Portland, OR. Community Energy Project Home Energy Score Assessor, Jackie Zusi-Russell maintains social distance while evaluating client’s homes, but she’s still working to determine their energy score. Community Energy Project (CEP) has been educating and aiding homeowners in the greater Portland area for over the past 40 years. In wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, CEP has been forced to adapt.
In-Home Auditor Geoff Fey works with a homeowner installing a water heater before quarantine began.
In-person home services are being provided, with a larger focus on exterior work to maintain social distancing. Heightened safety procedures require workers to wear gloves and masks with high enough quality to filter out asbestos. HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) vacuums are also used during interior services to help filter the air.
With more people stuck at home during quarantine, CEP is placing a larger focus on ventilation and filtration systems.
“Home is thought to be the first line of defense,” said Development Director Cameo Konfrst.
Programs are typically directed towards seniors and those with disabilities. Low-income homes are also able to apply for free supplies and services. As paid programs have taken a hit, however, it becomes more difficult for CEP to fund free programs.
Community Energy Project supports inclusivity, placing emphasis on serving a diverse community, according to their 2018-2019 Equity Report.
Konfrst urges people to invest more in local nonprofits such as CEP instead of national, stating that smaller, local nonprofits can adapt more easily to the unique situation of a given area.
As a result of the economic downturn and the COVID-19 pandemic, society is hurting worst at the bottom, and that is where CEP is focusing.
Workshops that were previously held in person have become virtual, but it is more difficult for CEP to reach their audience in comparison to other nonprofits. Low-income families do not all have the means to go digital. Workshops are being repeated at various times to help reach a wider audience. A calendar of events and registration are available on the CEP website.
From Community Energy Project:
By empowering people with information and tools and facilitating connections to resources, we can increase the capacity of our community to address many home, environmental, health, comfort, and safety issues while conserving natural resources.
Portland, OR. High schools and universities have had to get creative with this year’s graduation ceremonies. Edison High School, in Beaverton, held its first-ever “car graduation ceremony” on May 29th. The ceremony started with a procession of staff members and students with their families.
Edison Graduation Coordinator Rachel Hansen ready to lead the graduate parade.
The car parade had all twenty-four graduating seniors. The graduating class of 2020 found it a fun way to honor social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Edison staff cheer on graduates from the sidewalk.
Seniors hopped out of their cars and were greeted by Principal, Jason Wold.
Edison Principal Jason Wold hands out diplomas with his face mask and gloves.
Despite unusual circumstances, the students were allowed to celebrate with friends, families, and teachers who offered congratulations to the graduating class of 2020.
From Edison High School:
Edison exists to empower students with learning differences to experience academic success and personal growth while preparing them for a productive future.
Portland, OR. While nonprofits are forced to adapt to survive during this period of uncertainty and social distancing, the Children’s Healing Art Project (CHAP) is successfully moving and maintaining outreach programs in the virtual world. “We believe that art heals and we could use some healing right now,” explains Barb McDowell, Executive Director.
One way administrators continue to reach children in hospitals is through care package drops.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, CHAP’s main campaign revolved around bringing art supplies and artists to hospitalized children across Oregon, allowing them to express themselves and have fun despite their hardship and potential disabilities. As businesses and organizations were forced to close their doors during the COVID-19 pandemic, CHAP had to re-imagine its goals within the framework of online chat rooms and virtual hangouts.
Susan Sherwood, Child Life Specialist for OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital, provides free packs filled with art supplies to the children for them to enjoy in their rooms/beds.
The crates of art supplies can be sanitized by hospital staff to allow the kids the tools and ability to paint, draw, or otherwise express themselves despite strict social restrictions inhibiting organizations like CHAP from visiting and in-person deliveries.
Further, CHAPs has created online art clubs through services such as Zoom and Facebook Live that allow children and their parents to virtually attend together while working on art projects that require only common household materials. The move to online has been very popular among CHAP’s patrons who are primarily families stuck at home or in hospitals during this precarious time. This summer they will also be holding online art “summer camps” for the kids by delivering boxes of supplies beforehand and working with local artists and teachers who wish to participate.
CHAP now hosts 2 Art Clubs for children with medical challenges each week via Zoom to keep the CHAP families connected and the creativity flowing.
