PENDLETON – Acts of charity abound at this time of year. There are canned food drives, Toys for Tots, winter coat collections, and a hundred other ways that people can give to others. Unlike seasonal givers, however, the Wildhorse Foundation gives all year long.

The foundation, which started its good works in 2001, is the biggest charitable funding organization the region. In its short existence, Wildhorse Foundation has helped almost 100 causes. With its tally of donations nearing $850,000, foundation board member Gary George says that sometime within the next six months, the foundation will pass $1 million in donations.

George says the the formation of the Wildhorse Foundation began with the state requiring a certain percentage of casino profits to be directed back into the community.

“Here we have essential services like fire, water, sewer, police and zoning already in place,” George explained. “Since those services already existed in our community we are able to help in a more diverse way.”

George said that the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation has always taken its responsibility to its community very seriously.

“If the state didn’t require it, we would have given anyway,” he said. “Wildhorse Foundation is a formality signifying our belief of giving back to the community.”

Providing grants of up to $20,000 each to help groups meet their needs, the foundation serves Umatilla, Morrow, Union and Wallowa counties. The five-member board doesn’t appear to lean toward one type of charity. Among the projects that have benefited from the foundation are the Boardman Senior Center, the city of Adams, Crow’s Shadow Institute of the Arts, Domestic Violence Services, Eastern Oregon Alcoholism Foundation, the Pendleton Air Museum, the Umatilla County Historical Society and Pendleton High School.

“It is fantastic to have such a foundation that serves our area,” said Echo City Administrator Diane Berry. “Small communities like Echo have not had such a source of funding for local projects.”

A $2,500 grant from the Wildhorse Foundation got the ball rolling for the town’s proposed skate park.

“It gave us seed money that has allowed us to leverage two other grants, which is very important,” Berry said.

Bethphage in Pendleton has also received foundation grants.

“Our Alternative to Employment program was able to purchase furniture, a TV, an entertainment center and other items to assure the quality of care to our clients,” said director Laurie Drop. “We are lucky to have the support of the foundation for so many local causes.”

Many of the Wildhorse Foundation grants have to do with children, and others are art-related. The North Morrow Community Foundation allowed Wildhorse the opportunity to make a difference in both of those areas by providing artists in residence for Irrigon and Boardman schools. The Arts Impact Youth programs marked the first time many of the 600 students involved got to participate in interactive arts workshops.

“Wildhorse Foundation funded projects have increased our visibility in Columbia River communities,” said North Morrow Community Foundation director Carol Michael. “Wildhorse funding enabled Boardman and Irrigon students and family members to receive more than 1,750 hours of exposure to professional artists.”

Business and technology has also benefited from the foundation. A $14,000 grant to Blue Mountain Community College’s business and technology department allowed the development of a hospitality, tourism and management program, as well as to inspire BMCC instructors to revise the marketing/management program into an updated one called business administration.

“The project to develop new training is in response to ongoing requests from local hospitality providers and businesses,” said BMCC’s Melinda Platt. “We are pleased and excited to offer a high-quality new program for workforce training.”

The new program is expected to be available to students in the fall of 2004.

Youth sports organizations, school playgrounds and the like have all benefited. Another grant recipient is Western Trails Therapeutic Riding Center.

“Last year at this time, Western Trails was a brand new, non-profit therapeutic riding center for disabled individuals,” said Executive Director Sheri Lynn Miller.

The first grant application the center filed was with Wildhorse, requesting money to purchase safety equipment and a one-year sponsorship to pay for maintaining one therapy horse, including feed, farrier and veterinarian services.

“The Wildhorse Foundation awarded us the grant and the impact it had on our organization was tremendous,” Miller said. “The hugs and smiles from our student riders are endless. To be able to bring such joy into lives that are filled with many challenges is very rewarding. We attribute a great deal of our success to their continued support, and thank them again for their generous contribution.”

Because the Wildhorse Foundation is focused on the region and not on a specific category of causes the foundation can translate to a range of services that encompass just about every human endeavor.

The Wildhorse Foundation accepts applications at four times during the year: Jan. 1, April 1, July 1 and Oct. 1.

“We meet to consider those applications and have a response within 40 to 60 days of the application date,” George said.

The board is made up of three representatives of CTUIR, one person representing the city of Pendleton and one representing Umatilla County.

For more information about the Wildhorse Foundation, including how to apply for a grant, call 278-2274 or visit www.wildhorseresort.com.