Sponsored: Portland, OR. The Home Builders Foundation is helping a whole host of organizations providing shelter for area residents in need and supporting the future of its industry by offering educational opportunities for tomorrow’s workforce.
Professionals from the Home Builders Foundation are working overtime to complete the interior of this new Village of Hope shelter in Clackamas County.
The Village of Hope shelter, which will be run by Clackamas Women’s Services (CWS), is one of the many projects spearheaded by the nonprofit. The new facility replaces a 100 year-old farmhouse that had numerous safety issues. When finished in January, it will provide a safe haven for 13 women, and up to 20 children at a time, as many as 100 women a year. Women escaping domestic violence, often with children in tow, use the shelter. It’s one of the largest projects the Home Builders Foundation has taken on.
Groundbreaking for the shelter took place about a year ago.
Working with donations, the Home Builders Foundation undertook a complete demolition and rebuild. The total retail cost of the project is slightly over $1 million, but the Home Builders Foundation was able to leverage donations and discounts, which nearly cut the expense in half. Those cost savings can be redirected to support the women and children who will be living in the shelter. The Foundation is in a year-end fundraising campaign to support efforts to help citizens living in the margins like homeless women and children. The Foundation helps a whole host of organizations providing shelter for area residents in need and supporting the future of its industry by offering educational opportunities for tomorrow’s workforce. As an incentive for donations each individual who makes a donation or renews their monthly pledge to Home Builders Foundation during the month of December will be entered into a drawing for two tickets to see the Broadway smash-hit Hamilton: An American Musical when it comes to Portland this spring. Click here for a link to the Home Builders Foundation donation website.
The Village of Hope shelter in Clackamas County is just one of the many charitable projects the Home Builders Foundation helps.
Home Builders Foundation, Bridge Meadows and New Avenues for Youth have joined forces to create an innovative housing community for youth aging out of the foster care program in Oregon. Leveraging Bridge Meadows intergenerational healing community and New Avenues for Youth self-sufficiency and life skills services expertise, they are combining resources to build and operate the Dorothy Lemelson House & New Meadows Program, a trauma-informed housing and life-skills program for young people ages 18-24. This new 10,700 sq ft community, made up of 10 studios and 5 one-bedroom apartments offers youth the benefits of intergenerational care and support.
Located just one block away from the Bridge Meadows North Portland housing community, the Dorothy Lemelson House will offer former foster care youth a safe place to live while they pursue education and job training and practice and learn self-sufficiency skills. The project broke ground on September 8th.
Home Builders Foundation and Renaissance Homes have worked together to secure in-kind donations and discounts from Milgard Windows and Doors, Medallion Industries, OrePac, Globe Lighting, Corian, Delta, GE Appliances, Willamette Graystone, Hanover Architectural Products, Keller Supply, Lakeside Lumber and James Hardie. Walsh Construction will serve as the General Contractor for the project. Construction is expected to be complete in May 2018.
We are the charitable arm of the Home Builders Association of Metropolitan Portland.
Founded in 1997, the Home Builders Foundation directs the philanthropic activities of the home building community by providing shelter for area residents in need and supporting the future of our industry by offering educational opportunities for tomorrow’s workforce.
Shelter Development: The Foundation facilitates the building (new construction) or renovation of dignified housing for the temporarily homeless. Through its shelter building arm, HomeAid Portland, builders are partnered with local non-profit care providers seeking to expand facilities designed to house individuals and families in need of temporary shelter.
The Foundation also administers volunteer programs to improve the livability and function of local care providers’ existing facilities. Its annual volunteer blitz and shelter care event, Painting a Better Tomorrow, allows HBA members and other industry leaders to directly contribute to the maintenance of local homeless shelters, most of whom operate on a shoestring budget and have few available funds for maintenance costs. Click here to find out about our latest projects.
This renovation project included an expansion of educational programs for children of homeless families in the shelter. The addition added dedicated space for Homework Club, private tutoring, preschool programming and storage for program needs. This expansion provided them with more space in which to operate a long existing and critically important program for homeless children and was a great partnership between non-profits, the building community and the City of Tigard.
