Return to Zero: Hope Receives Grant from the Wildhorse Foundation to Expand the Eastern Oregon Perinatal Loss Collaborative
Pendleton, OR – Return to Zero: Hope (RTZ) has received a $10,000 grant from the Wildhorse Foundation to expand culturally responsive perinatal loss training for healthcare providers and strengthen community support for grieving families across Eastern Oregon. This funding will help ensure that underrepresented families—especially Indigenous and Spanish-speaking communities—are meaningfully included and compassionately supported following pregnancy and infant loss.
The grant will support the Eastern Oregon Perinatal Loss Collaborative Conference, scheduled for February 27, 2026, at Wildhorse Resort & Casino. This gathering will bring healthcare professionals, doulas, community partners, and bereaved parents together to deepen regional knowledge and capacity for culturally grounded, trauma-informed care following pregnancy and infant loss. RTZ in partnership with Tribal leaders, bilingual facilitators, and local organizations, RTZ will deliver culturally responsive training for providers across the region.
The grant additionally supports community-based support circles, facilitated by peers and Tribal elders, integrating traditional practices, storytelling, and bilingual support to foster connection and healing after loss.
“This grant from the Wildhorse Foundation allows us to bring forward voices that are too often unheard — parents, providers, and community partners who understand deeply what compassionate care after loss should look like,” said Kiley Hanish, Founder, RTZ Hope. “We are deeply grateful for this partnership and the opportunity to support Eastern Oregon in building more culturally safe systems of care.”
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 quarterly, with deadlines on January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1. For more information, visit www.thewildhorsefoundation.com.
About Return to Zero: Hope
Return to Zero: Hope. a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving care for families experiencing pregnancy and infant loss by providing compassionate support, trauma-informed education, and community connection. RTZ partners with parents, providers, and communities to increase access to bereavement care, elevate lived experience, and create systems where families never need to grieve alone. Learn more at www.rtzhope.org.
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.