Mini Grants: Quarterly grants for smaller nonprofits

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Apply for a mini grant

PCEF mini grants offer up to $5,000 for activities that address climate change and advance social justice. Organizations can apply year-round for consideration in the next grant cycle.

Apply today

What are mini grants?

PCEF mini grants are quarterly funding opportunities designed to support small, impactful projects. Created in response to community feedback, these grants help organizations fund activities such as:

• Community events and outreach
• Training and education
• Small-scale projects
• Grant writing support
• Staff and administrative time

Purpose

Traditional grant processes can be difficult to navigate, especially for smaller organizations. Mini grants are designed to reduce barriers by offering a simple application process, faster access to funding, and support for time-sensitive or smaller-scale needs.

Learn more about why PCEF is offering the mini grants opportunity.

Funding overview

The mini grants program has a total annual budget of $200,000. $50,000 is available each quarter. Applicants can apply for one grant of up to $5,000 per quarter.

Get more details about funding and application limitations.

82nd Avenue Corridor investment 

One of PCEF's goals is to support community leaders in the 82nd Avenue Corridor with climate initiatives. We have dedicated mini grant funding to improve capacity of current residents and community organizations to respond to and alleviate the impacts of climate change. Projects that are focused on serving the 82nd Avenue corridor may qualify for this additional funding opportunity. 

This investment provides an additional $15,000 per mini grant cycle in addition to the quarterly amount of $50,000. Learn more about this opportunity and view eligibility requirements. 

Grant cycles and application deadlines

The PCEF team reviews grants quarterly. Organizations can submit applications on a rolling basis for placement into the next available grant cycle. If an applicant is not selected for the first grant cycle applied for, they may list their application in the subsequent grant cycle without having to reapply. 

Grant deadlines*: 

• January 15
• April 1
• July 1
• October 1

*Grant deadlines will typically follow this timeline. Mini grants staff will notify the public if there are any changes or adjustments to the yearly grant cycle. 

Eligibility and guidelines

Applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Must be a nonprofit organization or have a fiscal sponsor
• Projects with physical improvements must be located within Portland city limits
• Non-physical projects must benefit Portland residents
• Projects must support climate action and benefit historically underserved communities (see PCEF objectives for more information)
• Only one application per quarter per organization
• Each application must be for a unique request
• Funds cannot supplement existing PCEF-funded projects

See more details related to 82nd Ave Investment eligibility requirements. 

Eligible expenses

All funding requests must support PCEF’s objectives. Funding must directly support your proposed project. Applicants will be asked to describe their funding requests. Eligible categories include:

• Buying goods: Supplies, materials, food for events, tools, equipment, or technology
• Staff time and community participation: Project planning, grant writing, outreach, community engagement, events, administrative work, internal organizational development, etc.
• Training and education: Attendance costs for educational workshops, trainings, events, and conferences.
• Contracted services: Grant writing, translation, interpretation, facilitation, design services, technical assistance, assessments, energy audits, etc.
• PCEF-required costs:
  • Fiscal sponsorship fee: Up to 10% of total funding amount.
  • Additional insurance expense: If your insurance provider requires a fee to provide required insurance documents.

If you are unsure whether an activity is eligible for mini grant funding, contact pcefminigrants@portlandoregon.gov.

Examples of eligible mini grant funding requests

• Hiring a grant writer for climate funding applications
• Buying plants, soil, and compost for a community garden project
• Paying a contractor to conduct an energy audit of your building
• Sending staff to a training to learn more about clean energy
• Paying for staff to organize a climate-related outreach event
• Developing a youth-focused program focusing on environmental education

Selection process and timeline

Organizations of all sizes are eligible to apply. All eligible applications are reviewed each quarter.

If the total funding requests in a quarter exceed the available funding, staff will select applications using a randomized process within the prioritized groups to avoid inequitable advantages of the “first come, first served” approach.

Selections typically begin about one month after each deadline.

See more details about the mini grants grantee selection process.

Agreement process and requirements

Payments

• Once the successful grant applicants have been notified, executing the grant agreement currently takes 2-3 months.
• After the grant agreement is active, grantees are able to request funding by submitting an invoice.
• Two payment options are available to grantees: advance or reimbursement. Note: We can only process a single invoice for the full amount, no partial invoices are possible.
• For either invoice option, grantees are required to submit payment documents that meet program requirements. 

Reporting requirements

• Grantees will be required to submit a simple one-page narrative report, financial summary, and financial receipts/invoices.
• Financial summary and receipts/invoices must show proof of payment.
• We can accept multiple reporting formats (written, video, audio, etc.) and languages. PCEF staff can coordinate translation, if needed.

Learn more about the reporting and accountability measure for mini grants.

Insurance requirements

• Staff will let grantees know the level of insurance required. Insurance requirements vary depending on how the funds will be used.
• Some types of activities and use of funding could mean reduced insurance requirements or none at all.
• Grant-funded work that includes public events or working directly with community members will have the highest level of insurance requirements.

Learn more about insurance requirements and what that may look like for grantees.

Additional questions

Have more questions or looking for more details?

• Get help on your mini grant application.
• Visit the PCEF mini grants Frequently Asked Questions page to find your answer.
• Contact us at PCEFminigrants@portlandoregon.gov.