The first phase of this remodel project for Hope House, a shelter for women and children experiencing homelessness, included safety upgrades such as a new fire alarm system and sprinkler system, increased bed capacity from five families to eight, the addition of laundry and indoor shower facilities, and the addition of an ADA-accessible bedroom and bathroom.
Nathan D. Young Construction returned again to Portland Rescue Mission’s Burnside Shelter for an expansion project for the Connect Program, a program for homeless women. Ten beds were added to this facility, as well as a kitchenette
Harvest House, a facility for homeless families, received much needed lead-abatement for the building, as well as new siding and windows. Masco Corporation generously gave a $6,000 grant to the project, which was completed in late June.
Care Provider: Love INC – Newberg Builder Captain: Jim Fisher Completed: March 2015
Home Builders Foundation completed its first project in Yamhill County when it partnered with Builder Captain Jim Fisher to provide upgrades to Love INC’s existing shelter for women and children. Upgrades to the facility included the addition of a restroom, a kitchen remodel and new flooring throughout the facility.
Smith House was a perfect candidate for an HBF energy retrofit. After a thorough walk-thru with HBF Builder Captain, Joe Robertson, it was determined that the highest priority need was to replace the old oil heater and focus on energy upgrades to make the home more comfortable and energy efficient. The money saved on high utility bills could then go back into the program. NW Natural donated a new gas furnace and tank-less water heater, and HBF partnered with Performance Insulation to do attic and wall insulation as well as air sealing throughout the home.
Jordan House
Care Provider: Youth Progress Builder Captain: Joe Robertson, Shelter Solutions LLC Completed: December 2014
Youth Progress operates two residential facility for boys ages 13-24 that provide a structured, supportive environment to guide them toward a more positive future. Both facilities were in need of assistance and HBF chose both of them for energy retrofits. In partnership with Joe Robertson of Shelter Solutions LLC and Performance Insulation, Jordan House received new attic and wall insulation, and air sealing just in time for the winter weather.
HBF and Builder Captain Dave Adelhart returned to Goose Hollow Family Shelter in 2014. With the help of HBA member donations and discounts of labor and materials as well as others in the industry, we were able to dramatically increase the usable counter space, upgrade the cabinets throughout including the addition of upper cabinets for extra storage, add an upgraded counter top, improve the electrical and add a larger sink and refrigerator. It turned out to have a big impact for a tiny space that feeds about 30 people every morning!
This 100+ year old home that houses a residential treatment program for young men was the first energy retrofit project taken on by HBF in partnership with Neil Kelly Home Performance. The retrofit included air sealing, insulation, tankless water heater, lighting upgrades, new energy efficient appliances and updated wiring. Energy retrofits of older shelters helps the service provider put much needed money from energy savings back into their programs and makes the homes much more comfortable for the residents.
HBF returned to Raphael House in 2013 to upgrade the kitchen including new cabinets, granite counter tops, ranges and ADA improvements to create a beautiful new space for 40 women and children who live there. In-kind donations and HBF funding was over 80% for this project.
Goose Hollow Family Shelter is the only shelter for families on the west side. Eight families a night call this home. This renovation of a well-used laundry room and family lounge was a partnership between several PRO members and designers Garrison Hullinger Interior Design and Designers Edge Kitchen & Bath. The in-kind donations and HBF funding provided for this project was 100%.
Next Step is a transitional “independent living” facility for men in addiction recovery. A full scale phased renovation (estimated total of $1,500,000) for this 13,400 sq. ft. former nursing home expanded program capacity and maximized treatment space. The scope of work included: new ductwork, heating, ventilation and cooling systems, upgrading mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems and equipment, commercial kitchen remodel, replacing the roof and reworking dorm rooms and other common areas. This renovation increased the number of beds from 15 to 42.
Transitional Living Program
Care Provider: Boys & Girls Aid Builder Captain: NuPark Development LLC Dedicated: February 2013
HBF partnered with Boys & Girls Aid and the City of Beaverton to complete a major renovation of a four unit apartment building that provides safe and supportive transitional housing for homeless youth in Washington county. The residents of the TLP program receive case management, help with continued education, mental health services and skills training.
