PORTLAND, Ore. — The City of Portland’s Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS) Community Technology Digital Equity Program has launched the Digital Inclusion Fund (DI Fund) Digital Skills Building for Native Communities Grant Opportunity. This grant aims to support urban Native Americans by providing digital skills training to help close the digital divide, enhance education, and promote professional development. The program is awarding two grants, one Foundations grant and Futures grant.
Addressing Digital Adoption in Native American Communities
Research and surveys conducted by community organizations and schools have highlighted a lack of resources and programs to support digital inclusion for Native American communities in urban areas. According to Portland Public Schools’ Successful Students survey, approximately 20% of Native students lack regular access to high-speed internet. Similarly, U.S. Census data indicates that 10% of American Indian or Alaska Native populations do not own a computer, and 10% do not have broadband internet subscriptions. However, due to small sample sizes and margins of error, this data may not be fully reliable.
A 2016 report by the National Urban Indian Family Coalition, in collaboration with the American Community Survey, found that 29% of urban Native households lacked access to a computer or internet subscription. This disparity is significantly higher compared to Black and Hispanic households.
Grant Objectives
Due to challenges in collecting accurate data on digital adoption in urban Native communities, this grant initiative is designed to build trust, strengthen connections, and better understand community needs. The program has three main objectives:
- Increase access to digital skills training for Native American communities in Portland.
- Enhance digital skills to support education and workforce development.
- Provide opportunities for career exploration in technology-based fields through digital career pathways.
Eligible Project Activities
Funded projects may provide a variety of digital skills training, including:
Foundations – Introductory and Intermediate Digital Skills Training
- Computer basics
- Email usage
- Navigating the internet
- Online safety and cybersecurity
- Social media literacy
- Internet research skills
- Use of mainstream software (Microsoft Office, online calendars, etc.)
Futures – Advanced Digital Skills Training
- Prompt engineering for AI applications
- CAD (computer-aided design) training
- Robotics
- Coding and programming
- Website development and maintenance
- Career exploration through digital career pathways
Grant Details
- Funding Amounts:
- Foundations: $130,000
- Futures: $150,000
- Grant Duration: June 2025 – June 2027
- Application Deadline: 11:59 p.m. PT on Friday, April 11, 2025
Eligibility
Eligible applicants include nonprofit community-based organizations or educational institutions that serve or will serve Native American community members who live, work, or attend school in Portland.
How to Apply
Applications must be submitted through the City of Portland Grants Portal by 11:59 p.m. PT on April 11, 2025. Please review our Grant Applications Tips for best steps on how to register and apply.
If submitting an online application presents a hardship, please see our office hours or contact Alonso Melendez (alonso.melendez@portlandoregon.gov) for alternative submission options.