Gray Family Foundation Summer Highlights

grayff.org | facebook.com/grayff | SEPTEMBER 2023

Summer 2023 Gray Family Foundation Grant Recipients

In August, the Board of the Gray Family Foundation approved grants totaling $687,800 to 22 organizations. We awarded grants to organizations aligned with our Youth Leadership for the Environment and Action Fund to Advance Equity Initiatives, as well as organizations supporting our Environmental Education and Camp Maintenance programs.

As always, it is an honor to be able to support the efforts of our grantees and we look forward to the opportunity to continue to learn from each of you. If you have questions about our grant priorities or any of the projects listed on our grant list, please reach out to Nell Tessman, Program Officer, at ntessman@grayff.org.

Supporting Youth Leaders across Oregon

This year marks the final year of Gray Family Foundation’s initial investment in our Youth Leadership Initiative, which provided three-years of funding to 20 organizations across Oregon working to empower high-school age youth to use their leadership skills in the environmental sector. During phase one of our investment, we experienced the powerful impact of organizations that invest directly in youth leaders and amplify community strengths to support a healthy and thriving Oregon. We are also proud of the shared learning and collaboration accomplished by our Youth Leadership Grantee Learning Cohort, co-led by Wallowa Resources and CAPACES Leadership Institute. We are excited to announce that we are beginning our next phase of support for our Youth Leadership Initiative this fall and are grateful to both the Yarg Foundation and our new partners, the Wieden Family Foundation, for their contributions to this impactful work.

Investing locally in our future

As a demonstration of our commitment to Oregon, the Gray Family Foundation has invested a portion of our endowment into Oregon Venture Fund’s XV Fund. The values of the Oregon Venture Fund align with our vision for an Oregon where our communities and natural environments thrive. John Gray was an iconic entrepreneur, humble philanthropist, and wise steward of Oregon’s natural places. Gray Family Foundation is excited to partner with Oregon Venture Fund to support the region’s next generation of entrepreneurs who are building world-class companies in Oregon, and we hope they will have a passion to preserve our world-class environment as well.

Oregon Venture Fund invests in the most promising and ambitious startups and growth companies across all sectors to produce world-class companies and economic prosperity. These investors and entrepreneurs greatly appreciate the natural spaces and places of this region which are important assets for attracting and retaining the next generation of founders and investors to create and build companies here in Oregon.

Oregon State University (OSU) Extension Service Outdoor School program, Friends of Outdoor School, and Gray Family Foundation invite you to submit a proposal for the 2024 Oregon Outdoor School Gathering at the Oregon 4-H Center near Salem, Oregon! The Gathering will be held Wednesday, January 31 and Thursday, February 1, with optional pre-conference workshops on January 30. If you are a formal or non-formal environmental educator, 5th and 6th grade or high school teacher, outdoor school provider, outdoor school site operator, or a school or district outdoor school program coordinator, this event is for you!

The deadline to submit proposals is next week, Monday, September 11. The goal of the gathering is to deepen our commitment, relationships, and learning. We need your help to facilitate this goal by submitting your work/ideas/ conversation starters for your counterparts to learn from and with you. Works in progress are welcome and encouraged! Session formats include field trips, facilitated panel discussions, presentations, networking events, and more. Have a question or want to run your idea by someone? Contact Dan Prince at dan@friendsofoutdoorschool.org. For more information regarding the event, click here and visit their website.

2023 Grant Opportunity - Camp Maintenance

It is not too late to submit Camp Maintenance proposals for 2023. The deadline for the final letter of interest is October 20, 2023. Click here to learn more about the parameters in applying for these funds.

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