Mission, OR (August 24, 2026) — The Wildhorse Foundation, a community fund managed by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in partnership with Wildhorse Resort & Casino, announced their grant awards for the second quarter of 2026.
A total of 29 organizations were awarded grants this period, in amounts ranging from $2,000 to $30,000, for projects in the areas of Public Health, Public Safety, Arts, Education, Environmental Protection, Cultural Activities, Historic Preservation, and Salmon Restoration. The total amount awarded this quarter was $447,230.
In addition to the quarterly grants, three organizations in the area recently received Rapid Response Grants (RRGs), which are designed for small and immediate needs that surface throughout the year. These three grants of $1,500 were made to Grace Clinic in Kennewick, Washington, Nixyáawii Community School in Mission, Oregon, and Sustainable Living Center in Walla Walla, Washington.
Each year, the Wildhorse Foundation makes grants to eligible nonprofit, government, and tribal organizations within the homeland area of the Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla people. Also eligible for funding are tribal government agencies or Native American charitable organizations with their base of operations within Oregon, as well as National or Regional Indian Organizations.
The Wildhorse Foundation has awarded over $20 million in grant funding since its establishment in 2001. Grants are awarded on a quarterly basis with the deadlines being January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1.
The formation of the Wildhorse Foundation was for the purpose of formalizing the charitable giving on behalf of the CTUIR and Wildhorse Resort & Casino. Every step of the Foundation’s review and decision-making process is geared towards building strong communities and healthy families in the region.
Below is the list of organizations and the grant amount awarded to each for the second quarter of 2026:
| Organization | Org. Location | Project Name | Awarded |
| ALS Northwest | Portland, OR | ALS Support Program | $5,000.00 |
| Blue Mountain Community Foundation | Walla Walla, WA | Outdoor Learning for Walla Walla Students | $6,000.00 |
| Blue Mountains Conservancy | La Grande, OR | Wild Schools Support | $2,000.00 |
| Children’s Museum of Eastern Oregon | Pendleton, OR | Expanding Equitable Access | $5,000.00 |
| City of Irrigon | Irrigon, OR | New Dream Park | $30,000.00 |
| City of Stanfield | Stanfield, OR | Tom McCann Veteran’s Memorial Park | $25,700.00 |
| City of Umatilla | Umatilla, OR | McNary Pickleball Courts | $30,000.00 |
| Columbia Basin Veterans Center (CBVC) | Pasco, WA | Connecting Veterans to Health, Housing, and Hope | $3,000.00 |
| Cove School District #15 | Cove, OR | Pathways to Practice; From High School Students to Local Health Science Careers | $9,000.00 |
| Gib Olinger Elementary School | Milton-Freewater, OR | Life Skills Through Play – Deepening Playworks’ Impact | $6,900.00 |
| Grace Clinic | Kennewick, WA | Pathways to Care – Responding to the Rising Uninsured Crisis | $29,500.00 |
| Hanford Drama Boosters | Richland, WA | New Curtains for the Hanford High Auditorium | $12,000.00 |
| Imbler School District | Imbler, OR | Imbler Marching Band equipment | $10,000.00 |
| KoosKooskie Commons | Walla Walla, WA | Every Drop Counts, Water Quality Monitoring to Determine the Effects of Logging on Salmon Spawning Streams in the Mill Creek Watershed | $7,200.00 |
| Lexington Fire and Rescue | Lexington, OR | Improving Wildland Firefighter Safety Through Compliant Equipment | $29,141.00 |
| Lines for Life | Portland, OR | Suicide Prevention Mini-Grants | $10,000.00 |
| Made to Thrive | Hermiston, OR | Support for Low Income Youth to Participate in Extracurricular Activities in Umatilla and Morrow Counties | $10,000.00 |
| Nixyáawii Community Financial Services | Pendleton, OR | Txòtáyma Community Market Hall | $30,000.00 |
| North Pendleton Rangeland Fire Protection Association | Helix, OR | Essential Fire Fighting Equipment | $29,897.00 |
| Operation Warm, Inc. | Glen Mills, PA | Basic Needs for Children in Tribal Communities | $15,000.00 |
| ORTOP | Portland, OR | STEM Pathways: Preparing Eastern Oregon Students for the Future | $8,300.00 |
| Pioneer Relief Nursery | Pendleton, OR | Facility Improvement Project | $15,000.00 |
| Portland Opera | Portland, OR | Portland Opera to Go | $10,000.00 |
| The Wallowa Band Nez Perce Trail Interpretive Center, Inc. DBA Nez Perce Wallowa Homeland. | Wallowa, OR | Homeland Gathering Grounds: Accessibility & Infrastructure Project | $30,000.00 |
| Tri-State Steelheaders Salmon Enhancement Group | Walla Walla, WA | Salmon Education Program | $8,100.00 |
| Umatilla-Morrow Head Start, Inc. | Hermiston, OR | Facility Improvements | $25,692.00 |
| United Way of Benton & Franklin Counties | Kennewick, WA | Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library | $10,000.00 |
| Wallowa County Education Service District | Enterprise, OR | Wallowa Collaborative Preschool Playground | $30,000.00 |
| YWCA Walla Walla | Walla Walla, WA | YWCA Walla Walla Survivor Services | $4,800.00 |
| Total | $447,230.00 |
About the Wildhorse Foundation: The fund reflects the commitment of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation to take a proactive, positive role in the well-being of the community. Funds, derived from a percentage of revenues from Wildhorse Resort & Casino, are managed and distributed by a Board of Directors comprised of community leaders and representatives of the CTUIR.
About the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation: The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation comprises the Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla tribes, formed under the Treaty of 1855 at the Walla Walla Valley. In 1949, the tribes adopted a constitutional form of government to protect, preserve and enhance the reserved treaty rights guaranteed under federal law.