The Burnside Shelter provides crisis intervention, homeless and addiction recovery, short-term and long term shelter, education and job assistance. It is also Portland’s only 24/7, 365 days a year public restroom and food service operation of its kind. Built in the late 1800’s and expanded in the early 1920’s, the facility is in a state of disrepair, and energy consumption is the main source of concern. The goal was to retrofit the facility with energy efficient upgrades to reduce annual utility costs by as much as 35% (allowing precious operating funds to go to direct services instead of building maintenance). Scope of work included: insulation throughout , new windows, framing and moisture protection, installing high efficiency boilers and mechanical systems.
The Bonnie Tinker House is an emergency shelter serving up to 23 women and children at a time (200 per year), providing safety, shelter, food, clothing, support groups, advocacy, and a 24-hour crisis line. This $50,000 “shelter enhancement project” was phased to reduce impact on the residents who live there. Scheduled work included: security, electrical upgrades, efficient heating system, roof repair, window and screen repair, tile work, new plumbing fixtures, landscaping, patio gazebo installation, cabinetry repair and light carpentry.
This 96 year old house was completely renovated with updated energy efficiencies to make life more comfortable for 12 abused boys. Now complete, Cordero House will become a home for two additional boys (the program turns away five to seven boys per week). With a new family treatment room and therapist offices, the “healing work” becomes easier. Every wall and hard surface is new. The expanded kitchen/dining area now allows for multiple work spaces, ample storage and commercial grade appliances. The boys no longer shower in shifts with expanded, more private, bathrooms. A “dude dorm” with flat screen tv and surround sound allow them to be kids again. An estimated $770,000 was dedicated to the project with over 380 industry professionals, 90+ companies and over $350,000 in donations of labor and materials. This project received the national CADRE award in 2011 for ‘Outstanding Community Service Project’
Unfinished attic space became a Comprehensive Advocacy Center (CAC) offering expanded services to the women and children survivors of domestic violence. The CAC provides an inviting place for legal aid, mental health services, alcohol and drug counseling, life skills classes, self care, and children’s activities. Despite the economic downturn, 35% of the labor and materials for this $430,000 project were donated. Received awards from the Portland Housing Bureau in 2009 & 2010
A residential treatment center for five mentally disabled adults, this home was built to give the residents a place to heal, receive counseling and flourish while transitioning back into self sufficiency. Over $164,000 was donated in time, materials and labor to this $266,000 project – almost 60% total savings.
Builder Co-Captains were able to rally other subcontractors, trades and suppliers to donate over $189,000 in time, materials and labor to this $260,000 project – a 70% total savings. Up to twelve un-wed, young, homeless mothers and their babies call this safe haven “home”, receiving the care and support they need to begin their new lives.
Again, the Foundation for the Home Builders Association of Metropolitan Portland is in a year-end fundraising campaign to support their efforts to help citizens living in the margins like homeless women and children. Click here for a link to its donation website.
Sponsored: Portland, OR. “Adventure and challenge!” Those are the words which have drawn thousands of students to the Northwest Outward Bound School over the past 50 years. “Outward Bound has completely changed the course of my life. I’ve been continuously given the tools to discover both my positive and negative qualities and ways I can overcome both mental and physical obstacles,” explains a Reynolds High School student named Bridget who has benefited from a scholarship to attend the program.
The nonprofit is in the middle of its year-end fundraising campaign, working improve the lives of individuals, and thereby the whole community. Northwest programs are research-based and proven to enhance developmental outcomes for youth including self-confidence, goal-setting, empowerment, teamwork, and compassion. Northwest range of programs include multi-day/multi-week excursions, school-based programs in low-income neighborhoods, and targeted courses for vulnerable populations such as veterans, grieving teens, and LGBT communities.
Here’s a video about the program.
Northwest Outward Bound School measures student success in the following areas:
Character Development: demonstrating increased self-confidence, self-actualization, and compassion toward others and live a healthy and balanced life.
Leadership: demonstrating the ability to set goals and to inspire and guide others to achieve them, as well as to collaborate, communicate, solve problems, and resolve conflicts
Service: Students demonstrate social and environmental responsibility and actively engage in service to others.
