Roundhouse awards local grants

The Roundhouse Foundation began bolstering organizations that serve and support rural and Tribal areas of Oregon in 2002. This fall, they supported the work of 105 organizations for the fall 2023 Open Call cycle, with nearly $1.5 million given across the state. Here in the Sisters area, eight organizations received funding for special projects.

Grant partners working in Sisters fell into three focus areas: education, social services, and environmental stewardship.

“We are honored to support the great work happening in our home town of Sisters and the rural communities throughout Oregon,” said Erin Borla, executive director and trustee of The Roundhouse Foundation.

Grants from this process range from $2,500 to $75,000, with some distributed across multiple years to support the sustainability of projects that require longer-term investments. The Roundhouse Foundation has awarded several other grants to Sisters Country based organizations throughout 2023. A complete list of grants can be found at RoundhouseFoundation.org.

The Sisters-area fall 2023 supported programs include:

Social Services

Age Friendly Sisters Country(AFSC): to support Sisters Transportation and Ride Share (STARS), which provides nonemergency medical transportation for Sisters Country residents unable to drive themselves.

Sisters Park & Recreation District (SPRD): to help offset program costs and ensure Sisters community members can access the exceptional recreation opportunities that enhance the livability of our community.

Thrive Central Oregon: to place a Community Outreach Advocate in Sisters, who will provide in-person services to help community members access affordable and varied community resources through informed and respectful case management services.

Education

Citizens4Community (C4C): to bring the National Policy Consensus Center’s Civic Leadership Academy program to Sisters. The program – a collaborative partnership of C4C, NPCC, and the City of Sisters – will provide 8-12 Sisters Country citizens with a 6-week crash course in local government operations, leadership best practices, and group problem solving, with an ultimate goal to cultivate a more diverse and informed pool of future civic leaders for our rural community.

Think Wild: to provide free wildlife education programming for K-12 youth in the classroom, afterschool programs, field trips, and events that nurture appreciation for the local environment and provide hands-on learning opportunities with real community impact in Deschutes, Jefferson, and Crook Counties.

Environmental Stewardship

Central Oregon Forest Stewardship Foundation: to host a series of science-based presentations focused on the need for active forest restoration in communities adjacent to the Deschutes National Forest, like Sisters.

Deschutes Land Trust: to support the Deschutes Land Trust in its mission to conserve and care for the lands and waters that sustain Central Oregon, so local communities and the natural world can flourish together for generations to come.

The Roundhouse Foundation is a private family foundation based in Sisters that supports creative solutions to the unique challenges associated with rural culture and the landscapes of the Pacific Northwest. For more information call 541-904-0700 or visit http://www.RoundhouseFoundation.org to view all Fall 2023 Grant Recipients.