Wildhorse Foundation: Grants for Northwest-at-Large
/OVERVIEW: The Wildhorse Foundation supports seven counties in Oregon and Washington in the areas of arts, cultural activities, education, environmental protection, gambling addiction prevention, education and treatment, historic preservation, public health, public safety, and salmon restoration.
IP TAKE: Local grant seekers do not necessarily need to be affiliated with a Native American tribe to receive Wildhorse grants, as this foundation supports a broad range of issue areas.
PROFILE: The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) established the Pendleton, Oregon-based Wildhorse Foundation in 2001 and manages it in partnership with the Wildhorse Resort & Casino. The CTUIR opened the Wildhorse Resort & Casino in 1995 and ensures that the foundation receives three percent of net gaming revenues to award through grants. The foundation is “committed to honoring our tribal traditions of sharing with the communities in which we live and work.” The Wildhorse Foundation prioritizes arts, cultural activities, education, environmental protection, gambling addiction prevention, education and treatment, historic preservation, public health, public safety, and salmon restoration.
Wildhorse Foundation regular annual funds often support tribal government operations and programs, tribal economic development, and charities in northeastern Oregon and southeastern Washington. Grants are awarded for one-year periods and are awarded broadly to a wide range of local nonprofits in the region.
In addition to the foundation’s regular grant program, Wildhorse also has a rapid response grant program that provides grants up to $1,000 for urgent needs. These grants are for small and emergency needs and not meant to supplement an organization’s budget or sponsor an event.
Grant awards range from $1 to $20,000. The foundation donates approximately $1 million each year to local programs and services. Grantmaking is restricted to the following geographic areas: Morrow, Umatilla, Union and Wallowa counties in Oregon; and Benton, Columbia and Walla Walla Counties in Washington; and with Native American organization in the Pacific Northwest region. Wildhorse has four grant periods per year with application deadlines of January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1. The application guidelines are the same for both regular grants and rapid response grants. The foundation’s board of trustees, General Council officers, and board of directors review all grant applications. Past support has gone to the Milton-Freewater Senior Center, Boys and Girls Club of Dayton, and Umatilla Morrow Head Start.
The Wildhorse Foundation accepts unsolicited grant requests for its four annual grant cycles. The application process is conducted online, and grant seekers can access the application portal on the funder’s website. General questions can be directed to the foundation staff at 541-966-1778 or requests@wildhorseresort.com.
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