Outward Bound originated in Great Britain as a program to help young sailors prepare for the demands of naval combat. Founder Kurt Hahn designed the program to help young recruits to build self-confidence, grit, and a spirit of teamwork in the face of adversity by encouraging them to challenge themselves. Outward Bound is founded on the idea that experiential learning is equally as important as academic education, and that providing both learning styles for students leads to longer-lasting, more meaningful impact.
Outward Bound came to the US in 1960 and programming in the Northwest began in 1965. It serves nearly 2,000 participants each year from Oregon and Washington, as well as many who come from around the world to engage in local programs, set amongst the Pacific Northwest’s natural beauty.
The mission of Northwest Outward Bound School (NWOBS) is to change lives through challenge and discovery. NWOBS provides uniquely intensive outdoor learning experiences for students of all ages that challenge people to reach their full potential.
Every summer NWOBS offers unique, intensive outdoor wilderness experiences for youth in the Pacific Northwest. From our Mazama base camp, students go mountaineering in the Glacier Peak wilderness, sea kayaking in the San Juan Islands, and rock climbing, backpacking, and canoeing in the North Cascades. From base camp in Bend, OR, students climb historic rock faces at Smith Rock State Park, raft down the Deschutes River, and traverse Mt. Jefferson each year. Expeditions include outdoor education in areas such as camp craft, first aid, navigation, and other skills essential to wilderness living. Through skilled instruction and mentoring, as well as team building activities with their peers, students learn to be part of a supportive community based on respect, compassion, teamwork, and working toward shared goals.
To deliver our program we partner with schools, youth-serving organizations, community leaders, and youth advocates who are dedicated to helping students reach their full potential and who believe in the impact of an Outward Bound course. Partners spread the word about opportunities, identify and recruit candidates, support students through the application process, help prepare them for their course, and assist them in coordinating their post-course service project. Beginning this year, we are allocating additional staff capacity to partnership outreach and coordination, including additional focus on Pierce County. In the past we have partnered with YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap Counties.
Ways to support:
Although the Pacific Northwest is an ideal setting for adventure, challenge and discovery, character-building, and outdoor education, some Oregonians are not included in these opportunities. Many youth in Portland’s low-income neighborhoods and/or communities of color are underrepresented in the beautiful wilderness destinations that the region has to offer. Nationally, youth of color make up only 21% of outdoor activity participants (Outdoor Foundation, 2012). The preponderance of research shows that outdoor education boosts academic performance, fosters personal growth, benefits health, and cultivates a generation of youth who value and respect the natural world (Oregon Outdoor Education Coalition, 2015).
Our Pinnacle Scholarship Program, established in 1992, has provided hundreds of young people across the country an opportunity to build character, develop leadership skills, and understand the importance of community service. Pinnacle Scholars are all eligible for the free or reduced lunch program. The Program depends on partners, often teachers, counselors, community leaders, or youth advocates, who are dedicated to helping youth reach their full potential and who understand the impact of an Outward Bound course. Partners spread the word about scholarship opportunities, identify and recruit candidates, support students through the application process, help prepare them for their course, and assist them in coordinating their mandatory post-course service project. Current Pinnacle Partners in Oregon and Washington include: Summer Search, Liberty Bell High School, Native American Youth and Family Center, Reynolds High School, Neil Armstrong Middle School, Upward Bound Tonasket and Portland Community College’s TRIO Talent Search.
Our Portland Schools Program is a semester-long progressional series of character and team-building activities for underrepresented middle and high school youth in the Reynolds School District. Over 80% of our students come from low-income households (eligible for Free or Reduced Lunch) and 74% are students of color. By providing opportunities for high quality outdoor experiences, youth in Portland have more access to a valuable tool for enriching their lives, improving their opportunities for school success, and participating in the unique experiences that define and unite us. In 2017, we expanded into Reynolds High School, creating more long-term, impactful leadership opportunities for students, supporting them through the 8th – to 9th grade transition. Research shows that the 9th grade transition is a particularly vulnerable year for students who are at risk of not completing high school. Students who feel confident and connected to school in 9th grade are more likely to succeed (“Ninth Grade Counts.” All Hands Raised, 2016.). In the 2016 graduating class at Reynolds High School, only 67% graduated on time compared to the statewide average of 75% (The Oregonian Your Schools, 2017.). The Portland Schools Program is proven to support students in building the skills and resiliency for personal and academic success throughout their lives.
