13 survey respondents
Location: 425 Nw 10th Ave Ste 400, Portland, 97209 OR
EIN: 93-0806316
50%
50%
12 hours
Median
46%
54%
35%
65%
2017 Deadlines:
Types of Grants Awarded:
Geographic Focus:
For Fiscal Year
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Change in Assets FY :
Amount of Grants to Minnesota Nonprofits:
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Reviewer 800 - Professional in the field
Meyer Memorial Trust has shifted its focus towards Equity Inclusion and Diversity work, and basically you are wasting your time currently unless you can demonstrate the organization is highly progressive in this aspect of operations, or the outcomes specifically benefit People of Color, or other minority populations. It feels as the pendulum has shifted so far over that it must swing back, as many outstanding organizations who either are working in areas without a diverse population (think Eastern Oregon), or are not doing work perceived as "valuable" in this struggle by the funder. I have also witnessed boards recoiling at being asked to fill out the demographic information, particularly around gender identity and sexual orientation. But without this "proof" of diversity MMT will not move an application forward any longer. Sad.
Oregon
Professional in the field
2017
Good
Bad
I think the pendulum has swung so far towards the EDI lens, that many organizations that formally did great, good and important work with their funding are now completely shut out.
Relook at the extreme requirements of where an organization with which you have had decades of successful funding experience are now unable to access funding.
There heart is in the right place, they just need to get their head screwed on right.
Communication
5
Reviewer 884 - Grant Applicant - applied in 2017
Meyer has recently changed its overall funding focus to ensuring equity and changed the data required for a fund application and its required supporting grant request. This required an entirely new approach to the grant application. As their new focus they also are establishing their review criteria. They did hold a series of regional and online seminars which were helpful and are mandatory.
Oregon
Applied and not funded
Other
2017
Average
They did hold regional sessions for group face to face and several online conf call reviews covering their new focus. I got a phone call after the rejection of our preliminary application that I wish could have been held beforehand. Their preliminary application required as much time as normal applications. Since we did not make the final round, I don't know what that work would have been.
Average
They would like to provide equitable access which in a metropolitan area, you have enough population that actually has diversity in population. In rural areas, the diversity needs are for the elderly and youth. They said they took that into account but the website and seminars suggested our needs were out of sync with the bulk of the applicants from the metro.
The change in focus to diversity and equity is excellent but alter the tools, the supporting documents and even the application to get at the rest of Oregon outside Portland and Eugene. As one of the largest Oregon foundations, the characteristics of our rural population is elderly and youth as focus needs. 2nd, reach out to early applicants or requesters who you don't have experience with. We have made grants requests and even received one from Meyer but years ago. It would have been nice to make contact and pre-review and counseling on your new focus and application before doing all the work for rejection.
They changed their entire funding mission to advancing diversity and access which requires different data and a different tone in the application text than beforehand. Attend one of the regional sessions if possible or make a contact in Meyer if you haven't been a regular applicant.
Funds to expand programs and supporting services to reach elderly and youth populations for arts center in a rural town.
10
Reviewer 345 - Grant Applicant - applied in 2017
Feels like there is still a lack of clarity about what their new portfolios are really meant to fund. We had been given feedback by program officers that we were really aligned with their interests and that we should apply but did not get the grant and received feedback afterward that we really should apply in the future. Having talked with other organizations every single one was told the same thing: you should really apply next time. Feels like it is just leading everyone on.
Oregon
Applied and not funded
2017
Average
Any time I've requested feedback or opportunities to talk to program staff they have been open to it, but when their feedback turns out to be the same that everyone else is hearing it doesn't actually feel like it was honest or direct.
Bad
They are incredibly focused on equity but there is no consistency or clarity on how that impacts the grant applications or decisions.
20
