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Engagement Grants

Applications for the Fall 2024 Grants were due on October 28, 2024. Grant awards will be announced at the April 2025 board meeting.

Background

"Engagement Project" means a project whose purpose is to communicate and engage with landowners, organizations, and the community about the need for, feasibility, and benefits of a specific eligible restoration, acquisition, or resource assessment/planning project(s) within an identified geography, in order to successfully plan or implement said project. Education projects are not eligible.

Eligible Activities

To determine eligibility, project proponents should consider the outcomes of engagement projects. To qualify as necessary for restoration or acquisition, the project must be tied to a specific geography, address clearly articulated habitat or watershed or ecosystem function goals for that geography, and identify a clear path toward achieving the restoration or acquisition measurable outcomes within a reasonable and specific timeframe.

In the online application, applicants should select all activities that apply to the proposed project.

Education projects are not eligible for Engagement Grants.

Activities not directly related to efforts to protect or restore native fish or wildlife habitat or improve water quality or stream flow are ineligible. Examples of ineligible activities include:
  • Recreational activities (boating, trail riding, archery, fly tying and casting, etc.) and lessons on outdoor skills (wilderness survival, basic fire starting, wild native edibles, etc.).
  • In-classroom natural resources or environmental lessons that have no outdoor component that protects, restores, or monitors native fish or wildlife habitat or water quality/quantity.
  • Work parties (e.g., planting or pulling weeds) that do not include components to increase awareness, knowledge, or skills of participants regarding watershed restoration and protection.
  • General science fairs or symposia or other informational events not directly associated with efforts to protect, restore, or monitor native fish or wildlife habitats or water quality or stream flows.
  • Proposals that aim to increase awareness, understanding or knowledge of low-impact development or other “green” activities, but that are not associated with efforts that protect, restore, or monitor native fish or wildlife habitats or water quality or stream flows.
  • Stand-alone proposals for a website, brochure, interpretive signs, book, or other stand-alone engagement media.
  • Note: the activities in this list can be eligible only if they are part of a larger set of eligible engagement activities.​

​After grant applications are submitted:

  1. ​OWEB staff check project eligibility in each application.
  2. Review Teams read applications and may possibly ​visit proposed project sites. Review Teams meet to review applications based on criteria described in administrative rules. They recommend one of the following for each grant: a) Fund, b) Fund with conditions, c) Do not fund, or d) Defer to staff or the Board with an explanation if there is a policy issue or budget issue that needs to be addressed. Review Teams prioritize projects recommended for funding based on:
    1. How well the project meets the criteria established in OAR 695-015-0070,
    2. Certainty of project being completed successfully,
    3. Benefit to watershed function, habitat, and water quality, and
    4. Project costs relative to watershed benefits.
  3. OWEB staff summarize Review Team comments into ​evaluations and recommend projects for funding to the board. OWEB staff post ​evaluations and staff recommendations online.
  4. The OWEB Board awards grants.

Applications are accepted in the Spring and Fall of each year and are submitted entirely through our online system. Information about current grant deadlines can be found on the home page of this website.​

  1. Obtain a login (username and password).
    If your organization already has an OGMS login, skip to step 2.
    2. An OGMS login is required to access the online grant application. Only one login per organization is allowed. If no login exists for an organization, please email Leilani Sullivan to request one. Include the following in your email:
    • Organization name and address
    • Grantee Contact Information: name, title, email address, and phone number for the person who will receive all communication from OWEB and sign any grant agreements.
    • Payee Contact Information: name, email address, and phone number for the person who keeps records and submits payment requests and documentation.
    • FEIN (Federal Employer Identification Number). OWEB may enter into agreements only with legally established entities. OWEB will review potential applicants prior to creating an OGMS login.
    • Per federal guidance, all OWEB grantees must be registered at the System for Award Management (SAM) before receiving a grant agreement. Entities will received a non-proprietary identifier (called the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI).) This identifier is assigned by SAM (sam.gov​​​​​​​ is a free service) and entities must update their registration annually.​
  2. Log in to the Online Application.
    Guidance to help you fill out the application is always available in the top navigation bar of the online application. An ​application template is also available after you log in and choose "Create a New Application."

Please contact your Project Manager with questions.

Resources

Recorded Webinar about the Application for Engagement Grants.
An Application Template may be useful to plan what will be inputted into the application.
Example Projects.

Contact

Please direct questions or comments to your Regional Project Representative.

Rules

Oregon's Administrative Rules Secretary of State website