Reser Family Foundation
ActivePhilanthropy & VoluntarismFunds Individuals
About Reser Family Foundation
The Reser Family Foundation concentrates its giving on large, place-based capital and institutional investments in Oregon, with major support for environmental work, higher education infrastructure tied to Oregon State University, and local performing arts facilities. Grants are sizable and project-focused (stadium completion, arts center construction, a large environmental grant), suggesting a preference for transformational capital gifts over small program grants. The foundation appears to back repeat beneficiaries and marquee projects that carry the Reser family name and legacy in the region.
Focus Areas
Environmental conservation / major environmental capital initiatives in OregonCapital and infrastructure projects at Oregon State University (e.g., Reser Stadium)Construction and endowment support for regional performing arts venues (Patricia Reser Center for the Arts)
Who They Fund
youth (after-school, leadership, arts, and shelter programs)rural communities / Central Oregon communitiesstudents pursuing college access and career trainingpeople experiencing homelessness / reentry populations
About Reser Family Foundation
A $6.375 million grant labeled for the environment stands out as the foundation’s largest recent award, and it sets the tone for a portfolio built around major, place-based investments in Oregon. The Reser Family Foundation directs most of its giving to projects that change physical assets and long-term capacity rather than short program bursts. Oregon State University Foundation has received repeated support for Reser Stadium, including two $1 million grants in consecutive years and another $1 million award in 2025, showing a sustained commitment to higher education infrastructure. The Patricia Reser Center for the Arts has also been a recurring beneficiary, with support for the arts center, general fund needs, and capacity building. Beyond those marquee commitments, the foundation’s recent grants reach into science education, rural community facilities, parks, mental health services, reentry support, and senior services, all within Oregon. The pattern suggests a funder that backs visible projects, institutions, and community-serving facilities with durable regional impact.
What Reser Family Foundation Funds
In education and science infrastructure, The Reser Family Foundation supported Linfield University with $50,000 in both 2024 and 2025 for the science education complex, and it gave $50,000 to Central Oregon Community College Foundation for a rural Central Oregon welding career initiative. In arts and media, All Classic Public Media Inc received $50,000 for ICAN new production studio construction support. The foundation also backs community spaces and recreation: Helix Park and Recreation District received $50,000 for a pool replacement, Lincoln City Parks and Recreation received $50,000 for a community accessible playground, and Lost River Community Center received $50,000 for community center construction support. Environmental work appears in a $50,000 grant to Oregon Parks Forever for wildfire tree replanting.
How Reser Family Foundation Gives
Typical grants cluster at $5,000 at the 25th percentile, $10,000 at the median, and $15,000 at the 75th percentile, but the recent list also includes many project grants at $50,000 and several seven-figure awards. The pattern is not one-off: Oregon State University Foundation appears in multiple years, as does Patricia Reser Center for the Arts and Linfield University. The foundation operates several grant programs, including Fast Track, Midsize, Next Gen Council, Small Community Initiative, and scholarship programs. Both Fast Track and Midsize are responsive programs open to Oregon nonprofits, and some programs accept unsolicited applications.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$2.6M
Total Assets
$84.8M
Total Revenue
$9.3M
Total Expenses
$3M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $5K and $15K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$15K
Geographic Reach
Local1 state funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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