Grants

Through the generosity of our donors and partners, Blue Mountain Community Foundation connects charitable resources with the people and organizations creating meaningful change throughout our communities. Explore current grant opportunities and discover how we can help bring your project to life.

New applicants need to create a new account (instructions here or video here). If you have previously applied for a grant through the grant portal, please login or use the “forgot my password” reset button.

Update Contact information Click Here to Apply

To learn more about grant opportunities, contact us at 509-529-4371 or email us here.

BMCF Grant Eligibility

To be eligible for a grant, applicants must be a registered 501(c)3, church, or public agency. If interested parties are not one of these an appropriate and eligible fiscal sponsor must be identified.

2026 Application Information:

Grant Opportunity	Open Date	Close Date	Decision	Counties Served	Cycle
Walla Walla County Community Grants	August 1	August 31	Mid-November	Walla Walla County	annual
Milton-Freewater, Athena, Weston Community Grants	August 1	August 31	Mid-November	Milton-Freewater, Athena and Weston	annual
Garfield County Forever Fund	February 1	February 28	Early April	Garfield	annual
Warren Community Action Fund	February 15	March 15	Early June	Waitsburg, Columbia County	annual
Dayton/Columbia County, WA Fund	March 9	April 10	Early June	Columbia	annual
Columbia County Habitat Project Fund	TBD	TBD	TBD	Columbia	biennial
Stubblefield Foundation Grant Program	All year	All year		Umatilla, Walla Walla, Garfield, Columbia	ongoing
Unforeseen Needs Grant	All year	All year	Rolling basis	Umatilla, Walla Walla, Garfield, Columbia	ongoing

Investing in Stronger Communities

Blue Mountain Community Foundation is committed to strengthening our communities through strategic grantmaking. Each year, we invest in nonprofit organizations, schools, municipalities, and community groups working to improve quality of life across our region.

Whether supporting arts and culture, education, health and human services, environmental stewardship, community development, or other charitable initiatives, our grant programs help local organizations turn ideas into impact.

Grant Opportunities

BMCF administers a variety of competitive grant programs established by generous donors, charitable funds, and community partners. Funding opportunities vary throughout the year and may support:

General operating support
Program and project expenses
Capital improvements
Capacity-building initiatives
Special community needs and opportunities

More Details:

Each grant program has its own eligibility requirements, funding priorities, and application deadlines; see the sections below for more specific information.

Application Deadline	Funding Focus	Grant Amount
August 31	General Operating Support	Requests up to $20,000

Eligibility

Local or regional organizations providing services in one or more of the following counties: Walla Walla County.
501(c)3 public charities
Private operating foundations
Religious organizations with a 501(c)3 determinations letter from the IRS
Municipalities with specific public purposes, including Native American tribal governments

Organizations not described above must apply through a fiscal sponsor

Application Deadline	Funding Focus	Grant Amount
August 31	General Operating Support	Up to $10,000

Eligibility

Local or regional organizations providing services in one or more of the following areas: Milton-Freewater, Athena and Weston, Oregon.
501(c)3 public charities
Private operating foundations
Religious organizations with a 501(c)3 determinations letter from the IRS
Municipalities with specific public purposes, including Native American tribal governments

Organizations not described above must apply through a fiscal sponsor

Application Deadline	Funding Focus	Grant Amount
March 15	Health, Education, Basic Human Needs, Children & Youth, Agricultural Education & Training, Historic Preservation, Scientific Programs, Arts & Recreation, and the Environment	As funds allow

Eligibility

Local or regional organizations providing services in one or more of the following counties: Dayton, Columbia County and northern Walla Walla County, particularly Waitsburg.
501(c)3 public charities
Public Agencies & Religious organizations with a 501(c)3 determinations letter from the IRS
Requests for support for capital, project or program, and general operating support will be considered

Of particular interest are projects and organizations about which there is consensus in the community, demonstrated by financial and other support received from additional sources.

The Warren Community Action Fund is a project of the extended Warren Family to honor parents Robert and Nadine Warren.

Application Deadline	Funding Focus	Grant Amount
February 28	Health & Wellness or General Operating Support	As funds allow

Eligibility

Local or regional organizations providing services in Garfield County
501(c)3 public charities
Public Agencies & Religious organizations with a 501(c)3 determinations letter from the IRS

A portion of grants distributed through the Forever Fund are earmarked for cemeteries in Garfield County.

Application Deadline	Funding Focus	Grant Amount
April 10	Social & Economic Enhancement of Columbia County	As funds allow

Eligibility

Local or regional organizations providing services in Dayton/Columbia County
501(c)3 public charities
Public Agencies & Religious organizations with a 501(c)3 determinations letter from the IRS

The Dayton/Columbia County Washington Fund was started in 2004 by several Columbia County citizens.

Eligibility

The Clara & Art Bald & Mary Garner Esary Trusts Unforeseen Needs Grant Program is designed to provide financial assistance to nonprofit organizations facing unforeseen crises that threaten their operations and service delivery. The program aims to ensure these organizations can continue serving their communities during times of emergency. The Program will accept grant applications on a year-round basis.

The following situations do not count as “unforeseen needs” and are therefore not eligible for a grant from this Program:

A shortfall in operational funding
A fundraising campaign (such as a capital campaign) that has failed to reach its goal
Failure to receive a large grant for which the organization had applied
- Unless the failure to receive the grant will create an immediate short-term disruption in the organization’s services and the organization has a credible long-term plan to stabilize its operations

Note: The Stubblefield Foundation distributes the bulk of its annual grants through participants of BMCF’s annual Community Grants Program, which accepts applications each August and distributes awards in November. Specifically, the Stubblefield Foundation will review all grant applications made through BMCF’s Community Grants Program and award the majority of its annual grants in response to those applications. This means that a nonprofit seeking a grant from Stubblefield Foundation for annual program or operating support or an upcoming campaign, should apply through the BMCF Community Grants Program, not through a separate Stubblefield Foundation grant program.

Recognizing that many organizations face evolving or unforeseen needs, the Foundation offers year-round support through the Stubblefield Foundation Grant Program. This ongoing program allows nonprofits to request funding for unexpected or urgent needs at any time via BMCF’s online grant portal.

Preview the application here.

Application Deadline	Funding Focus	Grant Amount
Not Applicable	Unforeseen Needs	As funds allow

Eligibility

501(c)3 public charities
Private operating foundations
Nonprofits & Certain Governmental Entities

Applications are evaluated based on narrative responses and organizational budgets. Certain purposes and organizations are ineligible for funding.

Before You Apply

We encourage applicants to carefully review each funding opportunity to determine eligibility and alignment with program goals. Application guidelines, deadlines, and required materials are available within each grant program’s description.

Organizations should be prepared to provide:

Current organizational information
Project or program details

Budget information
Supporting documentation, as required

Using the Grant Portal

New Applicants

Applications are submitted through our online grant portal. The portal allows organizations to:

Review available funding opportunities
Submit applications electronically
Track application status
Complete grant reports and follow-up requirements

Ready to get started? Visit our Grant Portal to view current opportunities and apply online.

Current Grantees

If your organization has received funding from Blue Mountain Community Foundation, reporting requirements and grant-specific information can be found through the grant portal.

Current grantees may use the portal to:

Submit required reports
Update organizational information
Communicate with foundation staff
Access grant records and documentation

Questions?

Our team is here to help. If you have questions about eligibility, funding opportunities, or the application process, please contact us before submitting your application. We are happy to discuss your project and help identify the most appropriate funding opportunity.