Beaverton, OR. Led by the Beaverton Arts Foundation, the campaign to build the Patricia Reser Center for the Arts “The Reser” has concluded. The final push raised more than $12 million of the $52 million needed to build the center. Supporters exceeding the original fundraising goal by more than $1 million. The center is 75% finished and engineers are checking out the acoustics in its 550-seat theater with the help of local trumpet player, Justin Copeland. The Patricia Reser Center for the Arts will open in the spring of 2022.
Located between SW Cedar Hills Boulevard and SW Hall Boulevard, the facility will include the 550-seat theater (seen above), and an art gallery, rehearsal, workshop and meeting space, lobby, outdoor plaza, and adjacent parking structure.
An architectural rendering shows an interior space called The Lab. The Reser is the first performing arts center of its kind to be built in the Portland metro area in more than 30 years.
In the video below, administrators Lani Faith and Chris Ayzoukian take you inside the building to catch a glimpse of the ongoing construction.
A bit of History: On July 17, 2018, the Beaverton Arts Foundation announced a personal pledge of $13 million to the project. With this news also came the official name of the facility, the Patricia Reser Center for the Arts. This transformative pledge from Pat Reser provided nearly one-third of the initial $48.2 million needed to build The Reser. With increased construction costs due to COVID, the goal grew by nearly $4 million to $52 million. More than 960 donors came together to help the campaign close this gap and exceed its fundraising goal by more than $1 million.
Chris Ayzoukian of Patricia Reser Center for the Arts, Beaverton Mayor Denny Doyle, lead donor Pat Reser and Lani Faith of the Beaverton Arts Foundation at the groundbreaking ceremony in November of 2019.
“When we officially embarked on this undertaking several years ago, I could not have imagined the incredible level of support we would receive from our community and beyond,” said Pat Reser, who serves as the chair of the campaign for The Reser. “Now, to see the campaign reach its conclusion, I’m so thankful for our volunteers, public officials, community, and our Executive Director, Lani Faith, who served as our North Star in leading our efforts to raise the private funding needed. I’m proud to see this community dream come to life, not just for the arts, but as a place to foster joy and connection for Beaverton and the region.”
Here’s some history about the fundraising efforts:
Key Supporters
Additional lead donations include $1 million from Arlene Schnitzer and Jordan Schnitzer through The Harold & Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation, $1 million from Gene and Lindi Biggi of Beaverton Foods, $1 million from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, $750,000 from Cambia Health Solutions, $630,000 from the Washington County Visitors Association and $500,000 from Todd Baker of Hillsboro’s Baker Rock Resources.
In December of 2018, the Oregon Community Foundation awarded The Reser with a matching grant of $250,000, for new donors from Washington County and – 18 months later – the Oregon Lottery allocated $1.5 million to the project via the Cultural Advocacy Coalition. While the lottery funds were later rescinded due to complications related to the pandemic, the State reinstated the investment via House Bill 5006 and the American Rescue Plan in June of this year. This grant closed the gap on the private fundraising goal and helped cover the additional construction costs incurred due to the impact of the COVID.
Additionally, in early 2021, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), one of the largest funders of humanities programs in the U.S., awarded The Reser a 3:1 matching grant totaling $250,000, generating $1 million for The Reser. The recognition from NEH represents the largest national gift to The Reser, as well as the first dedicated to the humanities. For a comprehensive list of supporters, see here: centerfortheartscampaign.org/supporters/.
“I’ve long been a champion for the arts because they enrich our lives and improve our communities,” said U.S. Representative of Oregon’s first district Suzanne Bonamici, who serves as co-chair of the STEAM Caucus, as well as a member of the Congressional Arts Caucus and Congressional Humanities Caucus. “The arts inspire creativity and learning, broaden our horizons, and boost our economy. The pandemic has reduced many funding sources for the arts, so I was especially thrilled to help the Beaverton Arts Foundation secure a federal grant for The Reser. The Reser will serve as a place of inspiration and opportunity for our growing community, and I applaud the efforts of the Beaverton Arts Foundation to increase access to the arts for everyone.”
Campaign Highlights
The Reser launched its Fill the Seats campaign in November 2019, honoring designated $1,000 donors with a name plaque on one of the seats within the theater. The Reser sold 463 seats, raising $470,500 with only 60 remaining. In February of 2021, the campaign launched its $100K in 100 Days program to raise the last $100,000 to top off the community phase of the campaign, generating more than 400 donations, which ultimately raised nearly $650,000.
