Community Cultural Participation (CCP) grants can be used to support cultural events, programs, and operating support with grants up to $3000.

MCCC concentrates its grantmaking on creative communities and projects that can most benefit from MCCC funding. We value investments in projects, artists, and organizations that prioritize communities that have historically been neglected by or excluded from institutional funding for arts and culture. Such communities may include but are not limited to Black and Indigenous people, communities of color and otherwise racialized communities, LGBTQIA2S+, immigrants and refugees, people living with disabilities, people living with low incomes, people who are currently or formerly incarcerated, people experiencing houselessness, those living in rural communities, and others.

MCCC considers annual budget size when making awards and prioritizes supporting smaller organizations/groups. Of the organizations funded through MCCC’s CCP Grant in 2025, 73% had an annual operating budget of less than $500k.

GRANT GOALS  

1. Make culture accessible and affordable to Multnomah County residents.  

2. Promote cultural diversity.  

3. Encourage new cultural activities.  

4. Foster partnerships and collaborations which support the above. 

Applications open on Monday, August 31, 2026 , and close on Monday, October 12, 2026 at 11:59pm PST. Applicants can expect to hear about the outcome of their application before January 31, 2027. Grant agreements will be available in early 2027 and checks will be disbursed once financial information is submitted.

All funded activities must take place between January 1 to December 31, 2027. If a project cannot be finished within this timeframe, the awarded funds will need to be returned. While extensions may be granted in exceptional circumstances, we encourage applicants to adhere to the specified period. Should unforeseen changes to the program timeline occur, please contact MCCC as soon as possible.

INFORMATION SESSION

Attend a virtual Grant Info Session on Wednesday, September 2nd, 2026 at 11:00am PST, hosted by MCCC board members via Zoom. Participation is completely optional and will not impact the selection process. No registration needed.

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88376479136?pwd=MBrbJE0v4j8CEvagkQKJAM8wh50Ayi.1

Meeting ID: 883 7647 9136

Passcode: 013420

A recording of the info session will be available on the MCCC website after September 2nd. 

MCCC board members are available to answer questions at info@multcoculturalcoalition.org. 

Please reach out early: we are volunteer-led and do not always have capacity to respond to last-minute/urgent requests. 

1. Demonstrate in your application that your work aligns with one or more MCCC CCP grant goals.

2. Propose activities taking place within calendar year 2027 (between January 1 to December 31, 2027). 

3. Be headquartered within Multnomah County, Oregon. The legal address shown on your W-9 form must be in Multnomah County.  

4. Serve or provide benefit to people in Multnomah County.  

5. Be an organization or group (individuals are not eligible) with a proposal that demonstrates potential for broad community impact. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations, Limited Liability Companies (LLC), and other incorporated groups with a declared common purpose consistent with the goals of this grant program.

   • 501(c)3 status is not required to apply, however an EIN from a Multnomah County incorporated entity is required.

   • If your organization uses a fiscal sponsor, your application must include fiscal sponsor contact information and a signed contract or memorandum of understanding from your fiscal sponsor. Fiscal sponsors must:  

     • Be headquartered within Multnomah County, Oregon.  

     • Be informed of the application to MCCC’s grant program.  

     • Provide an EIN and W-9 form.  

     • Sign a grant agreement accepting responsibility for project oversight.  

     • Receive, distribute and manage the grant funds, if awarded.

6. Provide MCCC with a W-9 form and Employer Identification Number (EIN). This is necessary to help MCCC ensure that awards will be granted in the name of an organization. Individuals are not eligible to apply.

Past Awardees

• Applicants may receive funding for a maximum of two consecutive years. After this period, you must skip one year before becoming eligible to apply again. For example, an organization funded in both 2025 and 2026 would not be eligible in 2027 and need to wait until the 2028 grant cycle to be considered for funding again.

• A final report for all previously awarded funds must be submitted before new funds can be awarded. Organizations that do not submit final reports may not be awarded additional funding.

Applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria:  

1. Eligibility: The proposal meets eligibility requirements.  

2. Feasibility (10 points): The application demonstrates clear planning and the ability to carry out the proposal. The applicant organization has the appropriate experience, qualifications, and/or community connections to successfully accomplish the work being proposed and serve its community.  

3. MCCC Goals (10 points): The project advances one or more MCCC grant goals to:  

   1. Make culture accessible and affordable to Multnomah County residents.  

   2. Promote cultural diversity.  

   3. Encourage new cultural activities.  

   4. Foster partnerships and collaborations which support the above.  

4. Equity (10 points): The project is led by and/or benefiting communities that have historically been neglected by or excluded from institutional funding for arts and culture. These communities may include but are not limited to Black and Indigenous people, communities of color and otherwise racialized communities, LGBTQIA2S+, immigrants and refugees, people living with disabilities, people  living with low incomes, people who are currently or formerly incarcerated, people experiencing houselessness, those living in rural communities, and others.  

5. Accessibility (10 points): The application shows clear planning and consideration for how to make events and projects broadly accessible and affordable including ticket price, venue location, venue ADA  compliance, ASL or other language translation, partnerships, outreach, etc.  

