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Zinnia Grant is sponsored by Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation 091898. The Zinnia Grant is a highly competitive, relational grant program designed to make a transformative and lasting impact. It uses a self-nomination process in lieu of a formal application and requires meaningful in-person engagement with foundation staff.
Geographic focus: Oregon
Focus areas: Education, Community, Arts & Creativity, Health & Well-being
Official opportunity description and requirements excerpt:
Zinnia Grant — The Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation The Zinnia Grant can be pursued at the same time as other opportunities, including by organizations already holding an active grant. If you intend to apply for a Rose or Daffodil Grant in January 2026, please proceed. Should you become a Zinnia finalist, we will simply incorporate your Rose or Daffodil application materials into the Zinnia review process — no need to sequence or wait. OPEN JANUARY 26 - FEBRUARY 13 We launched the Zinnia Grant in 2023 after recognizing a desire to invest more deeply in our most aligned partners. The hope was — and continues to be — that we are able to identify organizations with whom we have partnered for many years, or who are uniquely and exceptionally aligned with our values, and meet together to understand how we can best support the work at hand. The Zinnia Grant is named for the favorite flower of Marie’s daughter, Gert Boyle, whose generosity transformed the size and scope of the Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation in 2019. Gert’s generous spirit and purposeful investments in community inspire us as we engage in this particular program. More so than any of our other grant programs, the Zinnia Grant is very relational. We hope that much of our learning and discussion takes place in person, preferably over meals, with opportunities to explore big dreams, reflect on challenging realities, and build relationship. A competitive program, the majority of nominees are unfortunately not chosen for consideration. Recognizing this, we have designed a self-nomination process in lieu of a formal application. This positions us to leverage past awards and ongoing relationship to understand the scope of your work, while still asking for relevant updates. We encourage eligible organizations to pursue this grant, as many times as is desirable, and thank you for your interest in this opportunity. This grant is typically for organizations with whom we have partnered many times, though especially those with the capacity and ability to leverage substantial funding. In particular, we require the following: Your organization has partnered with the Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation (received funding) at least twice, though ideally more. Your organization has a history of receiving and managing one or more $200,000 gift/grant(s) in the last five (5) years. Your organization provides demonstrable direct service to one-hundred and fifty (150) or more individuals annually. Your organization maintains an operating budget of $1M+ annually We hope that our finalists can demonstrate the following well: Clear mission alignment with MLCF and the
Extracted from the official opportunity page/RFP to help you evaluate fit faster.
Zinnia Grant — The Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation The Zinnia Grant can be pursued at the same time as other opportunities, including by organizations already holding an active grant. If you intend to apply for a Rose or Daffodil Grant in January 2026, please proceed.
Should you become a Zinnia finalist, we will simply incorporate your Rose or Daffodil application materials into the Zinnia review process — no need to sequence or wait. OPEN JANUARY 26 - FEBRUARY 13 We launched the Zinnia Grant in 2023 after recognizing a desire to invest more deeply in our most aligned partners.
The hope was — and continues to be — that we are able to identify organizations with whom we have partnered for many years, or who are uniquely and exceptionally aligned with our values, and meet together to understand how we can best support the work at hand.
The Zinnia Grant is named for the favorite flower of Marie’s daughter, Gert Boyle, whose generosity transformed the size and scope of the Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation in 2019. Gert’s generous spirit and purposeful investments in community inspire us as we engage in this particular program. More so than any of our other grant programs, the Zinnia Grant is very relational.
We hope that much of our learning and discussion takes place in person, preferably over meals, with opportunities to explore big dreams, reflect on challenging realities, and build relationship. A competitive program, the majority of nominees are unfortunately not chosen for consideration. Recognizing this, we have designed a self-nomination process in lieu of a formal application.
This positions us to leverage past awards and ongoing relationship to understand the scope of your work, while still asking for relevant updates. We encourage eligible organizations to pursue this grant, as many times as is desirable, and thank you for your interest in this opportunity.
This grant is typically for organizations with whom we have partnered many times, though especially those with the capacity and ability to leverage substantial funding. In particular, we require the following: Your organization has partnered with the Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation (received funding) at least twice, though ideally more.