By The Numbers:
Of the funds raised in support of The Reser, there were more than 960 total donors. Businesses gave nearly $1.1 million, individuals granted nearly $5 million and $6.1 million was provided by foundations and other funders. Gifts to the campaign ranged from $2 to $1.5 million and more than $1.8 million in funds were secured from out-of-state donors, including those from Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Washington D.C., Georgia, Florida, Ohio, Montana, Kansas, Texas, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, Nevada, California and Washington. The campaign raised $12,206,975, $1,027,425 above the goal.
Construction Milestones
The Reser celebrated its groundbreaking in fall of 2019, followed by its topping out ceremony nearly a year later in the fall of 2020. Construction continued – with safety measures in place – throughout COVID, keeping the progress moving forward. In June of this year, construction reached 80 percent completion with the building estimated to be finished in fall 2021.
Nestled near The Round between SW Cedar Hills Boulevard and SW Hall Boulevard, The Reser will include a 550-seat theater, art gallery, rehearsal, workshop and meeting space, lobby, outdoor plaza and adjacent parking structure. The project’s design and construction team includes Skanska USA Building Inc., Gerding Edlen and OPSIS Architecture.
About the Patricia Reser Center for the Arts
The Patricia Reser Center for the Arts will be the first performing arts center of its kind to be built in the Portland-metro area in more than 30 years. Nestled near to The Round between SW Cedar Hills Boulevard and SW Hall Boulevard, the facility will include a 550-seat theater, art gallery, rehearsal, workshop and meeting space, lobby, outdoor plaza and adjacent parking structure. With the Beaverton Arts Foundation serving as its fundraising partner, The Reser will feature innovative offerings in the performing arts – theater, music and dance – serving as a beacon for civic engagement, creative learning and greater social cohesion. For more information, please visit: centerfortheartscampaign.org and beavertonoregon.gov/prca.
Portland, OR. Focus on Youth is a nonprofit combining sustainable gardening and photography with hands-on learning. Homeless and at-risk youth learn leadership, responsibility, gardening, healthy eating, and photography as they “grow their own food” and photograph their achievements at Sunflower Organic Farm. The nonprofit grows and donates produce to local food pantries serving children and families to help alleviate community hunger.
Currently, Focus on Youth is operating a flower stand to raise needed funds. It’s located at 5901 SW Garden Home Road, Portland, OR 97219. The flower stand is open Saturday and Sunday, 8 am to noon. It’s selling small flower bouquets for $10 and large for $20.
By raising money, it is able to purchase essential equipment/supplies for the farm and expand to grow more produce. According to the advocates, “Covid-19 is putting thousands of people in our community at risk for food insecurity and as a result, making them vulnerable to malnutrition and serious illness. Closure of restaurants has reduced food donations to shelters and Food Pantries exactly when the need for food donations has increased.”
You can visit the flower stand any time because it has an ‘honesty box’, so supporters can purchase bouquets when flower stand volunteers aren’t present. Focus on Youth accepts both cash and digital payment for flowers.
The mission of Focus on Youth is to nurture creativity, promote self-esteem, cultivate leadership, foster independence, encourage success, and profoundly transform the lives of homeless and at-risk youth.
Participants take away positive experiences, food, pictures of what they have achieved, and a wealth of knowledge about sustainable gardening.
Volunteers man the flower stand.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, volunteers have spread 114 tons of organic compost and tripled the size of our garden with the help of our volunteers.
Focus on Youth works in partnership with youth shelters and Neighborhood House to put food on the tables of vulnerable community members.
Here’s a flyer with more info on the flower stand:
Below is a video about the program:
From Focus on Youth:
Our greatest need is for volunteers to help in our garden. Sunflower Farm is conveniently located on a one-acre parcel in Southwest Portland. If you would like to lend a hand with harvesting, planting, weeding, or mulching garden pathways please fill out the volunteer form (http://tiny.cc/Foy) or call/text 503-341-6878. We are open seven days a week and provide gloves and tools. No gardening experience is needed, we will teach you how to grow healthy, delicious organic fruit and vegetables.
You can also help by donating on our website using PayPal or through the Givebutter platform, (givebutter.com/foy). Thank you!
