Thriving Entrepreneurs Grants is sponsored by Oregon Community Foundation. The Thriving Entrepreneurs program awards grants to nonprofit organizations that support entrepreneurs and small business owners with capital, connections, curriculum, and coaching. The program specifically aims to smooth the path for rural and unrepresented innovators.

Thriving Entrepreneurs Grant Program » Oregon Community Foundation Thriving Entrepreneurs Grant Program OCF understands the important role that entrepreneurs play in shaping our economic and community vitality in Oregon. For over a decade, OCF has provided grants to nonprofit organizations that support entrepreneurs across the state. Entrepreneurs have big ideas and creative ways to solve problems.

Still, they often need help developing their business plans, creating go-to-market strategies, recruiting talented teams or board members, and raising money. We know entrepreneurs who are women, people of color, or live in under-resourced rural communities struggle more than others to grow and scale their companies.

The Thriving Entrepreneurs Grant provides an open, responsive grantmaking opportunity that offers organizations flexible funding, with prioritized support for those organizations that serve entrepreneurs who are women, people of color, living in under-resourced rural communities, or working in under-resourced sectors such as consumer products. Funding is not available for individuals; OCF makes grants to eligible organizations only.

We value Oregon’s diverse regions and populations, and seek to advance equity, diversity, and inclusion through our funding. We are committed to funding across Oregon with grant dollars reaching our remote, rural, suburban, and urban communities across every region of our state. We prioritize investments that creatively address needs and position entrepreneurs to thrive in Oregon.

We prioritize investments demonstrating strong community support, solid planning, and wise stewardship. We know that funding needs will far exceed our limited grant dollars. Priority will be given to organizations that have received less funding through this program and with either a demonstrated track record of success working with diverse entrepreneurs or a promising approach and plan to serve entrepreneurs in a new way.

Both experienced and new organizations are encouraged to apply. OCF does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, ability/disability, age, status as a veteran, national origin, or any other protected class. Applicants for the 2026 Thriving Entrepreneurs Grants must hold similar standards in the provision of services.

In 2026, OCF anticipates awarding $800,000. We aim to fund a mix of proposals in communities across Oregon and anticipate funding organizations serving diverse entrepreneurs. There is one opportunity to apply for a Thriving Entrepreneurs Grant in 2026.

The application will open on May 12, 2026, and all applications are due by 5:00 p. m. on June 16, 2026.

As part of the decision-making process, applicants may be contacted via phone or a virtual meeting for additional information. Notice of funding will be provided by the end of September. All grants will be 18 months in duration.

Applicants may apply for programmatic support or project specific funding. Staffing expenses are allowed. Applicants should apply for the amount they need and describe why they need that amount, but most grants will not exceed $25,000.

The application window opens May 12, 2026 and applications are due June 16, 2026 by 5:00 p. m. with all decisions made by September 2026.

Online applications are accepted through MyOCF . To see the list of application questions, please visit here . If you are a nonprofit that has never applied for an OCF grant program before, we need additional time to set up your profile before you can submit an application.

To get started, click on “MyOCF” in the upper right corner of our website and then “Create a Nonprofit Account. ” Please complete the form by Friday, June 12 to ensure your account will be set up before the close of the 2026 Thriving Entrepreneurs application. If you are applying with a fiscal sponsor, please complete the form as soon as possible .

For technical assistance in creating your MyOCF account, please email grants@oregoncf. org . 501(c)(3) organizations, Tribal entities, and government entities are eligible to apply.

Additionally, other types of organizations may work with a 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor to submit an application. Applicants must submit formal paperwork confirming the fiscal sponsor relationship. Organizations with an active Community Grant or any other OCF grant are eligible to apply.

Thriving Entrepreneurs Grant recipients from past years are also eligible to apply in 2026. Priority will be given to organizations that have received less funding through this program.

Organizations may submit only one application for a 2026 Thriving Entrepreneurs Grant, unless they are an umbrella organization or a fiscal sponsor for a separate application What We Look for in Strong Proposals The strongest proposals will: Address a clear and compelling business community need Have goals/work that are relevant to Oregon’s entrepreneurs, including small and micro businesses If the project addresses the needs of a specific population, have staff and board with demonstrated cultural expertise to serve that population Demonstrate that people with lived experience are meaningfully leading and/or influencing the work Reflect realistic goals and solid planning Show strong potential to build the organization’s stability, effectiveness, or capacity Demonstrate strong community support, including the support of people being served Clearly communicate the role and potential impact of an OCF grant in this moment Have a realistic plan for securing remaining funds needed to carry out the work within the grant period If the proposal involves new staff or other significant on-going expenses, explain how the organization is thinking about long-term sustainability Priority will be given to organizations that: Primarily serve one or more priority populations (women, people of color, under-resourced rural communities, or sectors) Are reasonably positioned for long-term organizational viability Support OCF in advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion through our funding Reflect a strengths-based orientation Work to create positive, substantive change Examples of programs that meet the objectives include: Business Advice/Consulting/ Coaching Business Training and Education Access to Capital: loans, venture capital, individual development accounts, or similar Access to Market: networking events, expos, farmers markets, online platforms, or similar that include support or education for business owners Access to Business Services: shared use commercial kitchen space, retail space, attorneys, accountants, or similar Peer to Peer/ Mentor – Protégé Programs Youth Entrepreneurial Programs: curriculum that is focused on managing, operating, and financing a business Programs that are not a strong fit include: Individual Business Owners: seeking funds to start or expand Workforce Development Programs: trades, skills training, professional development for accessing jobs Community Programs: cultural events, festivals, neighborhood projects that include business owners Regranting Programs: nonprofits asking for funds to give directly to business owners Capital Projects: to build infrastructure for the organizations Activities We Typically Won’t Fund in 2026 Projects in individual K-12 schools Grants to subsidize participation (scholarships) or re-granting programs Purchases or activities that occur prior to grant decisions Funding for public entities to replace government dollars Lobbying to influence legislation (a particular bill) Annual fund appeals and contributions to endowments The application window opens M ay 12, 2026 , and applications are due June 16, 2026, at 5:00 p.

