The Kinsman Foundation

College of Philomath Bell Tower

Eligibility Areas

The Foundation makes grants primarily for the purposes detailed here. An important element of all grants is a benefit to the public at large, rather than to specialized populations or groups.

Historic Preservation

Historic preservation has been our principal funding area since our beginning. In 2006 we identified our primary interest in this area as architectural preservation — the preservation, rehabilitation, restoration and reconstruction of historic buildings, structures and related sites. Most of the projects we fund involve buildings that are listed in the National Register of Historic Places, either individually or as a contributing resource in an historic district.

We will continue to consider grants for other historic preservation activities as a secondary interest.

For 2007, we anticipate making Historic Preservation grants approximately one-third of our total grants, about $520,000.

Chintimini Wildlife Center baby skunk

Native Wildlife Rehabilitation and Appreciation

Native wildlife rehabilitation is the focus of this interest, and is almost exclusively limited to nonprofits managed by state- and federally-licensed wildlife rehabilitators. These programs offer urgent care of injured and orphaned wildlife native to Oregon and Washington.

A small portion of our native wildlife budget is reserved for wildlife appreciation projects or programs that offer the general public opportunities to observe and appreciate the natural world. These activities will

  • promote individuals’ stewardship of native wildlife and its natural habitat
  • enable people to understand and minimize their impact on the Earth, and
  • promote responsible enjoyment of wildlife in recreational settings.

We do not intend these grants to include policy, research, preservation or protection of wildlife habitat.

We have projected that $297,000, a little over 18% of our total grant budget, will go to Native Wildlife Rehabilitation and Appreciation in 2007.

Health Care Policy

Although we anticipate the Center for Ethics in Health Care at OHSU will continue to be a primary grantee for several years, we will consider other grants in this interest area. We intend to support activities that promote a societal systemic policy to advance the rights and dignity of the individual. We do not intend to make grants for the delivery of health care or social services.

This area also is budgeted to receive grants totaling $297,000 in 2007.

Theater women

The Betty Kinsman Fund for Arts, Culture and Humanities

Through this fund the Foundation makes grants supporting literary arts, the performing arts of theater and music, and the visual arts of photography and fine arts.

The characteristics we evaluate for these activities, performances, projects and programs are:

  • celebrating the excellence of an individual artist
  • promoting one of the arts disciplines listed above
  • offering an artistic experience directed to the general public
  • exhibiting professional quality
  • including a public presentation of artistic work
  • emphasizing innovation or excellence in presentation

The Fund does not expect to make grants for:

  • physical improvements to performance or exhibition spaces
  • fairs and festivals
  • arts education
  • activities directed to specialty audiences
  • hobbies or personal enrichment activities
  • commercial museums or galleries

Because we are a small foundation, we see our role as supporting smaller organizations and companies, and in larger urban areas, alternate or secondary ones. The Betty Kinsman Fund is expected to distribute approximately $297,000 in 2007.

Other

We expect to continue to initiate some grants not included in these areas, consistent with the interests of our current Directors.

We have reserved $199,000 of our grant funds for these grants in 2007.