Internship Grant Program

Image features a smiling woman with a backpack, promoting the SDAO Internship Grant Program for the Special Districts Association of Oregon.

Applications for the 2027 program will be accepted beginning in January.

Essential and critical to Oregon’s communities, special districts deliver much-needed services while also supporting their local workforce. Many districts provide summer internships to college-level students who are interested in learning more about local government careers. SDAO supports these efforts through the SDAO Internship Grant Program, which provides matching funds to help districts hire interns to complete specific projects.

The SDAO Internship Grant Program is available to SDAO members for projects that help meet or improve loss control and best practices while providing a meaningful learning experience for the intern. Grant funding must be used for a specific project that will be completed by the intern hired through the program. The grant is not intended to fund routine maintenance, normal staffing needs, existing employees, or projects that will be completed by regular district staff.

Interns must be hired by the district as temporary employees to comply with wage and hour laws related to compensating student interns. To qualify for grant funding, the district must hire a college-level student who is a freshman, sophomore, or junior.

The maximum grant award is $3,000 per district, and SDAO will fund up to 50% of the eligible project cost. The district is responsible for the remaining 50% or more. For example, a project costing $6,000 or more may qualify for the maximum $3,000 grant. A project costing $4,200 may qualify for up to $2,100.

SDAO may not be able to fund all grant requests.

How are Applications Scored?

Grants are scored by our Awards Committee, comprised of member volunteers, on the following criteria. The top scoring grant applications will receive funding.

  • Haven't Received Grant in Last 5 Years (5 Points)
  • Is this a Project and Not Regular Maintenance or Normal Staffing Requirements? (10 Points=Yes, 0 Points=No)
  • Project’s Benefit to District (10 Points)
  • Project's Sustainability (15 Points)
  • Project's Contribution to Safety Program and/or Best Practices (15 Points)
  • Project's Urgency/Need (10 Points)
  • Project's Benefit to Intern (5 Points)
  • Project's Benefit to Other Districts (5 Points)