Apply for a Digital Inclusion Coalition-building Grant Opportunity

News Article
Text: Building a Digital Inclusion Coalition
Application period closes Jan. 22, 2023. Grant funds are available to support a community-centered organization (s) to bridge the digital divide and achieve digital equity throughout Multnomah County.
Published

In response to community-identified needs, the Office for Community Technology (OCT) seeks to award a one-time grant of $76,600 to support the hiring of a Coalition Manager to lead the transformation of the Digital Inclusion Network into a community-led and community-centered Digital Inclusion Coalition. Additional grant awards to support the the Coalition will be available annually. 

The Coalition should center those with lived experiences of digital exclusion, bridge the digital divide and achieve digital equity throughout Multnomah County for the following priority communities: Black people, people with low income, Indigenous people, people of color, people with disabilities, people with language barriers (immigrants, refugees, ESL), seniors, houseless or facing housing insecurity, youth (particularly children in foster care and children with special needs and their families), survivors of domestic violence, people impacted by incarceration, adult learners, and intersectionality's of the above.

Read more about the scope of work:

Background

In March of 2022, the Office for Community Technology (OCT) engaged ASCETA, LLC., a woman-owned, woman-led firm in the Portland Metropolitan area, to support the reimagination of the Digital Inclusion Network (DIN) by the community and partners towards addressing digital equity barriers and developing solutions to bridging the digital divide in Multnomah County and to re-envision how we do community engagement to meet the collective goals for full digital inclusion.

Access the full report and recommendations:

Timeline

Nov. 23, 2022: Grant application opens

Jan. 22, 2023 at 11:59 p.m.: Grant application deadline

Information sessions

Want to learn more about this opportunity? Join us at an information session to hear a brief overview of the opportunity and ask questions:

  • Nov. 28, 4:30-5:30 p.m.
  • Dec. 8, 12-1 p.m.
  • Dec. 22, 12-1 p.m.
  • Jan. 4, 4:30-5:30 p.m.
  • Jan. 12, 12-1 p.m.
  • Jan. 17, 4:30-5:30 p.m.

Unable to attend a session? Contact us directly at connectingportland@portlandoregon.gov for more information. 

How to apply

The application period is closed.

Completed applications must be submitted no later than 11:59 p.m. on Jan. 22, 2023.

*If submitting an online Google Form application poses an undue hardship on your organization, please contact us at connectingportland@portlandoregon.gov to discuss other options.

View a list of application guidelines:

Applicant eligibility requirements:

  • Nonprofit 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations in good standing with the IRS. Unincorporated groups or programs may utilize an eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization as the fiscal sponsor to apply for funding or a community-focused for-profit organization.
  • Registration with the Oregon secretary of state's office and/or with the Oregon Department of Justice.
  • Applicants may apply alone, as part of a regional partnership, as part of a public-private partnership, or as part of an existing formal or informal partnership. Applications that include multiple collaborating entities must designate a single eligible organization or entity as the lead and fiscal sponsor for the application.
  • Provide services in Multnomah County.
  • Serve and or work with predominantly BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color), immigrant and refugee, and LGBTQ2SIA communities, with a focus on those living at the intersection of these and other marginalized identities.
  • Have leadership and staffing that reflect the community/s it serves. If this is not possible due to workforce shortages, staff and leadership must have been trained on the specific cultures they serve, as well as on implicit bias and institutional and structural racism.

Apply now

Contact

Adriana Miranda

Community Engagement and Policy Specialist

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