The Wildhorse Foundation, a community benefit fund established by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) to support organizations in northeastern Oregon and southeastern Washington, has passed the $10 million mark.
This threshold was reached as the result of the fourth quarter grant cycle.
“This is a huge milestone for the Wildhorse Foundation,” said George Murdock, Chairman of the Foundation Board. “The Confederated Tribes have a rich tradition of sharing and giving back to the area, and this is really a monumental benchmark. A study of history actually reveals that Native Americans have a culture of giving and sharing dating back hundreds, if not thousands of years and our Board is proud to be able to contribute to that legacy.”
Murdock went on to point out “the groups the Wildhorse Foundation supports are groups that serve our communities and help improve the quality of life for all of us in Eastern Oregon and Washington. Those organizations along with organizations like the Wildhorse Foundation are what make our area such a special place to live and work.”
During the history of the Foundation over 1,750 local and regional non-profits have benefited from the funds totaling almost $10.2 million that the Foundation has distributed in their giving area since its inception in 2001.
“Our Board makes distributions on a quarterly basis,” said Murdock, “and we receive many more requests than we are able to fund. Usually, the requests are about three to four times our capacity so it becomes very difficult to make choices. However, the Board has established a clear focus which guides our work and we try very hard to make investments which have the greatest impact on our communities. As one of two non-tribal members on our five-member board, Pendleton Mayor John Turner is the other, I am particularly appreciative of the honor accorded me by the Board of Trustees and the faith they have in our work. In return, we constantly seek to honor their customs, beliefs, and traditions.”
Nearly $3.6million of the funding has gone to educational initiatives, followed by public safety and public health. However, the Wildhorse Foundation Board will consider awarding grants to applications that cover the areas of arts & cultural activities, historic preservation, environmental protection, salmon restoration and gambling addiction services as well.
The 28 awards for the fourth quarter of 2016 total $205,369, bringing the total for 2016 alone to $886,488.47.
