to support community-building and civic engagement activities in East Portland.
Funding is provided through reimbursement checks for funds spent.

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 Angela Previdelli.
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.

How does the CAF work?

Eligible groups/organizations will submit a Funding Request Form, included as the final page of this packet.
EPCO staff will review your form and ask you follow-up questions if needed.
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 sponsorship, 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 your planned activity changes, staff must approve the changes to your funding request before you spend any funds.
You can apply in any language.
You can apply as soon as you know the details of your activity, even if it is months away. We encourage groups to plan ahead!

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 - rental space, interpretation, translation, childcare, food
Project, event, and activity costs - supplies and materials, rental space
Payment for services supporting a project or activity (performers, presenters, etc.)
Production of promotional materials (flyers, posters, etc.)

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 sponsorships to another organization
Expenditures that violate City policies or ordinances

Funding schedule and limit:

Each group/organization is limited to $1,000 per fiscal year.
Payments made from July 1st, 2019 – May 15th, 2020 are eligible for reimbursement.
No payments will be accepted from May 15th – June 30th 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.