Based on current listing details, eligibility includes: Oregon-based 501(c)(3) public charities that have received at least two prior grants from the foundation, have a history of managing a $200,000+ gift in the last 5 years, and have annual operating expenses exceeding $750,000. Applicants should confirm final requirements in the official notice before submission.
Current published award information indicates $250,000 - $350,000 per year (typically 3-year terms) Always verify allowable costs, matching requirements, and funding caps directly in the sponsor documentation.
The current target date is February 13, 2026. Build your timeline backwards from this date to cover registrations, approvals, attachments, and final submission checks.
View foundation profile, grantmaking history, financials, and key people.
View Foundation ProfileApplication snapshot: target deadline February 13, 2026; published funding information $250,000 - $350,000 per year (typically 3-year terms); eligibility guidance Oregon-based 501(c)(3) public charities that have received at least two prior grants from the foundation, have a history of managing a $200,000+ gift in the last 5 years, and have annual operating expenses exceeding $750,000.
Use the official notice and source links for final requirements, attachment checklists, allowable costs, and submission instructions before applying.
Your organization has a history of receiving and managing one or more $200,000 gift/grant(s) in the last five (5) years. Your organization provides demonstrable direct service to one-hundred and fifty (150) or more individuals annually.
Your organization maintains an operating budget of $1M+ annually We hope that our finalists can demonstrate the following well: Clear mission alignment with MLCF and the spirit of Marie Lamfrom; learn more about Marie here .
Mature organizational identity and 'sense of self,' and ability to articulate and act upon that identity over time Proven ability to manage and appropriately steward substantial funds Demonstrable, exceptional, and/or timely need or opportunity for the organization Clear opportunity for this investment to positively impact the organization's trajectory and (more importantly) those ultimately served Explicit and thoughtful commitment to equity, inclusivity, diversity, and social justice; and a mature understanding of the interconnectedness Competent and values-driven organizational leadership, with demonstrable integrity and vision Zinnia nominations are due by Friday, February 14.
Finalist selection is expected to take 3-5 weeks, with finalists notified my mid-March. Those actively involved in or pursuing another grant with us are welcome to apply for a Zinnia Grant. If selected as a finalist, applicants will be asked to suspend other applications while being considered for this award.
Given the competitive nature of this program, applicants are discouraged from voluntarily pausing or suspending active applications while pursuing this program. If you are chosen as a Zinnia finalist and have already submitted application materials for another program, we will leverage that submission in the Zinnia process. We ask applicants to include or address the following.
Applicants are welcome to get a head start as preferred. Each prompt is subject to some modification (or additional contextualization) in the formal nomination form. Please kindly review the prompts in the nomination form before directing sending requests for clarification.
We request the following PDF statements: December 31, 2025 or later Balance Sheet We ask nominees to address the following narrative prompts. Please note that responses do not need to be in complete sentences. As a reminder, users who leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) remain responsible for the content and nature of their submission.
We ask you to describe the constituents you serve, the services you provide, and the demographics and needs unique to that group. We ask you to share a bit about your financial position, challenges, opportunities, and how the forthcoming fiscal year might look different than recent years. If you already have a vision for how MLCF funds might be leveraged, we hope to learn about that as well.
(1,000 characters) This optional prompt is especially helpful if you noted any financial challenges or public perception concerns that warrant contextualization. You can also use this space to highlight other details that you might not have otherwise had the opportunity to share.
We ask finalists to please report the following figures to us in their nomination: Enter the three (3) largest grants committed to the organization by private, public, or corporate entities in the last five years. The following fixed-choice prompts appear in the application as multiple choice or comparable prompts, meaning you will not need to prepare a narrative response.
Employees: How many full-time employees work at your organization? Financial Stability: The past year has been challenging for many nonprofits, with funding cuts, delays, rising costs, etc. In general, how has the landscape affected your organizations current financial and operational capacity?
Retention: We know that staff retention within the nonprofit sector has been extremely challenging. Tell us how you have experienced this over the past twenty-four (24) months. Annual Expenses: Select the range that correctly represents your organization’s current annual expenses.
