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City to accept next round of community sponsorship applications; $160,000 awarded last year across culture, environment and services
Summary
Assistant City Manager Stephanie Betteridge told the Accessibility Advisory Committee that the City of Bend’s Community Sponsorship and Grant Program will accept applications in a twice‑annual window and reported about $160,000 in awards in fiscal year 2024–25 across cultural, environmental and community engagement areas.
Assistant City Manager Stephanie Betteridge told the Accessibility Advisory Committee the City of Bend’s Community Sponsorship and Grant Program, established in 2022, provides discretionary funding to community events, programs and projects that advance city council goals including equity, accessibility, sustainability and community engagement.
Betteridge described four guiding principles: equitable and accessible funding, promotion of inclusive events that align with council goals, transparency in application and decision processes, and responsible distribution to avoid creating long-term dependence on city funds. She said the program is designed to help community organizations get projects started rather than fully fund ongoing operations.
Program details and recent awards: Betteridge said that in fiscal year 2024–25 the program contributed a little more than $160,000 across categories. She described approximate breakdowns presented in the staff report: about $35,000 to community leadership and workforce development (programs such as BendNEXT and Leadership Bend and a Black business development project); about $58,000 to cultural and diversity celebrations (Welcoming Week, Juneteenth, Lunar New Year and Black History Month); roughly $22,000 toward environmental initiatives (Earth Day, Youth Conservation Corps events and river cleanup); about $6,000 to social services and supports (programs serving Latinx families and youth); and about $38,000 for general community engagement and events.
Eligibility and process: Eligible applications must show a clear connection to council goals or city initiatives, provide a public purpose, be free and open to community members (or include sliding-scale or scholarship options if there is an admission fee), and must not promote a religious or political agenda or discriminate on protected grounds. Betteridge said the city moved to two fixed application windows per year to improve equity and transparency; the next deadline she announced at the meeting was Sept. 30, with applicant notifications targeted for mid‑October and award payments by November.
Committee role: Betteridge asked KOBAC members to help spread the word to community organizations and offered staff support via sponsorships@bendoregon.gov. Committee members discussed potential community projects (for example, a free Sprout Film showing) and confirmed the city posts award records and application materials on the city website for public review.
No formal committee action was taken; Betteridge’s presentation was informational and included a request that committee members encourage eligible organizations to apply.
