The Oregon Department of Human Services is looking for proposals to improve the quality of life for elderly people and those with disabilities across the state.
It will allocate $3 million to the projects, hoping to reach a broad array of the population, including those who have difficulty accessing services. Two-thirds of the money will be for projects geared towards racially, ethnically and linguistically diverse populations along with LGBTQ and rural communities.
“We hope to reach as many people as possible,” said Elisa Williams, a spokeswoman at the Department of Human Services. “The exact number depends on the number and scope of the proposals that are submitted.”
According to U.S. Census estimates for 2021, there are 772,000 people aged 65 and older in Oregon and 420,000 younger than 65 with disabilities. Those populations are expected to grow, increasing medical costs and the need for more services.
The department is sponsoring a webinar next Tuesday, April 26, to help organizations apply for funding.
The agency is interested in projects from groups that:
- Serve a cultural community and are primarily staffed by members of the community;
- Know about the impact of structural racism and discrimination;
- Are aware of barriers residents face obtaining services and how those barriers affect programs and services; and,
- Can describe the community’s cultural practices, beliefs and traditions and show how their services have been adopted to honor those traditions.
This is the second funding round for the Innovation Fund program. In the first one in 2014, the department allocated $2.3 million to nine organizations – from $350,000 to Volunteers of America Oregon in Portland to $27,000 to the city of Sandy for dental and health services.
A review of the funding by a capstone team of masters of business administration students at the University of Oregon found that it was not well managed by the department. They said the agency “lacked clarity” about how projects were picked and did not ensure that they were sustainable.
Williams said the department is making accountability part of the application process by asking applicants to describe how they will be able to maintain their projects over time, how they align with the needs of the community and how they will hold their organization accountable for achieving their goals.
Projects will be selected based on the commitments made in the proposal and selected on a competitive basis, the department said. Applicants have 18 days or until May 10 to apply.
By Lynne Terry of Press Partner Oregon Capital Chronicle
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