Eligible events must meet the following criteria:

• take place between January 1 - January 30

• have been held in Portland for at least two years (non-consecutive or consecutive years), and will continue to be held in Portland  

• be open to the public  

• be multi-day events (days can be non-consecutive), at least two days or longer  

• have previous attendance numbers between 1,000 and 10,000 participants, and at least an average of 500 attendees per day  

• Identify a specific need or problem that grant funding can address

ELIGIBILTY NOTE:  

This grant supports public events open to a broad community audience. Conferences, conventions, political*, or religious** events are ineligible.   

 *Political events are not eligible for grant funding.  For the purposes of these guidelines, a “political event” is an event where the primary or a significant purpose of the event is to:   

• Solicit any money, influence, service or other thing of value or otherwise promote or oppose any political committee   

• Promote or oppose the appointment, nomination or election of a person to a public office   

• Promote or oppose the filing of an initiative, referendum or recall petition   

• Promote or oppose the gathering of signatures on an initiative, referendum or recall petition   

• Promote or oppose the adoption of a measure or the recall of a public office holder   

** Religious events are not eligible for grant funding.  For the purposes of these guidelines, a “religious event” is an event where the primary or a significant purpose of the event is to promote, support or engage in explicitly religious activities including, without limitation, activities that involve:   

• Overt religious content such as worship, religious instruction, or proselytization   

• Religious lectures, lessons and other religious education   

• Distribution of religious publications, films and audio materials   

• Restricting participation to persons on the basis of their religious beliefs   

An event will not be considered a “religious event” on the basis that the event sponsor is a religious organization, provided that the primary or a significant purpose of the event is not to promote, support or engage in explicitly religious activities.   

SELECTION CRITERIA

Applications are scored based on alignment with the following priorities:

• Location Investment: Applicant prioritizes areas significantly impacted by business closures or relocations, high office vacancies, and shifts in visitor and employee foot traffic.

• Creative Spirit: Event exemplifies Portland’s culture, spirit, creativity, and offers a unique experience.

• Attendance: Event attracts between 1,000 and 10,000 attendees, and a minimum average of 500 attendees per day. With the capacity to grow, prioritizes all-ages access, and demonstrates potential for expansion.

• Scaling opportunity: Applicant provides a clear plan for growth in attendance and out-of-state visitor participation.

• Impact of Support: Event shows strong potential to benefit from funding and technical assistance.