Federal Readiness and Leverage Fund

Federal Readiness and Leverage Fund is sponsored by Various (coordinated Fund with participating Funding Partners). Aims to direct more federal funds into Oregon, increase capacity in Oregon's underserved and rural communities, and strengthen avenues for collaboration across public, philanthropic, and nonprofit sectors.

Federal Readiness & Leverage Fund – Coordinated Action to Increase Access to Federal Funds has your organization been Impacted by Government Funding Cuts/interruptions? Share an Emergency Funding Need Learn more about applying, joining as a Funding Partner, or serving as a Referral Partner.

Supporting Rural and Underserved Nonprofits and Jurisdictions Coordinated Action to Increase Access to Government Funds Federal Readiness & Leverage Fund Request Types: Leverage Grants: Removing barriers to government funding for Oregon’s rural and underserved nonprofits and jurisdictions (learn more below) Emergency Needs : Supporting Oregon entities impacted by unexpected government funding cuts, cancellations, and interruptions +Many Statewide-Serving Grantees grants made through FRLF funding partners EMERGENCY NEEDS REQUESTS: grants made through FRLF funding partners The Federal Readiness and Leverage Fund aims to: Address barriers to government funding Increase capacity in Oregon's underserved and rural communities Strengthen avenues for collaboration across public, philanthropic, and nonprofit sectors Flexible support for rural and under-resourced communities Although the Federal Readiness and Leverage Fund (FRLF) was initially developed largely in response to a massive influx of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law dollars, FRLF is available to increase access to all government funding.

The coordinated, flexible, and responsive support that FRLF provides is now more important than ever. Leverage Grants (learn more below) support rural and under-resourced nonprofits and jurisdictions that are experiencing a barrier to federal or other government funding, while Emergency Needs Requests can be made by any Oregon nonprofit or jurisdiction that has unexpectedly lost government funding.

Taking Coordinated Action The FRLF was born to increase access to transformative federal funding and advance high-potential projects led by rural based, BIPOC-led and serving, and other under-resourced organizations and jurisdictions.

The FRLF leverages near-term investments from participating Funding Partners to unlock government funding, builds long-term capacity through technical assistance, and moves projects sitting at strategic inflection points forward . Launched in 2024, the Federal Readiness and Leverage Fund was developed by Kelley & Co.

(previously Kelley Nonprofit Consulting LLC) and a collaborative group of Funding Partners, whose efforts were informed through conversations with the organizations and communities across Oregon who would benefit most from this model. Federal and state funds propel vital community projects, but can present many challenges and barriers.

These challenges vary – from required matching funds to quick turnaround deadlines to the sweeping changes introduced by the new administration. Funding pauses can quickly instill uncertainty and confusion for nonprofits and communities, leaving under-resourced organizations at a significant disadvantage.

As a responsive funding mechanism, the FRLF can also help grantees who manage government funding stay afloat during times of uncertainty. Visit our Emergency Needs Requests page if your organization has been impacted by a government funding cut or freeze.

Priorities With Immediate And Lasting Impact Pre Development & Financial Leverage Helping applicants meet the financial requirements necessary to access government funds and supporting a broad range of project pre development costs Incentivizing & Increasing Collaboration Supporting organizations to lead collaborative efforts; Creating coalitions to put forth competitive government funding applications Increasing Coordination Between Public Sector & CBOs Ensuring representatives of underserved, unincorporated, and rural communities remain “at the table” by supporting staff capacity for coordination Broad, Complementary Technical Assistance Providing technical assistance funding to help nonprofits and jurisdictions secure and manage government grants; Supporting technical assistance providers who build capacity around government funding The Federal Readiness & Leverage Fund coordinates giving from Funding Partners to help applicants in overcoming barriers in alignment with the Fund’s Focus Areas.

Aligned Nonprofits and Jurisdictions Qualifying nonprofits and jurisdictions are identified and vetted for alignment and invited to complete a single, brief application Philanthropic Participation Funding Partners join with the goal of addressing barrier(s) to securing federal funds through one or more of the FRLF's four Focus Areas Grantees receive one-on-one, curated resource navigation including needs assessment and technical assistance recommendations to build their internal capacity Grantees may also request funds toward technical assistance, subject matter expertise, or other support to help them secure or manage government funding “Through the Federal Readiness and Leverage Fund, we were able to secure match funding for a creative placemaking and economic development project.

We’re also receiving financial and compliance technical assistance as an added benefit. This Fund is incredibly beneficial for small rural organizations seeking and preparing to manage federal grants. ”