She Flies Community Grant

She Flies is an initiative under the Sport Oregon Foundation umbrella to support, engage, and celebrate girls and women’s participation in sports across Oregon. 

At Sport Oregon, we believe sport is for all - all body types, all races, all ages, all income levels. Our Oregon state motto is “She Flies With Her Own Wings”, and through She Flies we want to foster safe community spaces where all who identify as girls and women have an opportunity to use sports to take flight into the many positive benefits of sports participation. We also want to feed communities of encouragement and support to get active or stay active, and grow spaces to connect with like-minded peers to build an even more inclusive and impactful sports community across Oregon. 

The She Flies Community Grant, an initiative of the Sport Oregon Foundation, supports nonprofits registered as a 501(c)(3) with tax-exempt status from the IRS, that are located in Oregon or are serving communities in Oregon. 

Check back for details on the 2026 Community Grant Cycle.

 2025 She Flies Community Grant Recipients

  • Established in 2011, Active Children Portland (ACP) is dedicated to transforming the lives of underserved K-8 youth through education, health awareness, and community engagement. Our mission is to provide equitable access to after-school programming that integrates academic enrichment, physical wellness, and mentorship that empowers youth to build healthy, vibrant communities. We envision a future where all children, regardless of socio-economic status or background, have access to opportunities that foster growth, belonging, and success. To advance our mission and ensure access, all programming is at zero cost to the children and their families, eliminating financial barriers to participation.  

  • We provide children and adults with physical disabilities and visual impairments with opportunities for health, recreation, and competition through sports. Our programs endeavor to improve the quality of life for those experiencing disability. Through sports and recreation, we are opening doors to healthy lifestyles and supporting the development of essential life skills including self-confidence, grit, and resiliency.  text goes here

  • Girls on the Run Greater Oregon leverages the power of physical activity, mentorship, and positive connections to equip girls for healthy, empowered futures. Each year, volunteer coaches guide 1,400 girls across twelve counties through lessons that combine movement and social-emotional skill building. Girls on the Run instills a growth mindset, with girls learning what it means to find their own “happy pace” and setting their own goals – running or walking more each week. The season culminates with a celebratory 5K, a tangible example of accomplishment through perseverance.   

  • PCFC's mission is to provide access, belonging, and opportunity through high-quality soccer for low-income and historically underserved youth, ages 6-18. Our model is to support overall health for the whole family. We offer wraparound services focusing on social-emotional wellness, educational support, nutrition support, and coach mentorship. 
     
    We believe that soccer brings people from all backgrounds of diversity together, allowing us to meet our families where they are. We utilize soccer as an engagement tool to build trusted relationships with youth and families and connect them to these wraparound services. Our goal is to establish a safe environment for youth to explore, gain confidence, and be their whole selves on and off the field. 

  • development nonprofit located in St. Johns, Portland. Since 1996, PT&E has fostered lifelong well-being through play, learning, and connection. 

    At the heart of PT&E’s work is a tuition-free, year-round program that supports youth and their families with a holistic approach combining academic support, tennis and fitness, life skills, and family engagement. The majority of students are from North Portland, identify as BIPOC, and come from multilingual households, receiving over 1,000 hours of support annually. 

    Beyond youth programs, PT&E offers inclusive, low-cost tennis and pickleball classes for the public, with a focus on welcoming communities historically excluded from racquet sports. Every dollar earned through public programming directly funds PT&E’s nonprofit mission. 

  • Rose City Rebels Softball is a volunteer-run organization dedicated to providing affordable, competitive softball opportunities for girls in Oregon from middle school through high school. Our mission is to bridge the gap between Little League and club softball—developing players' skills, building confidence, and fostering a lifelong love for the game in an inclusive and supportive environment. 

  • Rose City Rollers (RCR) serves over 500 girls, women, and gender-expansive individuals, ages 7-63+, who want to play the team sport of roller derby, connect with an inclusive community, and realize their power both on skates and off! Radical inclusivity and accessibility to their community and sport are crucial pillars for RCR, offering a scholarship program (prioritizing BIPOC & trans applicants), a free gear rental library open to all, world-class coaches, a mobile skate truck (SkateMobile) that co-hosts free skating opportunities for thousands of underserved youth across PDX, and so much more! Learn more at rosecityrollers.com

  • SO Derby is a flat track roller derby league based in the heart of Southern Oregon's Rogue Valley. We are a grassroots, member-driven derby organization which offers and fosters empowerment through athletic and creative outlets. Through the development of our Pear Blossoms junior's program, SO Derby aims to develop the athletic skills, teamwork, and confidence of its junior league members in a fun, supportive, and safe environment. 

  • Special Olympics Oregon empowers children and adults with intellectual disabilities through the transformative power of sport. We provide year-round training and competition in Olympic-style sports, helping more than 5,000 participants across the state build physical fitness, confidence, life skills, and lasting friendships. Our programs foster inclusion, celebrate ability, and create a supportive community where everyone belongs. 