If you’d like to donate to CHAP you can do so here. If you’d like to watch a short video on them and see what they’re all about, you can watch it here.
About the Children’s Healing Art Project:
At CHAP, children are known for their creativity and ingenuity — not by their disease, diagnosis or disability.
Our innovative and inclusive healing arts programs are provided free of charge to children, teens and families affected by pediatric illness, disability or special need. CHAP provides Oregon’s only in-and-out of hospital interactive healing arts program for children facing any medical issue.
Portland, OR. While December continues to be the largest month for charitable giving, 2018 gave way to the biggest shift in distribution across other months. In 2017, approximately 18.2% of giving took place in December and this shifted to 17% in 2018, according to a report by Blackbaud. June has continued to be the second-largest giving month of the year, which aligns with the end of the fiscal year for many nonprofit organizations. Meals on Wheels People, pictured above, like many nonprofits, continues to need support.
In 2018, overall charitable giving in the United States increased by 1.5% on a year-over-year basis. Large organizations grew by 2.3%; medium organizations increased 2%; and small nonprofits experienced a decrease of 2.3% compared to the same time period in 2017. Since 2016, overall giving has grown 9% and giving to Foundations grew 5% over the same three year time period.
Online giving grew 1.2% in 2018 compared to 2017. Large organizations had a decrease of 0.5%; medium-sized organizations grew 3.7%; and small nonprofits grew 0.7% on a year-over-year basis. Since 2016, online giving has grown 17%, and average online gift amounts have continued to increase. The percentage of total fundraising that came from online giving once again reached another record high in 2018. Approximately 8.5% of overall fundraising revenue, excluding grants, was raised online. In 2018, 24% of online transactions were made using a mobile device.
This is the continuation of a growing trend we have measured over many years now. Arts and Culture organizations had the largest growth in both overall and online giving during 2018. Animal Welfare, International Affairs, Higher Education, and Public and Society Benefit organizations also experienced significant growth in overall giving compared to 2017. Public and Society Benefit, Healthcare, and Faith Communities also had growth in online giving in 2018. 2018 continued the longest sustained period of charitable giving growth since the last recession.
There are several key trends shaping charitable giving that are highlighted here. First, charitable giving in the United States is returning to normal levels following two years of significant growth. Second, online giving is entering a new phase where mobile and other digital channels continue to change how donors engage with nonprofit organizations. Finally, giving to Foundations and Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) continues to grow in response to supporter preferences and changes in incentives. A 36-month view of fundraising from the same organizations reveals a 9% growth in overall giving and a 17% increase in online giving. When we take a broader view, spikes in giving during 2017 gave way to more normal growth rates in 2018. There is a tendency to want to identify a single reason for shifts in giving, but that is not how the philanthropic ecosystem works.
The digital marketing firm for nonprofits, Blackbaud, released this finding in its 2018 Charitable Giving Report.
Portland, OR. The Northwest Film Center and the Portland Art Museum (PAM) continue their virtual offerings like the YouTube viewing of the film Monsters and Men, (pictured above) directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green.
PAM leaders say they’re also creating a plan to reopen. For the past three months, the Portland Art Museum has been closed due to COVID-19. Now head of visitor services, Lisa Hoffman is announcing a plan to reopen. Beginning July 16th, the Museum will reopen some of its galleries and welcome a limited number of visitors. The popular Volcano! and Art and Race Mattersexhibitions will now be extended through the end of the year. Exhibits that were slated for the summer and fall, including Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, and Mexican Modernism and Ansel Adams in Our Time, will open at later dates.
Over the summer, more galleries in the museum will be reopened as conditions allow.
The museum still has many virtual options in the meantime:
Here’s more information about The Northwest Film Center’s virtual screening of Monsters and Men, directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green. The film, Monsters and Men is screening for free on YouTube via NEON.Monsters and Men is an important cinematic attempt to reckon with one of the central challenges of our moment and it’s free.
Portland Art Museum:
The mission of the Portland Art Museum is to engage diverse communities through art and film of enduring quality, and to collect, preserve, and educate for the enrichment of present and future generations.
Portland, OR. The Portland Japanese Garden reopened to the public on June 11th. According to Garden leaders, it’s the first of the cultural organizations in Portland to reopen and could not come at a more important time.
