DESCHUTES COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FUND

DISCRETIONARY GRANT PROGRAM GUIDELINES

 

Each of the three Deschutes County Commissioners is authorized to recommend approval of discretionary grants to qualified non-profit agencies for projects or activities that benefit the economic health of the community.  Grants are made available through the Deschutes County Economic Development Fund which is supported by state lottery proceeds.

 

Purpose

 

Economic Development Fund grants are intended to assist eligible organizations with specific, short-term projects or activities which positively impact the economic health of either a specific community within Deschutes County or the County at large.  A wide range of pursuits may relate to economic development, including, but not limited to, job creation, education and training, cultural tourism, and natural resource management. Priority will be given to requests for emergency building or equipment repair and replacement, seed money to enable receipt of additional grant funding or fundraising event promotion.   Deschutes County discourages requests for ongoing operational funding that cannot be sustained beyond the grant period.

 

Eligibility

 

Applicants for Economic Development Fund grants must be non-profit organizations or publicly funded agencies that serve populations within Deschutes County.  Although a 501 (c) (3) classification is not required, applicants must be able to document their non-profit status.  Individuals and for-profit entities are not eligible to apply.

 

Funding

 

While there are no established minimum or maximum amounts for grant requests, applicants are encouraged to request amounts of up to $1,000 or up to $2,500 for matching grants.  Grant applications are accepted at any time throughout the year and awards may be dependent on the available balance remaining in the Economic Development Fund at the time a request is submitted.  The most competitive applications will contribute some resources toward the project budget, either in goods and services or cash funding; however, a match is not required.

 

Application

 

Applicants must complete and submit one copy of the Deschutes County Economic Development Fund grant application form and attach proof of non-profit status.  Applicants may choose to direct their requests to an individual Commissioner or submit the request without specification.  In the event that an individual Commissioner is not specified, County staff will forward the application to all three Commissioners for review and a funding recommendation.  Completed application packets should be mailed to the following address:

 

Dave Inbody

Deschutes County Administration

1300 NW Wall Street, Suite 200

Bend, OR   97701-1960

 

 

Evaluation

 

Upon receipt, Deschutes County staff will initially screen applications for completeness.  Incomplete applications will be returned to the applicant for additional information.  Copies of complete applications will be forwarded to all three Commissioners for information purposes; however, only the Commissioner(s) to whom the application was addressed will consider its merit and make a recommendation to approve or deny funding.  Recommendations will be based on economic impact, benefit to the community, and availability of funds, among other factors, and will be forwarded to the entire Board of County Commissioners for final authorization.

 

Awards

 

Awards to successful applicants will be published within the agenda of a regularly-scheduled Board of County Commissioners meeting and will be brought to a public vote before the Commission.  Successful applicants may be required to make a presentation at the Commission meeting.  Unsuccessful applicants will be notified by mail.

 

Post-Award Requirements

 

Acknowledgement of Funding:  If any public recognition is made related to the purpose for which the grant was received, such as in media announcements, marketing materials, advertising, or information campaigns, grant recipients must acknowledge support from the Deschutes County Economic Development Fund.

 

Final Report:  Recipients will be required to submit a brief written report upon completion of the grant-funded project or activity that summarizes results and certifies that grant funds were used as intended. 

 

Subject to Audit:  To comply with restrictions on the use of public funds, recipients may be asked to furnish financial and accounting information for audit purposes.

 

Grant recipients who do not comply with award requirements established by Deschutes County may be subject to repaying funds received and may be ineligible for future funding consideration.

 

Additional Information

 

For additional information about the Deschutes County Economic Development Fund grant program, please contact Dave Inbody, Assistant to the County Administrator, by telephone at 541-322-7697 or by e-mail at davidi@co.deschutes.or.us   

 

ATT: Discretionary Grant Program Application (PDF)

 

 

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