OVERVIEW: This Portland-based family funder supports education and the arts in Oregon.
IP TAKE: The James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation is a funder to know for any artist or organization in the Oregon artistic community. While it has focus areas in both education and arts, the latter far outweighs the former in both number and value of grants awarded. Miller funds organizations of all sizes and is an excellent resource for general operating support grants, its preferred form of funding. While it is very generous with its responsive grantmaking, the biggest grants come from its invitation-only initiative work, so developing a strong relationship with this funder can really pay off. It has also launched a multi-year pilot program for individual artist grants. Grantseekers in that area should note that upcoming grant cycles are themed around specific types of art.
The Miller Foundation is a transparent and accessible funder. Its website hosts a comprehensive, searchable database of grants dating back to 2015, including grant values and names of funded projects. It accepts applications in each of its focus areas, providing large and small grants to organizations of all sizes, with operating support grants scaled to the size of the applicants operating budget. Multiple grant cycles per year allow it to reach a greater number of organizations, and it prefers to help as many as possible with modest-to-generous grants. It also welcomes contact from prospective applicants, so reach out to a program officer to discuss potential opportunities.
PROFILE: The James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation was established in 2002 to support and improve the quality of life for the people of Oregon. It seeks to “enhance the quality of life of Oregonians through the support of classroom education and the performing, visual, and literary arts.” It is based in Portland and has a statewide focus. Miller conducts both proactive initiatives and responsive grantmaking to “keep Oregonians of all ages creative and connected” and “keep our children engaged and inspired.” While the foundation’s grantmaking priorities are constantly evolving, its main funding areas are Arts and Education.
Grants for Education
The Miller Foundation’s Education grants fund K-12 public schools and nonprofit organizations that promote improved educational outcomes. Its main focus is on strengthening teacher effectiveness and student proficiency. The foundation supports public, charter, and tuition-free K-12 schools as well as education-related organizations that “support teacher effectiveness and student success” and “improve school culture and leadership.” It also funds advocacy and policy organizations working to reform educational policies throughout the state. Miller does not typically fund capital projects, equipment, higher education, pre-K education, after-school programs or private schools. K-12 public schools are funded through separate invitation-only grants.
Past grantees include Reading Results, I Have a Dream at Alder School, College Possible, REAP, and Salem-Keizer Coalition for Equality.
Grants for Arts and Culture
The Miller Foundation’s Arts grantmaking supports individual artists and arts-related organizations to “connect us to each other in powerful and surprising ways” and “make Oregon a great place to live.” Grants for organizations will fund projects, capacity building, and on occasion, change capital. It gives broadly to visual, performing, media, literary, and interdisciplinary forms of art that express the human condition. It does not typically provide arts organizations with general operating support, capital purchases or facility construction. Grants for artists are open-ended general support grants that may be used for any professional or living expenses. Artists are encouraged, but not required, to produce a new finished piece over the course of the grant term. However, these artists grants are themed: each year, the foundation rotates between prioritizing performing arts, literature and media, and visual arts. Miller prefers to support mid-career artists who have at least 7 years of professional experience and are regularly producing new work.
It has made recent grants mostly to groups in Portland, but also in Lake Oswego, Hillsboro, and Medford. Sample grantees include the Portland Festival Symphony, Portland Community Media, and the Jazz Society of Oregon.
IMPORTANT GRANT DETAILS:
Responsive grants generally range from $10,000 to $200,000, but special initiatives may range up to into the millions. Grantseekers may review the foundation’s comprehensive Grants Database for more information on the types of organizations it supports.
The Miller Foundation’s grantmaking is limited to the state of Oregon. It primarily supports local and regional organizations based in the state and rarely funds branches of large, national nonprofits.
For K-12 Education and Large Arts Grants, the foundation has three grant cycles per year, with deadlines generally falling in February, June, and October. Small Arts Grants requests are accepted year round. Individual Artist grants have one cycle per year with a deadline in October.
First-time grantseekers are eligible for one-year grants. Organizations who have a history of working with the Miller Foundation are eligible for multi-year grants. Returning grantees may apply again only after submitting their final report.
The Miller Foundation does not fund capital purchases, construction, debt relief, endowment, or requests from individuals, outside its Individual Artists grant.
General questions can be directed to the staff at 503-546-3191 or info@millerfound.org. The staff welcomes a quick phone call to verify your eligibility before spending time filling out a grant application.
PEOPLE:
Search for staff contact info and bios in PeopleFinder (paid subscribers only).
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