Portland, OR. The annual Albertina Kerr luncheon introduced community members to the work of the local nonprofit, which provides programs and services to children and adults with developmental disabilities and mental health challenges, empowering them to live richer lives. The event on November 3rd at the Downtown Portland Hilton drew approximately 350 people. Bernie Wilson, Dir. of DDS and Sandra Cisneros, Family Support Specialist posed for a photo. (Photo credit, Andie Petkus)
Anne Adler – CDO, Jeff Carr = CEO, Kristie Nelson and son Nathan – client of Kerr, Jennifer Harmon – Marketing and Communications Mgr.
Discover Kerr was a free luncheon with a presentation from CEO, Jeff Carr. Carr also identified the long-term goals of the organization: build affordable on-site housing for employees, revitalize the brand, cultivate strategic community partnerships and invest in the services they provide.
Chris Krenke and Jeff Carr – Past and Present CEOs of Albertina Kerr
Connie West – Joyce Manougian Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Jeff Carr – CEO, Miki Herman – Chair, Foundation Trustees
From Albertina Kerr:
Our Mission
Albertina Kerr empowers people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, mental health challenges and other social barriers to lead self-determined lives and reach their full potential.
Our Vision
All people thrive in nurturing and inclusive communities.
Our Values
Guiding beliefs that shape the culture of Albertina Kerr Centers, the behavior of all individuals directly associated with the organization, and the delivery of services include:
DIGNITY AND COMPASSION
Every individual has equal value and we treat each person served with dignity and respect. Our belief in kindness, understanding, humanity, and the value of diversity and culturally appropriate services guides our daily work.
INTEGRITY
We are committed to high ethical standards. Honesty, accountability and responsible stewardship of financial resources are expected from all employees and volunteers.
COMMITMENT
We are committed in providing the best care possible for everyone we serve. We believe in evidence-based practices, continuous learning and improvement to ensure positive service outcomes and responsible financial management. We are forward-thinking in our work and seek out innovative and creative approaches to fulfilling community needs.
COLLABORATION
We partner with the people we serve and their families to achieve our vision and mission. Partnerships with employees, community volunteers and donors, government agencies and other like-minded organizations are also essential.
ADVOCACY
We strongly advocate for the needs of the people we serve, educating the community and political decision makers about the challenges they face. We employ those we serve to successfully advocate for their own needs and rights.
Portland, OR. This year’s OSU President’s Dinner Celebrated 150 years of philanthropy and welcomed 15 new members to the Milton Harris Society. The society is named for a 1926 OSU graduate and noted chemist, who gave the first $1 million gift to OSU. At the dinner on November 16th at the Portland Art Museum, Larry Hawley Brown was recognized for the generosity he offered with his wife, Dena. (Photo credit, AJ Meeker and Hannah O’Leary)
Tom Teramura, Vice President of Precision Castparts Corp., which was recognized for generous support scholarships and engineering programs at Oregon State University.
Katie Mespelt Honerlah & Ray Honerlah, with Oregon State University President Ed Ray and OSU Foundation CEO and President Mike Goodwin, were recognized for their generous support of Oregon 4-H programs.
Jerry Hulsman, a member of Oregon State University’s Harris Society, recognizing the university’s most generous donors.
Debb and Robert Zagunis were recognized by Oregon State University for their generous philanthropic support.
From OSU:
From its earliest days, philanthropy has shaped OSU’s legacy of innovation, service, and impact on the world. During the program, Mike Goodwin, President and CEO of the OSU Foundation, ended his remarks with words that Linus Pauling shared with his classmates before commencement in 1922 – words that still ring true today: “Education, true education such as our own college gives us, is preparation both for a life of appreciation of the world and for a life of service to the world. The improvements which have been made in the past few years, great as they are, are small compared with those yet to be accomplished.”
About the OSU Foundation
Vision
To create a better world by inspiring support of – and for – Oregon State University.
Mission
We partner with Oregon State University to engage our community, inspire investment, and steward resources to enhance the University’s excellence and impact.
