Douglas Education Service District Receives $10,000 Oregon Community Foundation Grant

Douglas Education Service District is among the Southern Oregon organizations receiving support through the Oregon Community Foundation’s 2026 Walker Fund grants.

The Roseburg-based district will receive $10,000 to help provide evening and weekend family events for Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education families. The goal is to make it easier for families to take part in events outside of the traditional workday.

Stacy Inman, director of Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education, said many families face challenges that can make daytime events difficult to attend.

“Many of our families are juggling work schedules, transportation barriers, caregiving responsibilities and other demands,” Inman said. “Offering family events outside of the traditional workday will make a meaningful difference.”

The local grant is part of a larger $2.25 million round of funding from the Reed and Carolee Walker Fund of Oregon Community Foundation. In all, 73 nonprofits serving Southern Oregon will receive funding this year.

The Walker Fund was established in 2003 and supports organizations working with children, families and people living on low incomes. The 2026 grants are aimed at programs focused on education, family stability, youth development, health and wellness, housing assistance and access to basic needs.

Amy Drake, senior program officer for Oregon Community Foundation, said the grants support organizations doing direct work with families facing economic hardship.

“These grants reflect the deep commitment Southern Oregon organizations have to children and families facing economic hardship,” Drake said.

Other representative grants announced by Oregon Community Foundation include $80,000 for Opportunities for Housing, Resources, and Assistance in Ashland, and $15,000 for the Upper Rogue Rotary Community Foundation in Eagle Point.

Southern Oregon University Foundation will also receive $135,000 in the first year of a three-year grant to support culturally specific youth summer camps, including Academia Latina, Konaway Nika Tillicum and the Black Youth Summer Institute.

Since it was created, the Walker Fund has invested more than $43 million in Jackson County organizations working to support children and families.

Oregon Community Foundation has been active since 1973 and distributes more than $200 million in grants and scholarships statewide each year.