In a marked shift from past Cultural Trust grant making, grant making for Oregon’s 36 county and five tribal cultural coalitions will shift from an August – July fiscal year system to a new calendar year cycle.

Beginning in 2013, each county and tribal cultural coalition that received a Trust grant in September will evaluate and award grant applications before the following spring.

The projects can start any time after January 1 of 2014 and must be finished by December 31. The coalitions will then have until January 31 of 2015 to send final reports to the Trust.

Trust Manager, Kimberly Howard explained the major reason for the shift: “There were projects in May that had to be completed by August and summer time projects that needed a full 18 months’ planning to apply for a coalition grant. This transition, while, challenging in the short term, will help ensure that cultural coalition projects have a full calendar year to be completed.”

Eva Calgagno, who handles grant making for the Cultural Coalition of Washington County (CCWC), said the transition was originally, “a big shock for us – to think about doing two cycles in 2013 (Summer and Winter).” But, she also said FY14 was an anomaly from which positive changes occurred. “We picked up some new applicants,” said Calgagno, “and we didn’t lose anyone.”

Dan Cannon, Wheeler County Cultural Coalition Chair, says his group, which is spread between Mitchell, Dayville and Spray, each 50-plus miles apart and difficult to traverse in winter, will transition more slowly. “We’ll convene in early 2014 and award the grants in April,” he said. The cycle still works for his county because summer events comprise so many of the grant applications. “The events are happening between April and August, so final reporting shouldn’t be a problem,” said Cannon.

In Wasco County, the coalition had already recognized the benefit of grant making on a calendar cycle. Wasco County Cultural Coalition Chair Corliss Marsh explained, “You tell people they have to use it in 2014. That’s it. It makes it easier for us.” The new cycle also makes coalition grants more accessible to education programs. “A lot of schools host summer events,” said Marsh, “and they had trouble reporting on a July-June timeline because of summer break and reports due in September.”

The new system allowed CCWC to make several new grants that reflect the cultural diversity of Washington County. December 2013 grantees included Mai3M, Inc. for an Indian Dance Festival; Pacific University’s Gender Equity Center, for Voices of Africa; Music in Small Places’ Exploration of Japanese Music; ISing Choir’s Christmas in France, and Ka’ Ana ‘Ike Aka ‘Ohana Foundation’s Hawaiian Immersion Camp. “Summer festivals, schools, and camps definitely benefit,” said Calgagno.

The competitive cycle of Cultural Development grants will not change from its current August-July calendar, with a mid-February to mid-May application process and a May-July evaluation process.