The Lilja Family Fund of The Oregon Community Foundation awards grants and scholarships to support communities in south Douglas County, including Canyonville, Riddle, Tri-City, Camas Valley, Myrtle Creek, Days Creek, Milo, Azalea, and Glendale.  The fund was created by Don Lilja and his sister Helen, through their estates.

Scholarships

Scholarship applications and information can be found by visiting the Website of the Oregon Student Assistance Commission (OSAC), which administers the scholarship program for The Oregon Community Foundation (OCF). See www.getcollegefunds.org. Scholarship applications are due to OSAC by March 1 each year.

Graduates of the following public high schools are eligible: South Umpqua, Days Creek, Glendale, Riddle and Camas Valley. In addition, south county graduates of the following private high schools are eligible: Canyonville Christian Academy, Milo Adventist Academy, Phoenix School of Roseburg, and Umpqua Valley Christian School.  In addition, south Douglas County residents who are graduates of a private high school in the state of Oregon are eligible.

Grants

The Lilja competitive grants program at OCF accepts applications in fall to support projects that address the priorities of the fund. Approximately $40,000 is available for grant-making each year, with the average grant about $5,000. Priorities of the Lilja grant program are projects that fall within the following fields:

• K-12 education
• Early childhood education
• Youth Development
• Literacy
• Culture

Please note: Proposals in the K-12 education area should not be requests for teacher salaries, basic equipment and supplies, or replacing government funding, but rather for direct student services (e.g., enrichment activities).

The deadline is August 1 for an OCF board decision in November. Applications are accepted throughout the month of July. You may download the Lilja application form, or call OCF at 503-227-6846 or email

Lilja Application Form (PDF document)

Lilja Application Form (Word document)

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