Don’t forget to support Focus on Youth this summer! Select Focus on Youth via Amazon Smile to turn a percentage of your purchases into a donation.
Since 2003, Focus on Youth has provided hands-on learning, sustainable gardening, healthy cooking classes, science and photography classes, and mentoring for over 16,000 at-risk and homeless youth. Hunger in Oregon has spiked 18% in the last two years, and one in five homeless youth report going hungry each week. Our program, Seeds of Hope is decreasing food insecurity and improving nutrition for homeless youth by teaching them where food comes from, how to grow food through hands-on activities, and the importance of eating fresh produce.
Our students grew over a ton of organic fruit and vegetables, plus they donated thousands of pounds of produce to low-income seniors through the Neighborhood House food pantry. Seeds of Hope connects youth with nature and the joy of growing their own food while giving them the ability to take on leadership roles within the community by donating food to help low-income seniors and families.
Focus on Youth is fostering community building through our partnerships with nonprofits such as New Avenues for Youth, Outside In, Neighborhood House, Community Legacy Program of Our United Villages, Hands-on Portland, Portland Service Program, and hundreds of community volunteers.
Portland, OR. The Kuni Foundation awarded just over $1 million to support 19 projects that advance cancer research and promote vibrancy and inclusion for people experiencing intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Portland-based PHAME, a performance and arts school for people with developmental disabilities, pictured above, received a $25,000 for current programs and a $50,000 grant to help support the planning and development of the region’s first fully accessible community and arts building. The community and arts building will be purpose-built for the needs of people with IDD and other disabilities and will include art studios, classrooms, rehearsal spaces, a kiln room and a black-box theater with an accessible light and sound booth. People without disabilities will also be welcome and rehearsal spaces will be open for use to local organizations.
PHAME was founded in 1984 by a group of families who were interested in creating performance opportunities for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
“Imagination Grants reflect our commitment to investing in people and projects that inspire, innovate and experiment,” said Greg Goodwin, Kuni Foundation Board Chair. “We’re excited about the range of creative approaches expressed in this most recent round of grants.”
Oregon nonprofits received just over $350,000 including three grants to Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). A $50,000 grant will help launch a Center of Excellence for Autism Research at OHSU.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about one out of every 54 children have been identified with autism spectrum disorder and Autism is the fastest-growing developmental disability. Access to diagnosis and intervention is often delayed and reduced for people of color and those living in remote, rural areas. OHSU has the state’s largest clinical program for the treatment of autism, and the grant will be used to help build capacity, collaboration and expand services through the Center of Excellence for Autism Research.
“This capacity-building grant from the Kuni Foundation will provide us with the launch pad we need to start our Autism Center at a critical time.” Eric Fombonne, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry, OHSU.
OHSU also received $149,000 to advance two cancer research efforts. Dr. Lara Davis, Associate Professor of Medical and Pediatric Oncology and the Director of the Sarcoma Program at the Knight Cancer Center, received $75,000 to pursue better outcomes for women diagnosed with Uterine leiomyosarcoma. This rare and aggressive cancer affects thousands of women each year with a mortality rate of more than 50 percent.
The Leukemia Lymphoma Society (Oregon) received $50,000 for research to improve diagnosis and treatment for Multiple Myeloma, with an emphasis on improving access and outcomes for African Americans. The risk for Multiple Myeloma increases with age, and with the population in the United States steadily aging, the incidence of new diagnoses is expected to increase by 60 percent over 20 years (2010 to 2030). Nearly 13,000 Americans die from Multiple Myeloma each year; African Americans are more than twice as likely to receive a diagnosis, and at a younger age.
Expanding Housing Access in Washington
A new co-housing model in Shoreline, Washington led by Community Homes, Inc. received $50,000 to help plan an inclusive community for people who experience IDD. The nonprofit provides affordable and supportive housing, in addition to navigation and support.
Open Doors for Multicultural Families provides culturally and linguistically relevant information, services, and programs to culturally diverse people experiencing IDD. Based in Redmond, Washington, the organization received a $50,000 planning grant to support a new housing effort.
“People experiencing disabilities are the drivers of the planning, design, and development of the Multicultural Village housing project, said Ginger Kwan, Executive Director of Open Doors for Multicultural Families. “By gathering their feedback and lifting their voices, we will build options that provide opportunities for homeownership and create a multicultural community center. Kuni Foundation has played a critical role in realizing this vision, planting the seed for this project to grow.”
