For 13 years, Portland Monthly’s Light a Fire awards have celebrated the nonprofits, charities, organizations, volunteers, and board members helping to make our city—and the world—a better place. This year, we need do-gooders more than ever—and countless Portlanders are heeding the call to action. Meet the 2017 award winners, nominated by our readers.

In This Feature:

How a Portland-Wide Collaboration Helped Shelter Homeless Women

Pods from PSU’s Center for Public Interest Design might be tiny, but the idea’s big.

10/16/2017 By Marty Patail

This Tiny Nonprofit Brings Environmental Ed to Kids across Portland

Students get dirty with Ecology in Classrooms & Outdoors.

10/16/2017 By Benjamin Tepler

How Antoinette Edwards Takes Care of Portland's At-Risk Youth

It's been over four decades, and she's not giving up.

10/16/2017 By Fiona McCann

Ed Blackburn Looks Back On 25 Years at Central City Concern

The retiring executive director has devoted his career to working with the homeless.

10/16/2017 By Marty Patail

With Airport Cinema, Hollywood Theatre Gives Oregon Filmmakers a Global Audience

Up next? The nonprofit is buying Movie Madness.

10/16/2017 By Margaret Seiler

Ecotrust Puts Its Faith—and Funds—in Healthy Forests

The green nonprofit makes conservation profitable.

10/16/2017 By Ramona DeNies

How One Portlander Helps People Plan for End-of-Life Care

Peggy Maguire wants you to have the hard conversations.

10/16/2017 By Katie Vaughan

How an Oregon Clinic Provides Vital Health Care for Seasonal and Migrant Workers

After a child’s avoidable death, Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center came together in her name.

10/16/2017 By Katie Vaughan

The Oregon Jewish Museum’s April Slabosheski Teaches Living History

The 28-year-old has risen quickly at the nonprofit, which moved to a much larger space in the Pearl this year.

10/16/2017 By Rebecca Jacobson

How One Nonprofit Tackles the Gender Gap in Portland Tech

With twice as many men as women working in local tech, PDXWIT aims to right the balance (cocktails in hand).

10/16/2017 By Kelly Clarke

Portlander Alan Koch and Maggie the Dog Bring Furball Therapy to All

For Our House regulars, one’s ready to talk, one’s ready to snuggle.

10/16/2017 By Margaret Seiler

How a Team of Strangers Took On Trump's Travel Ban to Help a Sick Baby

The four-month-old made it from Iran to OHSU for heart surgery.

10/16/2017 By Zach Dundas