6. Impact (10 points): The application addresses impact for the communities served, exemplifying that the project/organization is grounded in its community with direct involvement from its constituents. A specific community need is being met by this proposal.

7. Budget (10 points): The budget reflects the proposed activities and clearly outlines the expected revenue and expenditures. We understand that the CCP grant may be only a small contribution to the overall project/program budget.

8. Support (10 points): MCCC prioritizes grantmaking for creative communities and projects that stand to gain the most from our support. We especially seek to assist smaller organizations and groups that may benefit significantly from our funding. For the 2027 grant cycle, MCCC aims to award funding such that 75% of grantees have annual operating budgets under $500k, with at least 25% of overall funded organizations having budgets under $100k.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

• A profit and loss statement from the most recently completed fiscal year (or your organization’s annual operating budget) is required. This helps MCCC panelists to understand your organization’s overall capacity and access to resources. 

• The grant panel will consider the diversity in applicants (cultural, geographic, discipline) and organization size (prioritizing smaller organizations) in the final award process.  

• MCCC staff and board will review applications to determine basic eligibility. Applicants will be notified if they are ineligible.  

• Panels made up of MCCC board members and community members (artists, culture bearers, community organization staff, etc.) will review applications. Panels will determine which applications should receive funding and forward their recommendations to the MCCC board for approval. A current list of MCCC board members can be found on our website.  

• Panelists with a conflict of interest will not be permitted to offer an opinion or score on the application in question.  

• Panels will review applications using the criteria listed below.  

• MCCC will make grants up to $3,000 based on panel recommendations and funding available. Funding will be distributed by check through the mail.  

• Applicants will be notified of the status of their application by email by January 30, 2027. Notification and information on award status can only be given after the grants process is complete. Please do not contact the MCCC about award status until after receiving official notification. 

• MCCC will no longer differentiate between types of funding requested (e.g., event/project support or capacity building), and will instead focus on each application’s alignment with CCP Grant Goals as outlined below.

1. Review the grant guidelines and application questions.

2. Starting on August 31, access the online application at racc.smapply.org.

3. Submit an online application by Monday, October 12, 2026 at 11:59pm PST.

Note: MCCC hosts its grant application on the RACC Opportunity Portal, managed by the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) via SurveyMonkey Apply. If you have not used SurveyMonkey in the past, you will need to create an account and complete the Applicant Eligibility Profile to begin your application. We suggest creating an account that is accessible to multiple members of your organization. If you have used SurveyMonkey Apply previously, your existing account can be used for this application.

Applications funded by MCCC usually share the following qualities:  

• The application demonstrates an ability to carry out the proposal by providing a clear, detailed project description of the work you want to do, the timeline, and who will participate.

• The project has a component that is accessible to the public. Projects taking place in schools or private spaces are not competitive unless the activities are for the public and include plans for outreach/marketing. 

• The application provides demographic information about the audience, staff, board and other participants in the project and organization.  

• Applications that propose to support or connect with specific cultural communities show engagement of those communities in decision-making and program development, and established relationships/partnerships with those communities.  

• Applications make it clear that project activities will take place in Multnomah County and benefit Multnomah County residents.  

• The budget narrative clearly describes reasonable and necessary expenses that will be covered (fully or partially) by CCP funds to execute or support the proposed activities. Budget Narrative examples are provided here.

• Please note that we do not frequently fund programs that take place at schools or private organizations unless they are open to the public and broadly advertised. However, programs that serve specific populations that area unable to access public arts and culture opportunities (such as people who are incarcerated) are eligible.  

  If you’d like to learn more about our past grantees and the types of projects we tend to support, or find resources to help with grant application, please visit our Resources Page.

1. Awardees must submit a Final Report in order to be considered in compliance with grant guidelines. This report will be available via MCCC’s online grant system and will be required within 20 days after the grant funds have been spent or by January 20, 2027 at the latest.  

2. It is the responsibility of the grant applicant to notify MCCC by email and in advance if possible of any major changes to the funded project or organization.  

3. Grant recipients must acknowledge the MCCC and the Oregon Cultural Trust in all marketing for the funded project. 

2026 Grant Cycle Review

For the 2026 grant cycle, MCCC set a new goal of elevating small organizations with annual operating budgets below $500,000 and $100,000.

• 146 applications received representing $438,000 in requests

• 55 organizations funded; three more than in 2025

• 51 out of 55 organizations had an operating budget below $500,000, and 30 had an operating budget below $100,000.

• Disciplines funded included performing, visual, literary, and media, cultural heritage, community events, the humanities, and more.

View the 2026 Grant Recipients

MCCC is inviting arts, culture, and community champions to serve as panelists for the 2026 Community Cultural Participation Grant Program (CCP) application review panels. The Coalition provides grants to support community-based cultural events, programs, and organizations throughout Multnomah County.

If you are a resident of Multnomah County with a passion for the local arts and culture scene, please express your interest by completing a brief Panelist Interest Form with three questions by September 30, 2026.

Volunteer community panelists will receive guidance for grant reviews and scoring, the opportunity to score 40-70 applications, meet others in the arts and culture sector, and receive a monetary stipend.

Please find more information about panelist selection and requirements on the Panelist Interest Form.