  • Toe 2 Toe Youth Training Center is more than a fitness facility—we are a movement dedicated to building strong, confident youth by way of sport and fitness. Our mission is to keep youth active, build self-confidence, and promote a lifelong commitment to health and wellness. Serving individuals from 6 to 24, we use boxing as a foundation to teach agility, balance, and strength. 

  • Wildwood Running is committed to guide, empower, connect coaches and young female runners.  Through camps, clinics and workshops we provide education on mental health, puberty, nutrition, menstrual health and building confidence. 

Grant seeking organizations must align with one of the following focus areas to be considered:

Keeping Girls in the Game

Girls are twice as likely than boys to drop out of sports participation by age 14.

She Flies supports community programs that are specifically working to keep girls ages 10-16 active (i.e. a summer camp, sports tournament, after school clinic).


Empowering Women Coaches

Coaches have the power to keep girls in the game. Less than 30% of youth sports coaches are women.

She Flies supports community programs that are specifically working to educate and empower a community of coaches or officials that work with girls and women (i.e. professional development, trainings, workshops).


Fit for Life

Fitness is a lifelong journey. Among adults, men are twice as likely as women to report that they “play sports.”

She Flies supports community programs that specifically work to keep women of all ages engaged in healthy physical and mental wellness activities and to help them re-discover the positive benefits of activity later on in life (i.e. Zumba classes for seniors, wellness series for incarcerated women, running club for mothers).

Grant Guidelines

  • Applicant Eligibility

    • Organizations must be Oregon-based and/or serve Oregon communities.

    • Organizations must be certified as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code and not classified as a private foundation under Section 509(a) of that Code.

    • Organizations must have an operating budget that does not exceed $5,000,000.

    • Previous recipients of the She Flies Community Grant are eligible to re-apply for up to three consecutive years.

  • Program Eligibility

    • The She Flies Community Grant is a programmatic-based grant. Applicants must apply to fund a specific program or project that aligns with the She Flies mission. Applications seeking general operating support or for re-granting purposes are not eligible for consideration.

    • Programs must serve girls and/or women in the state of Oregon.

    • Programs must align with one of the following She Flies focus areas: Keeping Girls in the Game, Empowering Women Coaches, Fit for Life.

    • Applicants may request a grant amount between $5,000 and $25,000 to fund the specified program.

  • Required Documentation

    • Organization budget for the most recently completed fiscal year.

    • Project or program budget related to the grant request, including revenue, expenditures, and how the funding will be applied.

    • Most recent annual report.

  • Ineligibility

    Ineligible Applicants

    • Organizations that discriminate against certain groups or individuals in the delivery of programs and services on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity, age, sexual orientation, disability, or political affiliation.

    • Individuals (including scholarships, stipends, fellowships, and individual assistance).

    • Individual schools or PTO/PTA organizations. Organizations may be affiliated with a school, but they must operate independently of the school.

    • Political organizations.

  • Ineligibility

    Ineligible Programs

    • Research projects.

    • Sponsorship or fundraising events.

    • Support for elite or private sports camps, programs, or teams.

    • Capital projects.

    • Endowment funds, memorials, budget deficits, or fundraising activities.

    • Projects and events that occur prior to the 2025 She Flies Grant disbursement date (June 1, 2025).

  • Grantee Expectations

    • Grantees are expected to use the funds within one year of receiving the funds (between June 2025 and May 2026).

    • All grant recipients will be invited to accept an award at the Fuel the Future gala on May 9, 2025. Grantees must have one (1) leadership representative attend the gala and celebration ceremony on May 9, 2025.

    • Recipients will be expected to complete a short impact report at the end of the year. Recipients will receive information about the format of the report in their grant agreement.

SHE FLIES Community Grant FAQ

  • Grant applicants may apply for one grant type (Keeping Girls in the Game, Empowering Women Coaches, Fit for Life) per year.

  • Grant funding is limited to programmatic support.

  • All applications will be reviewed and selected by the Oregon Community Foundation and the SHE FLIES Community Grant Review Committee. The committee will be made up of a diverse group of individuals such as Sport Oregon employees, board members, sponsors, and local community leaders.

  • Previous recipients of the She Flies Community Grant are eligible to re-apply for up to three consecutive years.

  • Yes, although the SHE FLIES Community Grant Review Committee will be looking for a strengthened application.

  • Yes. You can include a Form 990 in place of an annual report. You can also attach existing materials that explain the program you are seeking funding for and/or the impact.

  • As long as there is an intentional focus on engaging female-identifying athletes within the program you’re seeking funding for, and you’re able to provide specifics around that in your submission, you are encouraged to apply.

  • Yes. The SHE FLIES Community Grants are increasingly competitive. In 2024, we saw a 50% increase in applications year over year, thus making it an extremely competitive grant cycle with high-caliber grant submissions. Organizations are encouraged to reapply.


For questions or comments, please contact sheflies@sportoregon.org