The Portland Clean Energy Fund (PCEF) has launched its 2025 Community Grants cycle to support projects that advance climate, racial, and social justice in Portland, Oregon. The grant program welcomes both returning and first-time applicants, offering two types of funding opportunities: planning grants and implementation grants. These grants are designed to support a wide range of community-led efforts that focus on environmental sustainability, equity, and economic empowerment.

The application period for the 2025 cycle opens on March 26 and closes on May 27, 2025. Applications must be submitted through the WebGrants platform. To support applicants, PCEF provides a comprehensive Applicant Handbook, technical assistance resources, optional application templates, and guidance on allowable expenses and budget restrictions. After submission, the review and selection process will take place during the summer, with intent-to-award notifications expected in late summer or early fall. Formal recommendations will be made to City Council in the fall, followed by onboarding for awarded grantees in late fall 2025.

Planning grants are intended to support activities such as research, technical assessments, community engagement, and partnership development that lay the groundwork for future project proposals. These grants cannot fund implementation activities and are designed to be completed within two years. In contrast, implementation grants fund projects that directly deliver environmental or social impact. These projects may involve physical improvements like weatherization, solar installations, or tree planting, or non-physical activities like workforce training. Implementation grants may also include a small amount of planning work but must focus primarily on execution and are expected to be completed within five years.

Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations that are federally designated as 501(c) or 521(a) entities, registered and certified with the Oregon Secretary of State, and not listed on the Oregon Department of Justice’s Disqualified Charities list. While nonprofits do not need to be physically located in Portland, all physical project activities must take place within Portland city limits. Workforce and contractor development projects may serve residents across the greater Portland Metropolitan Area. Organizations that do not meet nonprofit requirements may still apply if they partner with a qualified fiscal sponsor.

PCEF is committed to inclusive access and strongly encourages organizations to review the Applicant Handbook and seek technical assistance when needed. Questions and requests for support can be directed to PCEF staff via their contact information available on the program website.