The City of Portland, in partnership with county and community partners, has launched the Portland Votes 2024 Voter Education Grant Program to help educate Portlanders on the changes coming to the November 2024 election.
This funding opportunity focuses on reaching hard-to-reach voters by providing grants to local nonprofits and community-based organizations. These organizations will share City-approved nonpartisan voter education materials and activities through trusted mediums to members of populations who have traditionally lacked access to voter education and are most likely to benefit from focused outreach.
The grant period is June 2024 - December 2024, with the majority of activities completed by November 2024. Applications can be submitted electronically via an online form by April 30, 2024 at 11:59 p.m.PST.
Ways you can promote these grants
Forward an invitation to apply over social media
Sample social media message:
Spread the word: the Portland Votes 2024 Grant Program is open!
We’re calling on local community organizations who are committed to sharing voter education with Portlanders who have traditionally lacked access to voter education – help ensure your community is ready for the November 2024 election.
Apply by April 30, 2024 at Portland.Gov/Vote/Grants and if you have any questions reach out to transition@portlandoregon.gov for more information.
Share a flyer over text message or WhatsApp
Sample text message:
📣📣📣 Spread the word: the Portland Votes 2024 Grant Program is open!
This is an opportunity for local community organizations and nonprofits to help share voter education materials and information on ranked-choice voting.
Are you interested in applying? Learn more at www.portland.gov/vote/grants or share this message with your networks!
Send an Email to a Mailing List
Subject: Share with your networks: Apply for the Portland Votes 2024 Grant Program
Dear [friend],
The November 2024 election is going to be historic for Portland – it will be the first time Portlanders vote using ranked-choice voting and in their newly formed districts. That’s why we need your help to educate Portlanders on the changes coming to the November 2024 election.
The City of Portland, in partnership with county and community partners, has launched the Portland Votes 2024 Voter Education Grant Program to ensure Portlanders are aware and ready for the changes coming to the November 2024 election. Now we need your help spreading the word.
Share this press release announcing the Portland Votes 2024 Grant Program or share these key details with local nonprofits and community-based organizations who can provide non-partisan voter education and help the City reach hard-to-reach voters.
- Application deadline: The application is open starting March 4 and closes on April 30, 2024 at 11:59pm.
- Qualifications: Applicants MUST be located within the City of Portland, not on the Oregon Department of Justice list of Disqualified Charities, and able to commit to Use of Funds requirements, complete training with the Portland Votes team, keep to C3/C4/PAC permissible activities, and participate in monthly meetings and reporting for the grant period.
- Funding focus: The focus of this program is communities who have historically lacked access to city decision making and who the city has had a hard time reaching. These groups are known as priority populations and include, but are not limited to:
- Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color
- Immigrants and refugees
- Seniors (aged 65+)
- People with disabilities
- Members of the City’s minority language communities: Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, Russian, Somali, Ukrainian, Romanian, Nepali, Chuukese
- Unhoused and housing insecure residents;
- Communities with limited digital access
- Residents of neighborhoods with turnout below the City average (i.e. residents of City Council districts 1 and 2), or
- Other potentially vulnerable or hard-to-reach populations
For more information, visit the grant’s webpage at Portland.Gov/Vote/Grants. Send your questions to transition@portlandoregon.gov or call 311 to connect with a City of Portland Transition team member. To stay updated on the transition process, sign up for the monthly newsletter at Portland.Gov/Transition/Engage.
We’re calling on you – let’s make sure Portlanders are ready and excited for the November election.
In community,
Name