Using guidelines for outdoor recreation areas issued by federal and state health authorities, Portland Japanese Garden leadership says it is following best practices for guest and employee safety. Among the new safety adjustments are timed entry admissions, one-way routes through the Garden, and limiting the number of people in spaces.
Founded shortly after the end of World War II, the organization is dedicated to ideals of peace and cultural understanding. “We were established specifically to cultivate inner peace as well as peace between peoples and cultures,” said CEO, Steve Bloom. “Between the coronavirus, the economy, and the heightened awareness around pervasive racial injustice, there are a lot of personal and social challenges everyone is working through. We stand with Black Lives Matter because we recognize that people of color have borne a disproportionate share of these hardships and we reaffirm our organization’s values of inclusivity, anti-racism, and cultural understanding.”
The Garden closed to the public March 19th just before Governor Kate Brown issued stay-at-home orders. Since then, the garden was unable to earn revenue from ticket sales, therefore temporarily laid off nearly 90% of its staff while Through the closure, the Japanese Garden continued to post “One Minute of Serenity” videos as a way to share some much-needed calm during an uneasy time. Now with the reopening, the Garden hopes that those who are able to leave home will come back to the Garden early and often to support and sustain it. “Portland is an incredible city and places like Portland Japanese Garden are what makes it so special,” says Bloom. “We are here for the community and because of the community. It’s community support that makes our existence possible.”
Portland Japanese Garden is a nonprofit organization originally founded in 1963 as a place for cross-cultural understanding following World War II. A hallmark in the City of Portland, the Garden was founded on the ideals of peace and mutual understanding between peoples and cultures. Portland Japanese Garden is considered the most authentic Japanese garden outside of Japan and the foremost Japanese cultural organization in North America.
Portland, OR. You can’t see kids shoulder to shoulder learning at the Hoyt Arboretum this summer, but there’s still lots to do. Although the Visitor Center is closed, the Hoyt Arboretum trails in Washington Park remain open from 5 A.M. to 10 P.M. every day. Online workshops replace the usual programs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Programs include Birding by Ear, Virtual Nature Journaling, and Exploration Wednesday.Birding programs have become the most popular, according to Anna Goldrich, Executive Director of Hoyt Arboretum Friends. Where the classroom in the Visitor Center could only host up to 15 people, around 50 have been logging on to the virtual birding program.
The youth program “TreeTime!” geared toward two to six-year-olds, has also moved online. The program schedule remains the same, taking place at 10 A.M on Mondays. Instead of walking through the park, however, the meeting takes place on Zoom.
Event calendars and sign-ups are located on the Hoyt Arboretum Website.Access to programming is payable on a sliding scale to accommodate those facing financial difficulties.
Volunteers trimming bamboo during a previous work party (Photo credit, Hoyt Arboretum)
The visitor center is currently closed to the public.
Memberships have recently increased in appreciation for Hoyt Arboretum’s virtual programs. Without the Visitors’ Center gift shop, wedding rentals, and field trips, Hoyt relies more heavily on members and donors. While funding sources diminish, expenses riseto maintain the park. In normal circumstances, approximately 2000 hours of volunteer work would have taken place between April and June. Hoyt must now divert funds toward landscape work and equipment.
From Hoyt Arboretum:
Portland’s museum of living trees, Hoyt Arboretum thrives thanks to a long-term partnership between Portland Parks & Recreation and the nonprofit Hoyt Arboretum Friends. With over 6,000 trees and 12 miles of trails free and open to the public year-round, the Arboretum is maintained by a dedicated community of volunteers and members. A beautiful destination for recreation, it’s also an important resource for education, research, and conservation.
Portland, OR. Girls Inc. held a virtual celebration of girls’ empowerment on Friday, June 5th which raised over $395,000. The funds are earmarked for the organization’s STEM, health, and life skills programs which benefit girls ages 6-18. There were 900 attendees at the virtual benefit. Because of COVID-19, this was the first year the event was online. Power of the Purse has raised over $5 million dollars over the last 15 years.
In previous years Girls Inc. had a live runway show, like the event in 2016. (Girls Inc. girl, Lana, are pictured with Carol Risley, Designer, and Daria Eliuk, Purse-o-nality)
Every year notable Portland leaders, artists, entrepreneurs, and philanthropists work with local purse designers to create one-of-a-kind handbags to raise money for Girls Inc. of the Pacific Northwest. Each piece is a unique work of art that is auctioned off during a live fashion show featuring Girls Inc. youth.
