Charitable Giving

The Irvington Community Association (ICA) is proud to be able to give back to our community. The Charitable Giving Program of the ICA has been in place since 1992 and is managed by a committee of the ICA Board. The Oregon Community Foundation advised the ICA Board on the setup of the program and the guidelines for giving.  The guidelines are oriented toward serving the needs of the young people and seniors in our neighborhood.

The program's success is completely dependent upon the success of the the annual Irvington Home Tour.  Thank you to all who organize, manage, and work on the Home Tour Committee. Thank you to all the homeowners who offer their homes for the tour and the volunteers who staff the tour.  None of these awards would be possible without the efforts of these dedicated individuals.

Selection Guidelines

The ICA follows five basic guidelines when selecting organizations to fund through its charitable giving program:

  1. To nurture our children and youth — Our priorities are to help parents build skills for successful child rearing, to improve the quality of child care, to provide positive experiences for youth that will stimulate curiosity and contribute to a sense of self-worth, and to make excellent, challenging education available to all our young people. 

  2. To promote a high quality of life for our elderly citizens — Our priorities are to give older residents opportunities to enrich their lives, to help elders and their families adapt to new life situations caused by aging and to improve the quality of long-term care available for the elderly. 

  3. To improve life for the disadvantaged — Our priorities are to assist the poor, the physically challenged, and those in crisis — to help them improve their lives and achieve long term self-sufficiency. 

  4. To enrich community life through cultural, artistic, athletic and educational awareness — Our priorities are to expand cultural and community education opportunities for our diverse population and to increase the self-sufficiency of enrichment organizations. 

  5. To foster an informed and involved citizenry — Our priorities are to help Irvington residents, including young people, to become effective leaders, to promote community problem solving through training, and to involve diverse groups of people in mutual problem solving.

2025 Award Recipients

The budget for this year’s Grant process was $21,000.

Beaumont Middle School - $500

  • Sought funds for speakers and performers at assemblies as well as to offset costs for community building activities.

Grant High School All Night Party - $1,500

  • Yearly Senior Party for graduating seniors which provides a safe environment for them to celebrate.

Grant High School PTA - $1,000

  • Sought support for PTA’s classroom grant program which assists with courses, such as the Culinary Program, Grant Magazine, Writers in Schools Program, Leadership Class, 4-Star Hunger Project and PTA Clothing Closet.

Grant High School Royal Blues - NEW! - $1,500

  • Though part of Grant High School, they rely entirely on fundraising. Sought support for music, accompanist and competition fees, travel expenses, performance robes and attire, and tour costs for students unable to pay.

Hancock Preschool - $250

  • Sought  help with expenses related to improving the facilities and equipment.  

Harriet Tubman Middle School - $2,000

  • Sought to expand its family and community engagement efforts.

Irvington Elementary School - $1,500

  • Sought to replace an outdoor basketball backboard that had shattered after PPS refused to replace it.

Irvington Extended Day (IED) - NEW! - $1,750

  • Sought support for full tuition waivers for students whose families faced financial hardship to provide access to safe, enriching aftercare.

Irvington Cooperative Preschool - $250

  • Sought help with ongoing operating expenses such as rent. 

Jefferson High School PTSA - $500

  • Sought help with the annual Jefferson Senior Celebration which provides hoodies to commemorate that special moment in their lives. 

Jefferson High School Sista for Sista - NEW! - $1,500

  • Sought help with a group which provided positive experiences and connections with other girls and promoted healthy ways to resolve conflict.

Kinship House - $1,500

  • Based in Irvington, sought funding for therapy, advocacy, and psychiatric services for children in foster and adoptive care.

Meals on Wheels - $1,000

  • Sought support for their Martin Luther King Center to develop diverse menus with high-quality ingredients that accommodate various dietary needs and cultural preferences and provide social opportunities to address loneliness for older adults.

Metropolitan Family Service - $2,500

  • Support Project Linkage which provides free transportation services to primarily low-income older adults and people with disabilities so that they may continue to live independently.

Northeast Community Child Development Center (NCCDC) - $1,000

  • Sought to replace classroom materials and outdoor supplies that are old and worn.

Sabin Elementary School - $500

  • Sought help supplementing staffing reductions  in the SUN programming to offer free enrichment opportunities to students such as Spanish and Literacy Tutoring.

Store to Door - $2,500

  • Sought funding for volunteer recruitment and training to deliver groceries and medication, provide social connection, as well as free food box deliveries so that homebound seniors and adults with disabilities can live independently.

Grant Applications

The 2025 Application window is closed.

The Grant application window opens during the month of March with award decisions occurring in April.

The program has defined criteria for eligibility:

  • a recipient must be either a public school or a 503© organization under federal IRS rules

  • a recipient must either operate within or be headquartered within the boundaries of the Irvington Neighborhood

  • the request must meet at least one of the selection guidelines (see above)

If your school or organization is eligible, please email charitablegiving@irvingtonpdx.com to be placed on the contact list for the next time it opens.

Contact

To learn more about our Charitable Giving program, or to apply for a grant, please email charitablegiving@irvingtonpdx.com