ABOUT THE PENDLETON FOUNDATION TRUST

The Pendleton Foundation Trust is a non-profit, charitable organization that was founded in May, 1928. Its purpose is to assist, encourage and promote the well-being of the citizens and inhabitants of the City of Pendleton, Oregon. In line with this purpose, it receives gifts of money and property from interested persons and organizations. In turn, it invests this money and property and receives and expends the income produced by this money and property annually for the benefit of the City of Pendleton and its inhabitants.

 A Foundation Board of Directors, consisting of seven local citizens, operates as the governing body of the Pendleton Foundation Trust. The board solicits proposals in order to decide how to disburse to worthy organizations or agencies, for worthwhile projects, the distributable income that has accrued from the trust funds the previous year. Applications submitted by April 1st will be considered by the Board of Directors at their meeting in April. Applications on hand by October 1st will be considered by the Board of Directors at their meeting in October.

 Funding Focus

• Grants support civic, educational, or charitable projects that assist, encourage, and promote the well-being of Pendleton residents regardless of race, color, or creed.
• Board discretion favors tangible or capital improvement projects that serve the community and benefit the citizens of Pendleton in alignment with the Foundation’s mission.
• Purchasing project materials and services from Pendleton merchants is encouraged.
• Grants cannot be used for general operating budgets.

Eligibility

• Must be a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization or a subdivision of a governmental agency or have an approved fiscal sponsor that meets this eligibility.
• Projects must benefit Pendleton residents.
• Applicants who have previously received funding from the Pendleton Foundation Trust must have completed all prior grant projects and submitted the required reports.

Application Process and Requirements

• Two competitive grant cycles annually.
• Deadlines: April 1 and October 1, submitted via the Submittable online portal. Applications will open two months prior to each deadline.
• An itemized budget reflecting income and expenses for the requested project is required.
• Two competitive bids for capital expenditures are required. Please contact us prior to applying if you are having difficulty achieving this requirement. 
• A current operating budget is required for the applicant's organization. 
• Financial statements are required for all applicant organizations for the most current completed fiscal year.
• Incomplete applications will not be considered.
• Applications received by the deadline will be reviewed and considered for award by the Board of Directors at their April or October board meeting. Site visits may be requested.
• Award decisions will be announced generally within one month of application deadlines.

Post Award Requirements

• Funds must be used only for the specified purpose requested and awarded.
• Unless approved by the Foundation board, projects must be completed within one year of funding, and a Grant Report Form with receipts and a project photo submitted. Funds not used must be returned to the Foundation.
• Acknowledgement of the Pendleton Foundation Trust must be made by the display of plaque or other means to promote the impact of Foundation funds in the community.

 Questions regarding your application? Please reach out to Executive Director Tiffany Hegarty 541-208-0300 or thegarty@pendletonfoundationtrust.org.

The following Pendleton Foundation Trust scholarships are accessed through ONE application, due March 1st:

Pendleton Foundation Trust - FISK AWARD 

$6,000.00 scholarship payable over 2 years.

Jiggs and Maxine Fisk were long time residents of the Pendleton area who were very interested in their community. Upon their death, they gave money to the Pendleton Foundation Trust to fund a scholarship for a Pendleton High School graduate. The Scholarship is awarded to a graduating Pendleton High School senior with at least a 3.0 GPA, in recognition of their academic achievements and involvement in activities. The $6,000.00 scholarship is known as the Pendleton Foundation Trust Fisk Memorial Scholarship. The award will be paid $3,000.00 the first year, and renewable for $3,000.00 paid the second year of higher education upon review of satisfactory academic progress.      Pendleton Foundation Trust - Lee and Luella Dudek Memorial Scholarship 

Two scholarship awards of $2,500.00 each, renewable for a second year.

Lee and Luella Dudek left a scholarship fund to help Pendleton students with higher education.  This new scholarship is in the amount of $2,500.00. It will be renewable for a second year award of $2,500.00, depending on recipients maintaining at least a 2.25 GPA and full-time enrollment with an accredited college.   

Pendleton High School Alumni Scholarship

$2,500, renewable for three years, up to $10,000.

The Pendleton High School Alumni Scholarship was established in 2023 with a generous donation by the Beebe-Wilson Trust under the leadership of Class of 1979 graduates Ron Beebe and Tami Walkup. PHS graduates who attend accredited colleges, community colleges or technical schools with the intention of earning a two-year certificate or four-year degree are eligible for the scholarship. A GPA of 3.0 or higher is preferred, however a 2.5 GPA may be considered. Renewal of scholarship each year is dependent on satisfactory academic progress. 

 General Information:

1. These awards are open to Pendleton High School students graduating in June with an accumulative grade point average of 3.00 or better (2.5 GPA and above may be considered for the Pendleton Alumni Scholarship).

2. The following information is required for the application: GPA and PHS transcript through 1st semester of senior year, colleges being considered and status, SAT and/or ACT scores if applicable, and extracurricular activities.

3. Essay questions are included in the application (500 word limit each): 1) Describe your goals; 2) Describe a class you found challenging. What made it difficult, and what steps did you take to address those challenges? What did you learn from the experience? 

4. Income or savings are not a factor in this selection.

5. Other scholarships received will not be considered in the selection.

6. Any number of candidates may be interviewed during the selection process. Applicants will be notified if they are selected for an interview by March 31st.

7. Scholarships are payable to the College Financial Office for the student's account.

8. All information submitted by the applicant is considered confidential by the Pendleton Foundation Trust.