m . , with decisions made by September 2026. Online applications are accepted through MyOCF .

Your organization will need to register and set up an account to apply. Organizations that apply for a Thriving Entrepreneurs Grant may have information about their proposal shared with OCF donors and funding partners. We encourage applicants to provide clear and complete project descriptions to support donor connections.

If you are a nonprofit that has never applied for an OCF grant program before, we need additional time to set up your profile before you can submit an application. To get started, click on “MyOCF” in the upper right corner of our website and then “Create a Nonprofit Account. ” Please complete the form by Friday, June 12 to ensure your account will be set up before the close of the 2026 Thriving Entrepreneurs application.

If you are applying with a fiscal sponsor, please complete the form as soon as possible. For technical assistance in creating your MyOCF account, please email grants@oregoncf. org .

Please see the FAQ section at the bottom of this page. For questions about the program and submitting a competitive application, please contact Ashley Cheeseboro, Program Associate for Economic Vitality and Housing, acheeseboro@oregoncf. org ; or join us for open office hours on May 18 at 3:00 p.

m. or June 3 at 11:00 a. m.

View the open office hours recording here . For technical assistance in preparing and submitting the online application, please email grants@oregoncf. org .

Frequently Asked Questions What is the deadline for applications? If approved, how long will it take to receive funding? The deadline for this funding opportunity is June 16 at 5 p.

m. Grant decisions on all applications will be made by September 2026. Approved funds will be distributed shortly thereafter.

What geographic regions are eligible to apply for funds? All nonprofit organizations based in or doing work in Oregon are eligible to apply. Is this program accepting multi-year requests?

For the 2026, grant cycle, all Thriving Entrepreneur grants will be 18 months in duration to support variations in project timing and ongoing programs. Are 501(c)(3)s the only organizations eligible to apply? 501(c)(3) organizations, Tribal entities, and government entities are eligible to apply.

Additionally, organizations may work with a 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor to submit an application. Applicants must submit formal paperwork confirming the fiscal sponsor relationship. How do I apply for funding from the Thriving Entrepreneurs Grant Program?

Apply for a grant by visiting OCF’s website and submitting an application through OCF’s online portal ) . Register an account with the portal before applying. Before submitting a request, please read over important information on the program page, including the guidelines and the list of questions we ask in the application.

Average grant sizes will be around $25,000. Can my organization submit more than one application? Unless they are an umbrella organization or a fiscal sponsor, an organization may only submit one application for the 2026 Thriving Entrepreneur Grant.

Past Thriving Entrepreneur Grant recipients are eligible to apply for this cycle. An organization may apply to the Thriving Entrepreneurs Grant Program even if they applied to the Community Grant Program, Spring cycle but an organization will not receive a grant from both programs if the proposed project is the same. I recently received or applied for a different grant from OCF.

Am I eligible to apply to Thriving Entrepreneurs Grant Program? Yes. Organizations that have previously received funding are eligible to approach us with any new or evolving needs that align with our funding priorities.

What does the term “culturally specific” mean to OCF?

An organization that is culturally specific meets the following criteria: The organization’s mission, activities, and outreach all intentionally focus on a population that has experienced significant bias or discrimination due to their race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, immigrant/refugee status, or national origin; The organization’s staff, board, and volunteers reflect the population they serve; The population being served recognizes the organization as specific to their community; and The majority of members and/or clients are from the specified community, such as Black/African/African American, Indigenous/Native American, Latino/a/x, Asian/Asian American, Middle Eastern, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, immigrant and refugee, LGBTQI+, disability community, etc. What is OCF’s definition of a “rural-based organization”?

We define a rural-based organization as one that focuses on a community with a population of 35,000 or fewer that is NOT directly adjacent to (or part of a) metropolitan area of 50,000 or more. I’m having trouble with the online application system. Who do I contact for assistance?

Email us at grants@oregoncf. org and we will get back to you as soon as we are able. I have questions about whether my nonprofit fits this grant program.

Who do I contact for more information? Email Ashley Cheesboro, P rogram Associate for Housing & Economic Vitality ( acheeseboro@oregoncf. org ) with your inquiries.