The year 2021 was a very exciting time for all of us at the Judith Ann Mogan Foundation (JAMF).  The Board of Directors and staff articulated the guiding principles that would direct our future efforts and enable us to fund our first grant cycle.  We felt it was important to begin funding community projects in 2021.

Rooted as we are in the Southwestern Oregon Coast, the Foundation’s Mission Statement grew naturally out of the realities and needs of our communities.  We identified our mission:  Develop successful citizens and vital communities. This mission statement then guided us in identifying the priority areas that the JAMF would fund for its first grant cycle:  Children and Youth Development, Forestry & Wood Products Support and Research, Enhancing Community Health Services, Poverty Alleviation, Business & Economic Development, and Convening and Gathering Places.

The needs of the Southwestern Oregon Coast communities were pressing, especially with the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.  So many projects were postponed to respond to emergency situations.  This reinforced the importance of getting JAMF’s first grant cycle out in 2021.  Exploratory meetings between the JAMF Board and local organizations were conducted to determine the specific needs in the community. These meetings provided insights on what projects were in the works, planned, and which would fall within the priority areas of the Foundation. Organizations with projects that supported JAMF’s priority areas were invited to submit an application at the end of May. A total of 31 applications from 25 organizations were received by the first week of July. After a month and a half of review, the Grant Making Committee of the Foundation approved 25 projects from 19 organizations.