1. Interested organizations contact ODFN to learn more or talk about their funding need(s). This is optional.  

2. Eligible organizations submit a funding request via a single, streamlined form. 

3. ODFN administrators review the request for basic eligibility and alignment; additional information or a brief meeting may be requested. 

4. ODFN processes the application and sends a confirmation email to the applicant organization. This generally occurs within 1-2 business days of receiving the request; often occurring same-day when there are active disasters. Important: if you have submitted a Funding Request and have not received a confirmation email within two business days, please contact info@oregondisasterfundersnetwork.org 

5. ODFN shares relevant information from the funding request with Network members. This includes adding the request to several tools, trackers and cloud-based platforms viewable by members only. Requests are also highlighted at meetings, in ODFN newsletters, through one-on-one conversations and more. Network members always have access to each applicant's completed Funding Request form. 

6. ODFN’s team fields questions from members, connects members with applicants (if and as requested), serves as a liaison between multiple funders interested in one or more requests, or simply stays out of the way until needed while grantmaker members consider submitted Funding Requests.  Members work within their respective organizations, with one another and with community applicants to leverage and coordinate resources to support needs across the disaster lifecycle. 

7. ODFN members may reach out to applicants - directly or via ODFN’s administrators -  to either invite applicants to apply through the grantmaker’s specific funding processes, to ask additional questions, or to proceed with a grant agreement and award. 

Learn more about specific elements of this process below.

Eligible nonprofits,  jurisdictions, and some government agencies are eligible applicants. Funding requests related to the lifecycle - response, recovery, prevention - of acute disasters may submit a funding request to be shared with the Network’s approximately 35 grantmaker members. 

• Funding request form can be accessed here: [LINK]

• Contact ODFN administrators if you have a question about eligibility. 

Please note: each Network member has its own internal priorities and eligibility criteria when considering whether or not to fund an organization or not.

No, not at this time. 

Occasionally, and at specific times in the past, ODFN’s infrastructure and form has been used to gather information from individuals or for-profit businesses. This has been generally limited to a specific time and geographic location to help a local nonprofit gather needs so that they can then help apply on behalf of these individuals and/or business impacted.

Yes, the Network accepts requests that are fiscally-sponsored by a qualifying, eligible applicant.

Not at all! Any eligible applicant and request can apply. No referral is required, no prerequisite is required and a relationship or past history with the Network or any of its members is not required.

Yes, we got you covered. Give us a call 503-893-2615 and we can take your information over the phone and submit your request that way, or will find another solution.

Nope! We are here if you want to chat but this is not required.

There are no strict minimum or maximum request amounts. That said, requests that tend to fare better are those within the $2,500 to $40,000 range. Average requests range from $1.000 - $250,000, with occasional outliers as large as $1M and as small as $250.  Awards vary across this scale and generally fall between $5,000 - $40,000. The average award in 2024 was $17,600.

Generally, the grantmaker(s) interested in supporting some or all of your request will contact you directly. Sometimes, grantmakers will ask ODFN to serve as a liaison or go-between to support additional information gathering, to help applicants complete a funder’s specific application or related processes, or coordinate across multiple grantmakers.  In general, though, you will be contacted via the email or phone number you provide during the application process.

ODFN Coordinators will reach out to you three months post submission to touch base on your funding request. Coordinators often, but not always, have visibility into funded requests; funders may reach out to organizations directly.

If a funder has not reached out to you directly at the three month mark, there is likely no interest in funding your request at this time. You will have the option to stay on our internal funding request tracker and other various information channels visible to Members for an additional three months, totalling six months of visibility for your request.

After six months your request will be archived and you will need to send a new and updated request to ODFN.

No - ODFN is not a fund and we do not manage a fund, nor do funds move through ODFN. ODFN provides a streamlined application process to help grantseekers and grantmakers fully leverage resources to support those impacted by disasters.

Yes. Though please note that funding is very competitive and you may be asked by Network members to state your priority or preference across one or more stated funding needs. 

Separate applications are sometimes preferred if you have two very distinct needs or are serving two distinct geographic areas or at very different time periods. Though, none of these situations require separate applications. Please contact ODFN to discuss if you are unsure.

Requests submitted via ODFN that receive full or partial support from grantmakers are incredibly diverse. In 2024, requests through ODFN that were full or partially funded stretched across 17 of Oregon’s counties and included some of the following needs:

• Water tanks for a rural fire district in an unincorporated community without a water storage system for firefighting. 

• An organization which sent staff to an evacuation site for Spanish interpretation and assisted immigrant populations unfamiliar with the fires in signing up for alerts and translation support. 

• Tourniquets for chainsaw injuries for firefighters working in wilderness areas far from hospitals.

• Food pantries which saw an increase in boxes provided due to floods and wildfires. Boxes sent to clinic, firefighters, and affected individuals.

• Warming shelters and organizations serving unhoused populations during extreme ice and cold storms.

• Animal feed and fencing needs for agricultural producers. 

• Disaster recovery case management. 

• And much more!

Possibly - it depends on which organizations are interested in funding your request and their internal processes at that time. Some require an additional application and will invite you to apply, some do not require this and may proceed directly to an award agreement and payment. For some, they may require a conversation, site visit, or more information like organization’s financials or a fiscal sponsor agreement.