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Engagement Grants

OPEN Applications are DUE by 5 pm on February 2, 2026. Invitation to Apply.

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.


Offered: Every Summer and Winter

Opened: September 22, 2025 - Closes: 5 pm, February 2, 2026


Any Tribe, watershed council, soil and water conservation district, not-for-profit corporation, school, Oregon institution of higher education, independent not-for-profit institution of higher education, or political subdivision of this state that is not a state agency.  A state agency or federal agency may partner with an eligible entity.​​

Eligible Activities

  • Projects that communicate and engage with landowners, organizations, and the community about the need for, feasibility, and benefits of a specific restoration or acquisition opportunity. 
  • Engagement activities necessary for carrying out projects to protect or restore fish and wildlife habitat and/or natural watershed functions to improve water quality and/or stream flow, and are focused on a specific project site(s), or that support resource assessment and planning that results in the identification of a specific project site(s) will be considered.  

Ineligible Activities

Ac​tivities 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:
  • Projects whose primary purpose is educatio​n.
  • 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.
  • 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.).​​
  • 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.

Max Request: none
Required Match:​ 5%​

​After grant applications are submitted:

  1. ​OWEB staff check project eligibility in each application.
  2. Technical Review Teams (TRT) read applications and meet to review and evaluate 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, and
    2. The certainty of success of the Engagement Project, based on the organizational capacity of the applicant and the likelihood the project will meet its engagement objectives.​
  3. OWEB staff summarize TRT comments in evaluations for each project and recommend projects for funding based the OWEB Board’s spending plan.  Evaluations provide feedback to applicants and describes to the OWEB Board and the public the rationale for a funding recommendation.  Evaluations and staff recommendations are posted online.
  4. Grant awards are made by the OWEB Board or, if delegated by the Board, by the OWEB Executive Director.

Starting in 2025, applications are accepted in the Summer and Winter 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.​

Contact

Please direct questions or comments to your Regional Program Representative.

Rules

Oregon's Administrative Rules Secretary of State website