Welcome to the recap of the Allocation Committee meeting on Oct. 6, 2025.

You can watch a YouTube recording of the video by clicking the image below.

Small grants funding round

photo from Oct. 6, 2025 Allocation Committee meeting. Councilor Dan Ryan, chair of the Allocation Committee, is seated at a dais in front of a computer monitor and microphone speaking. Ryan is wearing a green shirt and gray jacket.
Councilor Dan Ryan (bottom right), chair of the Allocation Committee, shares feedback on the upcoming small grants funding round.

Allocation Committee members approved $1.5 million for the upcoming small grants funding round, which is tentatively scheduled to launch Oct. 15.

The Small Grants Fund (SGF) started in 2020 in response to extensive community feedback. The fund aims to increase access to PCL funding for smaller nonprofits and to strengthen their capacity to serve children, youth, and families, including Black, Indigenous, and children of color, and children with disabilities.

Organizations must have annual revenue in the last closed fiscal year between $90,000 to $750,000 to be eligible to apply for a small grant. Grants will be for three years, with funding starting July 1, 2026. The minimum 3-year grant will be $81,000, and the maximum 3-year grant will be $240,000.

Given lessons learned from 2020, the small grants application will have two components for all applicants to complete: 

  • a short, written application (48 points)
  • a video component (28 points)

Applications will be due Dec. 1. Applications will only be accepted in WebGrants, the city’s online grants management system. Two informational sessions will be offered to applicants in late October.

Learn more in the meeting slide deck

Sign up to receive updates about upcoming funding opportunities

Preliminary reflections on large grant funding round

photo from Oct. 6, 2025 Allocation Committee meeting. Katrina Peterson, community engagement coordinator, is seated at a table in front of a microphone speaking.
Multnomah County Commissioner Meghan Moyer explains the different considerations she and other Allocation Committee members factored into their funding decisions.

After each funding round, PCL has a standard practice of gathering feedback with the aim of improving potential future funding rounds. PCL staff have surveyed community reviewers and applicants and heard feedback from Community Council during their July meeting and in 1:1 interviews.

Feedback includes both quantitative and qualitative data. Staff will delve into the qualitative data over the next month to further inform a final report.

Review the initial findings in the meeting slide deck

The final report will be posted to the PCL website. In addition, City Council in June directed the Allocation Committee to prepare a summary addressing their concerns raised during the council’s initial remand of large grant funding decisions. PCL staff will consult with committee members in the coming months as the summary is prepared for City Council.

City of Portland updates

Executive order: On July 31, 2025 Mayor Keith Wilson issued an executive order requiring the City of Portland to adjust any programs or policies at risk of violating federal anti-discrimination laws.

Like all city bureaus, PCL has been directed to review and identify any policies and practices that may violate the terms of the executive order. Federally “protected classes” include race, gender and disability, among others. City services/programs are not permitted to provide preferences based on these categories. Program preferences for people experiencing poverty, living in a geography and/or attending schools with high poverty rates are permitted. 

The City of Portland remains committed to pursuing equity, diversity and inclusion goals through programs designed to help all Portlanders, including people of color, immigrants, women, people with disabilities and those who identify as LGBTQIA2S+. PCL remains committed to eliminating racial/ethnic disparities in children’s outcomes. 

New service area: Starting July 1, 2025, the Portland Children’s Levy joined the Community and Economic Development Service Area within the City of Portland structure.

Advisory bodies: The City is also conducting an Advisory Bodies Enhancement Project with a goal of aligning the advisory board program with the rules governing Portland’s new governmental structure. Project leaders are working to create a classification system for all city advisory boards, guidelines for establishing, operating, recruiting and confirming appointment of members, service expectations and dissolution of advisory boards. PCL is participating in the stakeholder workgroup providing input to project leaders related to PCL’s two advisory boards (the Allocation Committee and Community Council).

Miss the meeting?

Watch it on YouTube or on CityNet Xfinity Channel 30 and 330 (HD) 11 a.m. Oct. 12. You can also view the meeting slide deck.

Join us for the next Allocation Committee meeting

Agendas for future meetings will be sent to our email list, shared on our social media channels and posted on portlandchildrenslevy.org

We welcome your comment on agenda items or the work of the Portland Children’s Levy. If you would like to join the next meeting to participate, please join our email list stay tuned for the meeting invite.