The organization provides many opportunities for girls like the, “Rappel for Her,” event, during which participants rappel down a downtown skyscraper. (This photo of “Rappel for Her” in August of 2019, Provided by Girls Inc.)
About Girls Inc.:
In partnership with schools and at Girls Inc. centers, we focus on the development of the whole girl. She learns to value herself, take risks, and discover and develop her inherent strengths. The combination of long-lasting mentoring relationships, a pro-girl environment, and research-based programming equips girls to navigate gender, economic, and social barriers, and grow up healthy, educated, and independent. Informed by girls and their families, we also advocate for legislation and policies to increase opportunities and rights for all girls.
Portland, OR. Self Enhancement, Inc. provided the first free coronavirus testing to the African American community on June 6th. An estimated 300 community members came to the Northeast Portland headquarters of the nonprofit for the free tests. Tony Hopson Sr., director of the nonprofit, has been pushing for more testing since April when it became clear the virus was disproportionately affecting African Americans.
Non-symptomatic people and those who have been near large crowds recently were also encouraged to come to be tested.
Self Enhancement, Inc., was able to serve walk-ups on top of the scheduled appointments.
Earlier in the week, Patrick Allen, Oregon Health Authority director, apologized to communities of color for the disproportionate effect the virus has had on “Black and African American, Asian and Pacific Islander, Native American, and Latino, Latina, and Latinx people, in the U.S., and here in Oregon…A centuries-long history of racism and oppression have led to the very health conditions that exacerbate the impacts of COVID-19. And we at OHA were, frankly, too slow to recognize that threat and act on it,” Allen said in a statement. “For that, I’m truly sorry.”
At least one Oregon tribe, the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs, has seen more than 20 positive COVID-19 cases as of the end of May. Some of the state’s largest workplace outbreaks have been at fruit-packing plants, where employees are predominantly Latino.
The public health agency announced Wednesday it was expanding its recommendations for people who should get tested to include all people of color in Oregon, and a spokesman said the agency is helping to facilitate the testing Saturday.
About Self Enhancement, Inc:
Self Enhancement, Inc (SEI) is dedicated to guiding underserved youth to realize their full potential. Working with schools, families, and partner community organizations, SEI provides support, guidance, and opportunities to achieve personal and academic success. SEI brings hope to individual young people and enhances the quality of community life.
Portland, OR. As of June 5th, the Oregon Community Foundation (OCF) has offered $19.8 million in grants to 773 different nonprofits. $15 million has been contributed for relief since the start of the pandemic. 481 people have stepped forward recently to donate; here’s a link to the list of donors.
Organizations like the Sisters of the Road Café (pictured above) in Portland’s Old Town neighborhood, provide area-sourced meals plus opportunities for the homeless. They have seen an increase in costs due to COVID-19 in order to continue serving their community in the safest way possible. An Oregon Community Recovery grant helps Sisters to meet their Hot Meals Barter Program expense and dedicate funds to unforeseen costs during the pandemic.
In collaboration with a large network of statewide partners, OCF is mobilizing resources through discretionary dollars, donor-advised funds and pooled community funds.
Here’s a video about the fundraising efforts of the Oregon Community Fund.
With input from a network of volunteers, community leaders and partners, OCF is deploying funding and resources to nonprofits to help them fill gaps in funding during the crisis, providing resources where and when they are critically needed, focusing most on Oregon’s most vulnerable populations. Organization leaders say, “Demand for funding has been high, and our team is reviewing applications as quickly as possible. Grants are announced each week.”
Portland Refugee Support Group (PRSG) provides bags of food, household supplies and WinCo gift cards to more than 100 refugee families in the Portland metro community. An Oregon Community Recovery grant is helping the PRSG assist refugee families with emergent needs.
In addition, OCF donors also continue to award COVID-related grants from donor-advised funds, and Supporting Organizations of OCF continue to support organizations in their COVID-related needs. Here’s a link to the list of the organizations which have received help.
Oregon Community Foundation puts donated money to work in Oregon. Since 1973, OCF grantmaking, research, advocacy and community-advised solutions have helped individuals, families, businesses and organizations create charitable funds to improve lives for all Oregonians.
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