Three Rivers Foundation Awards $1.1 Million To More Than 100 Oregon Non-profits

FLORENCE, OR – The Three Rivers Foundation, established by the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians as the charitable arm of its Three Rivers Casino Resort, awarded $1.1 million in funding to 117 organizations in Oregon. With nearly ten thousand non-profits operating in Oregon, funding is crucial. The foundation received a major increase in applications this year, allowing it to grant 62 nonprofits first-time grant funding.

“It makes my heart feel good,” said Doug Barrett, Tribal Council member. “It feels good getting to see what these organizations are doing with the money, whether it be the food banks, helping the youth through their struggles, whatever the money goes, it is pretty awesome.”

The Three Rivers Foundation supports innovative ideas, collaborative approaches and grassroots efforts in education, health, public safety, problem gambling, the arts, the environment, cultural activities and historic preservation. Several members of the Tribal Council were present at a February 16 luncheon at the Florence Casino held to honor the grant recipients.

“When I have a rough time throughout the year, I think of [the] positive energy that’s going on in this room [today] – helping the community, bringing the community together, and strengthening it,” said Chief Doc Slyter, Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians. “What a positive thing to do.”

The Cascades Raptor Center was one of the 117 non-profits to receive funding. The foundation awarded the popular center $10,000 to expand its educational programming.

“Now we will be able to serve more communities, rural communities who don’t have the means to rent buses or make it to the raptor center for education,” said Jennifer Monegan, Senior Development Officer Cascades Raptor Center. “It’s such an incredible gift to the community from the Three Rivers Foundation.”

Children’s Repertory Of Oregon Workshops (C.R.O.W.) received $21,000. It will use the funding to support its main stage musical, The SpongeBob Musical.

“It’s amazing, and we are so grateful for the funding,” said Melanie Heard, founder of C.R.O.W. “The Three Rivers Foundation is incredible. They do so much for the community; every need has been met and is truly touching. The arts are really important, and it was very special that the Three Rivers Foundation recognized that.”

Boys and Girls Club of Western Lane County received $25,000. It plans on using the grant to fund its outside healthy habitat for its kids and teens to use in the cold and rainy winter and spring months. “There’s a lot of rain here and our kids are stuck inside a lot and so we don’t have gym space at our facility or anywhere close by that they can go,” said Vanessa Buss, CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of Western Lane County. “We are so very grateful that we have Three Rivers Casino here in Florence to help support the work that we do as a community.”

Organizations that received grant money are as follows: