Social Equity and Economic Development (SEED) Grant

Photos: Sonya Damtew, Education Dept. Manager, Ethiopian and Eritran Cultural Resource Center; RJ Artis, Student, Elevate Oregon Basketball; and Pat Daniels, Executive Director, Constructing Hope

The SEED grant provides funds for social equity and economic development projects, programs, and services. The City of Portland’s Office of Community and Civic Life launched the program in 2017 as the Cannabis Social Equity Grant. The program is funded annually by recreational cannabis tax revenue from Ballot Measure 26-180 passed in 2016. This tax revenue is intended to support communities that have been disproportionately harmed by more than 80 years of cannabis prohibition, specifically Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC).

At the direction of Portland City Council, administration of the program and program funding transferred from the Office of Community and Civic Life to Prosper Portland in June 2023.

For more information contact:

Akil Patterson
pattersona@prosperportland.us
seed@prosperportland.us

For any inquiries about grant cycles prior to fiscal year 2022/23, please direct your questions to Civic Life: CivicLife@portlandoregon.gov

2023/24 Grant Award Process

The 2023/24 grant award process is on hold while the program transitions to Prosper Portland. Applicants who advanced to the second application round will be notified about the application timeline and next steps in July 2023.

The SEED grant distributes funding within the following priority areas:

• Education development
• Entrepreneurship and economic development
• Social justice

Previous Awards, 2018 – 2022