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2025-26 Small Grants Overview

Thanks to voter approval of the Portland Children’s Levy (PCL) renewal in 2023, we’re offering a competitive funding process in 2025-26 for small grants to support key community services for children and families.

This overview webpage provides general information. Please review the other webpages linked to below for detailed information on eligibility, the full grant application and more.

PCL funds programs for children and families in six program areas, as approved by voters: after school, child abuse prevention and intervention, early childhood, foster care, hunger relief and mentoring. Programs serve children and families living in or going to school in the City of Portland boundaries. (See a map with zip codes and a map with detailed street and school locations for reference.) We provide multiyear funding to support high-impact programs, including programs that focus on serving Black/African American, Indigenous, and children and families of color, children with disabilities, youth who identify as LGBTQ2SIA+, immigrant and refugee children and families, families earning low incomes, and children and families who reside in East Portland or North Portland. Learn more

Ahead of the funding round, PCL worked with Camille Trummer LLC and PKS International Community Engagement Liaisons to engage community members most affected by Levy investments. More than 750 people participated in surveys in more than 26 languages, focus groups and interviews. Their input along with feedback from PCL’s Community Council and Allocation Committee helped shape the priorities and program area strategies for both the 2024-25 large grants funding round and the 2025-26 small grants funding round. Learn more

Applicant organizations must be 501(c)(3) tax-exempt community-based nonprofits and incorporated in Oregon. PCL does not accept applications from school foundations, Parent-Teacher Associations or Parent-Teacher Organizations, individuals, LLCs, or other 501(c) organizations. If the applicant organization does not yet have 501(c)(3) status, you can apply with a fiscal sponsor. Nonprofit organizations must have annual revenues of $90,000 to $750,000 to be eligible for small grants. They must serve children who live or go to school in the City of Portland and/or their parents/caregivers. Learn more

Applications must be submitted in WebGrants, the City of Portland’s online grant management system. Applicants must register as users in WebGrants by Friday, Nov. 14, 2025 to access the application. Learn more

Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. Monday, Dec. 1, 2025. The review process lasts several months, with the Allocation Committee scheduled to make recommendations in spring 2026. Funding for new grants will begin July 1, 2026 and run for three years through June 30, 2029. Learn more

The application contains 6 steps in WebGrants, including a written and a video component. The 6 steps are composed of an eligibility screening, organization budget documents, applicant details, grant budget request, a written component and a video submission. Learn more

Portland Children’s Levy works hard to make the application process as transparent and accessible as possible, and we encourage you to reach out with any questions or requests for assistance or Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accommodations. There are two information sessions in October, and staff will regularly update a Q&A with questions received. To submit questions or request ADA accommodations, please email info@portlandchildrenslevy.org.

Funding Priorities, Eligibility, Timeline

Grant Application, Review & Scoring

Info Sessions and Q&A