Service Area: How would you describe the primary communities or regions your organization serves? Individuals Served: How many unique individuals did your organization serve in the last fiscal year? Media and Perception: In the last five years, has your organization navigated any litigation, harmful media coverage, or significant public turmoil?
Unplanned Deficits: In the last five (5) fiscal years, how many unplanned budget deficits has your organization reported? We’re happy to field questions, but consider some of these frequently asked questions first. What if we are in an active grant?
So long as you have completed two grants with the Foundation (i. e. have two separate payments and two grant reports submitted) you are eligible to apply for funding — even if you are in an active grant.
How competitive is this grant? The Zinnia Grant is our most competitive award; we anticipate 50-100 self-nominations, and expect to identify only two (2) finalists. This grant format was introduced in 2023, so it remains reasonably new.
In 2023, our finalists were Adelante Mujeres, the Dougy Center, and Victory Academy. In 2024, our finalists were HOLLA School and The Red Door Project. Did you change the program this year?
Each of our 2023 and 2024 finalists gave us wonderful feedback about their experience. This year, we are working to build more collaborative agendas, increase the upfront award payment, and give finalists an opportunity to connect directly with our Board of Trustees. What kinds of funding can we receive?
This grant is really meant to be adaptive and responsive to the needs of the finalist. We are welcome to creative funding plans that merge or combine general operating funds, capital campaign funds, matching challenges, and/or a combination of each. Where do we request a grant amount?
In this process, you don’t request an award amount. We use our meetings and discussions to determine how we distribute the award budget between finalists. The final recommended amount, which we determine in consult with you, is expected though not guaranteed to be between $400,000-$800,000 total, likely split between 2-3 years.
Do you fund outside the Portland metro? Absolutely. While many of our 2023/2024 finalists have been from the greater Portland Metro area, we are glad to consider finalists from all parts of the state (and will come to you).
We were chosen as a finalist… The Zinnia Grant process is meant to be relational and conversational; we hope to get to know you and your team and better understand your vision for the organization and the challenges you’re facing. Once identified as a finalist, we will ask you to submit some additional documentation, including a Memorandum of Understanding, which asks both you and us to agree on our way of proceeding.
After a signed MOU is received, we will issue a small good-faith contribution of $5,000-$7,500 to compensate (in full or part) nonprofit staff in advance for their time. MLCF staff will coordinate with organizational staff to schedule our three full-group meetings; we will work to schedule each between the months of April - June, with the possibility of some occurring in the month of July.
This meeting is meeting agenda will be set collaboratively by both MLCF and the finalist; agenda items should focused more explicitly on mission, vision, and programs. Instead of a recitation of one’s mission, we hope this meeting will help us gain insight into the heart and soul of your organization: what the workplace culture is like, what your big dreams and aspirations are, and where you may be challenged.
This meeting is three (3) hours and will take place over breakfast or lunch (paid by MLCF) ideally at the organization’s office. This meeting is meeting agenda will be set collaboratively by both MLCF and the finalist; agenda items should focused more explicitly on budget, fundraising strategy, financial pressure points, and organizational infrastructure.
This meeting is meant to help us understand where your organization thrives financially, and where challenges exist. We also hope to give narrative to the data, working to understand the story behind the numbers and how that story speaks to your successes and obstacles. This meeting is three (3) hours and will take place over breakfast or lunch (paid by MLCF) ideally at the organization’s office.
This meeting is meeting agenda will be set collaboratively by both MLCF and the finalist; agenda items will be an assortment of lingering topics, unfinished discussion, or new items that have surfaced in prior discussion. This meeting is two (2) hours and will take place over Zoom, unless in-person is preferred by the finalist at the time.
Board Visit (July/September) Finalists will be invited to join our Board of Trustees for a visit and discussion in July or September. During this meeting, MLCF leadership will summarize our learnings and celebrate the achievements of finalists. Finalists will have an opportunity to answer questions, address important topics, and get to know our Board of Trustees further.
Funding Decision (September/October) Our Board of Trustees will review our meeting summaries and funding recommendations, and issue a funding decision ideally by the end of September. We respect your privacy; you can opt-out at any time. Grant Portal | Contact Us | Team Members | About Marie
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