Marys River Grange No. 685 is taking steps to ensure its future by establishing a new nonprofit organization that will help fund improvements to its historic Philomath hall.
The Friends of Marys River Grange received 501(c)(3) status this past fall, a move that opens the door to grant funding and tax-deductible donations that weren’t previously available under the grange’s existing 501(c)(8) fraternal organization status.
“To apply for a lot of grants … you have to be a 501(c)(3) organization,” said Sonny Hays-Eberts, Marys River Grange secretary. “In the past, we have used the Oregon State Grange as our fiscal sponsor — we would do it under their name because they’re a 501(c)(3) but what we couldn’t do is have what’s called a pass-through donation when somebody actually gives money to the Oregon State Grange and then on to us. So that’s the main reason we did it.”
The new status has already proven beneficial. Marys River Grange recently received a $5,384 grant from the Siletz Tribal Charitable Contribution Fund, along with a matching grant from the state grange. Since the 501(c)(3) status went into effect, the organization has brought in more than $2,000 in direct donations.
The organization’s current primary goal is a comprehensive kitchen remodeling project estimated to cost between $50,000 and $60,000.
“I don’t know when it was last done — the ’60s, maybe the ’50s,” Hays-Eberts said of the current kitchen. “It still has gas lines in it and has handmade cabinets.”
The renovation plans include removing a center island to install a three-basin sink and hand-washing station, extending the kitchen space, and adding a serving counter for concessions sold during bingo and other events. The grange also hopes to install a commercial dishwasher and upgrade refrigeration.
If funding comes through as planned, Hays-Eberts anticipates the project will begin this summer and take eight to 12 weeks to complete. If necessary, the organization will postpone installing the industrial dishwasher, which costs around $6,000, and add it later.
“If we manage to get the two grants that I’ve applied for and anything from other donors, we’d be in pretty good shape to do the whole thing all at once,” he said.
The kitchen upgrade has been a long-standing priority for members.
“People have been wanting to do this for many years,” said Judy Hays-Eberts, Marys River Grange president. “Part of it, too, is to help serve the community better.”
She mentioned the potential for bringing in educational programs covering topics like food preparation and preservation once the new kitchen is complete.
Fundraising events have already contributed to the project, with Amazing Grange Day in August bringing in $3,800 and Harvest Fest in October raising $1,472.
The new nonprofit structure also positions Marys River Grange to serve as a fiscal sponsor for other organizations, similar to how the Oregon State Grange previously sponsored the Philomath chapter. Members plan to discuss the specifics of such arrangements at their next meeting.
“Our (c)(3) is done under the auspices of support for a single community organization so it just gives us more leeway,” said Sonny Hays-Eberts, who in addition to his Marys River Grange duties also serves as the Oregon State Grange president.
Those wishing to donate can mail checks to Friends of Marys River Grange, P.O. Box 1301, Philomath, OR 97370, or contact Judy Hays-Eberts at marysrivergrange@gmail.com or 541-829-2907. Donors can direct their contributions to specific projects or make general donations.
The kitchen project is just one item on a longer list of improvements planned for the historic hall. Future priorities include regraveling the parking lot, insulating the hall and potentially adding an electric heating system to supplement the current wood furnace.
“I’d like to keep the wood heat because I have been here when we’ve had no electricity but it would be nice to have this place at a comfortable temperature all the time and so people don’t have to come in and start fires,” Hays-Eberts said.
Over the past decade, the grange has invested in protecting and improving its facility with a new roof, refinished floors, more accessible bathrooms, upgraded lighting and siding, new signs, foundation repairs, a memorial apple orchard and a remodeled Junior Hall.
Said Hays-Eberts, “What I’m trying to do is get the grange in a place where it can last another 100 years.”
The hall continues to serve as a community gathering place, hosting several events each month including Jamie Lee Dancing’s Moonlight Country Mixer on Monday evenings, bluegrass jam and workshop on the second Wednesday, bingo on the second Friday, craft night and spoon jam on the third Wednesday, and yoga on Tuesdays through March 17.
“They really feel that it’s community supportive in itself,” Judy Hays-Eberts said about the grange. “There’s a good feeling that’s going on … the togetherness, like with the potlucks that we have, is a big thing for people. They feel like they belong here.”