• Be based in Oregon and/or their work must benefit those who call Oregon home; and
• Have 501(c)(3) tax exemption or have a 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor
  • If a group has neither federal tax exemption nor a fiscal sponsor, its work must be considered “charitable” or meet tax-exempt criteria per the IRS, i.e. it must be for the benefit of the larger community, not individuals or businesses.
• Be current on grant reports by the time the new grant starts; and
• Not have an active grant by the time the new grant starts (i.e. the previous grant must be spent down completely and the final report turned in before the new grant begins); and 
• For Rapid Response grants: have an annual operating budget of under $500,000.

MRG does not fund: 

• Individuals of businesses
• Animal welfare organizations 
• Capital campaigns 
• Cooperatives, health clinics, or schools 
• Direct services 
• Organizations whose budgets exceed $500,000 although we will make rare exceptions (see above)
• Organizations that require clients of or participants in their programs to be faith or religiously affiliated 
• Personal hobby, mutual benefit, and for-profit groups 
• Previously funded groups that have overdue grant reports 
• Scholarships to or projects by individuals*
• Social service agencies without a clear social change organizing focus 
• Unions or direct labor organizing 
• Work defined by the IRS as being non tax-exempt, including: 
  • Illegal activities 
  • Lobbying 
  • Partisan activity that supports or opposes specific political parties and/or candidates for public office 
• Work that has already happened or will be completed before funding would begin 

In addition to meeting the eligibility requirements above, organizations need to be in alignment with MRG’s funding priorities, which can be found here.