Willamette class selects local food, sustainability organizations for $66,000 in grants

A class at Willamette University’s Atkinson Graduate School of Management will present grants for a total of $66,085 to four Salem-area nonprofits as part of a 9-year long partnership with United Way of the Mid-Willamette Valley.

In the year-long class, called Philanthropic Investment for Community Impact, 14 students managed funds and decided together what organizations to provide them to based on an application process and careful examination of their community impact, said Jacob Hesse, a student in the class.

The class will provide $15,000 to Silverton Area Community Care, $17,955 to Oregon Garden Foundation, $18,130 to Horses of Hope and $15,000 to Yamhill County Gospel Rescue Mission. There will be a formal ceremony to present the funding to the organizations on Tuesday, April 15, at 6 p.m. on the third floor of the Putnam University Center at Willamette University. 

The class selects different criteria for applicants to meet every year, and it has chosen to provide funding for “food, animals and natural sustainability” this year, Hesse said. 

Students initially reached out to approximately 300 nonprofits in Marion, Polk and Yamhill counties and out of those that showed interest, the class selected around 20 as potential grantees, he said. Twelve completed a full application, which includes information about their work, financials, leadership and other management information. After completing site visits and learning more about the organizations, the class narrowed the list to four. 

Students presented their decision to the board of United Way earlier this year, which then agreed to raise the funding from the initial $50,000 to $66,085.

Carlotta Alverson, a Willamette alumna who also works as an insurance defense trial attorney, and Ron Hays, former president of the Marion Polk Food Share and former chief executive officer of United Way of the Mid-Willamette Valley, teach the class. Alverson helps the class think strategically and have productive discussions with applicants, while Hays, “the superman of the community you didn’t know,” brings valuable nonprofit expertise, Hesse said. 

“They’re the two of the most awesome human beings I’ve ever known,” Hesse said.

The instructors are training students to gain useful skills in the nonprofit world and are very grateful for United Way for making the class possible, Alverson said.

Apart from gaining valuable skills in funding management, making professional connections and delving into the nonprofit sector, the class has also allowed Hesse to make friendships “for my entire life,” he said.
“I got to know them, they got to know me. We’ve all had these wonderful dialogues.”

Community impact

Silverton Area Community Aid, one of the organizations that will receive funding from the class, operates a food bank and provides financial assistance in the Silverton area and the Silver Falls School District. The money will allow the organization to operate the pantry for about a month and help low income families “stretch their benefits” to access affordable food at the grocery store, said Roger Fuhrman, the development and communications manager.

The money is especially needed after Marion Polk Food Share, which previously provided about half of the food distributed by Silverton Area Community Aid, announced cuts to food distribution caused by decreased federal food distribution, Fuhrman said. Last year, Marion Polk Food Share provided 241,834 pounds of food to Silverton Area Community Aid and the number of visits to the Silverton pantry increased by 16%, he said.

Yamhill County Gospel Rescue, a Christian shelter and pantry in McMinnville, will also use the funds to continue providing food and other basic services to low income families, according to Hesse. 

Oregon Garden Foundation, located in Silverton, will use the money to remove aggressive and invasive plant species, improve pond aeration and circulation and allow the facility to “better serve as wildlife habitat, water treatment and as an educational opportunity,” said Delen Kitchen, director of operations, in an email.

The application process was quick and straightforward, she said. The students were able to visit the garden and inquire in person about the impact of the funds. “The garden speaks for itself,” Kitchen said.

“It can’t be overstated how important grants like this are to our organization. The ability to make these improvements will have a long-lasting impact on the performance of this space and our ability to effectively communicate the garden’s mission to our guests,” she said.

Horses of Hope, located south of Salem along Interstate 5, serves people with cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, post traumatic stress disorder, developmental disabilities and other conditions by allowing them to care for and ride horses. It will use the money to care for adult horses and give them “a really good last half of their life” with electromagnetic blankets and muscle therapy, Hesse said. The therapy is expensive, but “these horses, which may be doing a lot of walking, are to be able to get a little more relaxation,” he said.

The class, which some MBA candidates at Willamette take in their second year as an elective, started out nine years ago and has since distributed over 55 grants totaling more than $1 million to organizations in Marion, Polk, and Yamhill counties, according to Hesse.

Contact reporter Alan Cohen: [email protected].

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