MyOCF

LIFE Center Fund

Meeting critical needs in North, Northeast and Southeast Portland.

NEXT APPLICATION PERIOD: SEPTEMBER 1 - OCTOBER 15

The LIFE Center Fund of Oregon Community Foundation was established in 2005 to continue the legacy of the Low Income Family Emergency (LIFE) Center, which closed in 2005. Rather than simply distributing basic need items, the LIFE Center also honored each individual’s dignity by providing opportunities for self-improvement and personal empowerment.

Grants Program

The LIFE Center Fund awards two-year grants to provide food, clothing, household items, prescription and hygiene assistance, and school supplies to people in critical need in North, Northeast and Southeast Portland. Up to $10,000 is available per year for two years.  

Eligibility

OCF will accept applications from organizations that are tax-exempt under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3). Grants cannot be made directly to individuals.

Priority is given to the following:

  • Organizations that are based in and exclusively serving North, Northeast and Southeast communities.
  • Applications that clearly describe how this grant will help to provide services that will continue the LIFE Center legacy, and how it would help to meet gaps in current services.
  • Organizations with smaller operating and project budgets where a $7,500 to $10,000 grant from the LIFE Center Fund will have a clear impact.
  • Organizations that haven’t received LIFE Center funding in the previous grant year.
  • Applications that offer specifics about the site(s) and location(s) where services will be provided, the target population to be served, and how that fits the criteria of the LIFE Center Fund.
  • Requests that show evidence of some secured community contributions, ideally toward both grant years (the LIFE Center Fund does not require a specific dollar amount or percentage).
  • Multiyear project budgets that detail how a grant from the LIFE Center Fund would be applied.

Please review our Request for Proposals for more information about eligibility. Please note: General requests for support of an organization’s overall operating budget will not be competitive.

Use of Fiscal Sponsors

Organizations or projects that are not 501(c)3 tax exempt entities may apply using a fiscal sponsor. Fiscal sponsorship may only be used to support an independently-governed nonprofit, volunteer association, or like body.

In addition, fiscal sponsors must certify that they will provide active oversight and take responsibility for the use of the funds as specified in the application. 

Application Process

  • Please download the Request for Proposals for more detailed information about this grant program. Please download and provide the requested information. Submit the application and required attachments in one file to grants@oregoncf.org. The deadline is 5 p.m. on October 15, 2026.

Grantee Reporting

Applicants receiving a grant from the LIFE Center Fund will be asked to submit a report for Year 1 activities via a renewal grant application and a report form following the second and final year of the grant. Reports should be sent to reports@oregoncf.org.

Staff Assistance

For more information, please contact: