Light a Fire

How 4 Nonprofits Stepped Up in the Pandemic

Vaccine clinics, mental health hotlines, hot meals, business support—these groups got help to those who most needed it.

11/30/2021 By Julia Silverman and Margaret Seiler

Funding an Equitable Future

As part of its $1.25 billion commitment to advance racial equality and economic opportunity, Bank of America is supporting investors and nonprofits in Portland to uplift and empower minorities through education and financial support.

11/11/2021 By Ben McBee

7 Questions For...

After Extreme Tumult, a New Voice at the Top for Mercy Corps

Tjada D’Oyen McKenna talks about taking the helm at one of Portland's flagship nonprofits.

09/14/2021 By Fiona McCann

Music

Young Rappers Join the Oregon Symphony for a New Protest Anthem

A new music video unites the Oregon Symphony, nonprofits Outside the Frame and Friends of Noise, local rapper Mic Crenshaw, and two rising young stars.

08/19/2021 By Nick Campigli

Addressing Houselessness – Building Lasting Change

Central City Concern and Walsh Construction Co. partner to establish three new facilities and enhance the nonprofit’s rehabilitation programs for Portland’s unhoused population.

08/04/2021 By Ben McBee

Immigration

After Months of Almost No New Arrivals, Refugees Will Be Settling in Oregon Again in 2021

Aid organizations, decimated by Trump-era cuts and the pandemic, are scrambling to beef up operations to be ready to welcome them.

06/18/2021 By Julia Silverman

#StopAsianHate

15 Ways to Support Portland's Asian American and Pacific Islander Communities

Want to help the AAPI community? Buy. Donate. Visit. Volunteer.

04/12/2021 By Aurora Biggers

Environment

PPE and Plastic Waste Are on the Rise. But Cleanup Crews Are Here to Save Us.

As COVID-19 wears on, the simple act of picking up trash is more impactful than you might think.

02/09/2021 By Gabriel Granillo

Volunteer

Put Your Talents to Good Use at These Portland Organizations and Nonprofits

Using your skills to give back can make you feel good, too.

01/01/2021 By Fiona McCann

Light a Fire

This Nonprofit Helps Those Experiencing Houselessness Build Skills with Art

“I feel that the more that we can express and share our creativity, the healthier we’re going to be as a planet.”

12/02/2020 By Gabriel Granillo

Light a Fire

The Miller Foundation’s Martha Richards Doesn’t Have All the Answers

And that’s a good thing.

12/02/2020 By Margaret Seiler

Light a Fire

At Portland Audubon, There’s Wildlife Rescue, Nature Education, and Environmental Advocacy for All

At our “Caring for the Planet” award winner, it’s always baby bird season.

12/02/2020 By Julia Silverman

Light a Fire

This 50-Year-Old Housing Org Offers Hope to Portland’s Most Vulnerable Residents

Transition Projects combats homelessness with deeply affordable housing units built for long-term societal change.

12/02/2020 By Morgan Westling

Light a Fire

Basic Rights Oregon Has Advocated for LGBTQ Oregonians for a Quarter Century

Queer and trans Oregonians owe the nonprofit some significant policy victories.

12/02/2020 By Conner Reed

Light a Fire

Growing Gardens Grows More Than Just Plants

How one nonprofit has become a beacon of hope, health, and self-sufficiency.

12/02/2020 By Riley Blake

Light a Fire

Four Decades of Protest: Self Enhancement Inc Keeps Showing Up

The North Portland nonprofit works with schools, families, and partner organizations to provide support for students and their families, in academia and beyond.

12/02/2020 By Fiona McCann

Light a Fire

When COVID-19 Put Oregon’s Families in Deep Need, This Venture Nonprofit Changed Overnight to Help

Within days of COVID-19’s official arrival in Oregon in late winter, the Contingent sensed an urgent need for help among its foster families.

12/02/2020 By Marty Patail

Light a Fire

The Black Resilience Fund Brings Immediate Financial Relief to Black Portlanders—and Strives for a More Equitable Future

The fund has grown from a GoFundMe with a goal of $5,000 to a nonprofit that’s raised nearly $1.7 million for Black Portlanders.

12/02/2020 By Katherine Chew Hamilton

Light a Fire

Brennan Wood Approaches Grief with Lived Experience, Compassion, and a Dedicated Staff

“This process of grieving the death of somebody is natural and normal and healthy, and it doesn’t have to be something you try to keep separate from who you are.”

12/02/2020 By Gabriel Granillo

Light a Fire

This Portland-Based Organization Is Helping Kids Get the Healthy Meals They Need

Since 2017, Our Giving Table has been cooking and delivering nutritious, mom-made meals for food-insecure kids.

12/02/2020 By Karen Brooks