Ten cancer research initiatives received just over $700,000 for efforts ranging from treatments for brain and bladder cancers to the use of artificial intelligence. Christoph Lee, MD, MS, MBA, and professor of Radiology at the University of Washington (UW) School of Medicine received $75,000 for the regional expansion of artificial intelligence-driven breast cancer screenings.
Here are more specifics:
Oregon Grants ($356,988):
Grace Commons Consortium, Portland: Pre-Development for Community Arts Building, $50,000
Home Life, Corvallis: Quality Assurance Program $7,000
Christoph Lee, MD, UW Medicine: Regional Expansion of Artificial Intelligence-Driven Breast Cancer Screenings, $75,000
Brent Wise, MD, UW Medicine: Predicting Medication-Resistant and Atypical Pituitary Adenomas Using a Cell-Free DNA Approach, $75,000
About the Kuni Foundation:
Based in Vancouver, Washington,theKuni Foundation funds cancer research and supports programs and initiatives that enhance the lives of adults who experience intellectual and developmental disabilities. Learn more at www.kunifoundation.org or via Twitter: @KuniFoundation.
Portland, OR. After a few years’ hiatus, Playworks Pacific Northwest brought back a fan favorite, Footgolf. A combination of golf and soccer, the Footgolf event brought out close to 100 participants and 20 teams battling for the win while raising awareness about the organization’s impact on elementary schools across Oregon, Washington, and Idaho.
The event took place at Glendoveer Golf Course on May 22nd. The winning team was a group of employees from The Standard (seen above). Raising a total of $23K, donations will help Playworks continue to create a space on the playground for every kid to feel included and build valuable social skills.
Playworks has supported schools by working to keep kids playing virtually and in hybrid settings while helping to prepare for when they return to full-time in-person instruction.
Playworks creates spaces for every kid to feel included and build valuable social skills by leveraging the power of play.
Footgolf is a family-friendly event to raise awareness of Playworks Pacific Northwest’s impact on elementary schools across Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Alaska.
FootGolf (sometimes referred to as, “soccer golf”) is a combination of the popular sports of soccer and golf. The game is played with a regulation #5 soccer ball at a golf course facility on shortened holes with 21-inch diameter cups. The rules largely correspond to the rules of golf. This sport is a relatively new concept (since 2008), and is being played at golf courses throughout the world.
Playworks Pacific Northwest, a leading non-profit organization founded in 1996, leverages the power of play to transform children’s social and emotional health throughout Oregon, Washington and Idaho schools through year-round, and on-site support services, creating healthy environments for kids through recess. Through Playworks programs, they reduce bullying and enable social-emotional learning by leveraging the power of safe, fun, and healthy play at school every day. Creating a place for every kid on the playground to feel included, be active, and build valuable social and emotional skills, Playworks is helping grow healthy and happy youth. Over the 2020/2021 school year, Playworks is providing two school districts-seven total schools, across Oregon and Washington, with direct services, impacting the lives of 3,150 kids daily. Additionally, the non-profit has impacted more than 18,450 kids in the past 8 months through professional development training and digital support services across the region. Plaworks has provided services in 15 school districts across Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Alaska and impacts over 21,850 students and more than 960 staff/teachers annually.
Portland, OR. The Salvation Army hosted the All About Kids Virtual Silent Auction and Fundraising Event on June 16th. This event was a special time to highlight local kids and celebrate their potential through hearing stories of success and change.
Last year, The Salvation Army in the Portland Metro area provided services to 88,133 individuals. This included serving over 298,285 meals and snacks to families.
The Salvation Army’s youth programs place special emphasis on activities that encourage the development of life skills and strong character. Through mentoring, education, and recreation, kids are shown the possibility of a better life and future. Together We Can provide safety, security, guidance, and a place of belonging for at-risk youth in the Portland Metro Area.
From The Salvation Army:
This is made possible through the generosity of our donors and corporate partners.
Presenting Partner ($20,000): Miller Family Foundation Game Changer ($10,000): True Sense Marketing, Walmart Hope Grower ($5,000): Franz Spark Starter ($2,500): Coffman Excavation Video Partner: Weston Dealerships
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