The OSU Foundation is a nonprofit organization incorporated in 1947 and governed by a 42-person Board of Trustees. On December 31, 2014, the Foundation concluded The Campaign for OSU, the university’s first comprehensive fundraising campaign, in which more than 106,000 donors made gifts exceeding $1.1 billion to advance university priorities. The powerful momentum generated by their support has fueled Oregon State’s rise as an internationally recognized public research university. Fundraising efforts are now focused on targeted special initiatives that advance OSU’s strategic plan for creating transformative student learning experiences and building on its greatest strengths and areas of greatest potential impact, such as marine studies and advanced wood products.
The Foundation works with university partners to:
Raise funds in excess of $100 million per year that support the university’s priorities
Cultivate and steward a culture of philanthropy for the Oregon State community
Manage an endowment of more than $500 million
Engage alumni in service to the university
Affiliates and Associates
The OSU Foundation maintains a close partnership with several associated and affiliated organizations that also support the mission of Oregon State University. While associated organizations are separately incorporated, the financial activity of both associates and affiliates flows through the OSU Foundation financial system.
Associates
Oregon 4-H Foundation
Trysting Tree Golf Club
Affiliates
Our Beaver Nation
Construction Education Foundation
E.R. Jackman Board
Tax ID Number / Employer ID Number (EIN): 93-6022772
Portland, OR. #GivingTuesday took place this year the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. The estimated $274 million donated as part of the sixth annual #GivingTuesday was the highest amount in the event’s history, according to an organization statement. The final count represents a 55 percent jump over the $177 million donated in 2016, continuing the increase in donations since the charity-focused event began in 2012.
The 2017 estimate comes from donations reported by about three dozen online giving platforms, including PayPal, Blackbaud, Classy and Facebook, and reflects only donations made in America, although the movement has taken hold around the world, according to Jamie McDonald, Giving Tuesday’s community campaign coordinator.
If you’re still looking for ways to give, here are some tips from Charity Navigator, the nation’s largest and most-utilized evaluator of charities:
Step One: Be Proactive In Your Giving
Start by identifying which causes are important to you, and be specific about the impact you want your donation to have. For example, maybe you are interested in helping people with a particular disease. A large national organization might be better suited to research and finding a cure for the disease, whereas another one, perhaps in your community, could be doing great work providing services to patients and their families. Once you are clear about your philanthropic priorities, start to pull together a list of charities that match your interests.
Step Two: Research before Giving
Next, begin to narrow down your list of charities by conducting some basic research.
Make sure the charity you are considering supporting is a bona fide, tax exempt 501(c)(3) public charity (all of the charities evaluated by Charity Navigator meet this basic requirement). If you aren’t sure, ask for the organization’s EIN (Employer Identification Number) and then check our site to confirm its status.
Examine the charity’s finances. Financially healthy organizations – those that are both financially efficient and sustainable – have greater flexibility and freedom to pursue their charitable mission.
Ensure the charity is accountable and transparent. Charities that are an open book and follow good governance practices are less likely to engage in unethical or irresponsible activities.
Step Three: Discuss Results and Impact
A charity’s ability to bring about long-lasting and meaningful change in the world is the key reason for their existence and for your donation. So, before making a contribution, talk with the charity to learn about its accomplishments, goals, and challenges. Such conversations will give you insight into how well the charity knows where it stands and where it plans to go. Charities unwilling or unable to have this conversation may not deserve your support.
Step Four: Consider the Way You Give
You’ve done your due diligence, so trust the charity to determine how best to spend your contribution. Giving without strings attached (through unrestricted donations), provides the charity the flexibility it needs to respond to changing demands for its services.
Create a budget for how much you can (or would like to) give. Understanding the tax benefits of giving and spacing out gifts during the year (via automatic monthly donations) may boost your overall giving capacity.
Step Five: Follow Your Investment
Remember to follow up with the charity in six months to a year to find out how they’re using your money. You’re not looking for a list of itemized expenses, but instead a progress report to give you a sense of how responsive they are to you and if they can clearly communicate their progress.
Once you are assured that the charity is making an impact, make a commitment to support their work for the long haul. Only with long-term, committed supporters can a charity be successful!
But, if your charity can’t tell you what kind of results they created from your investment, go back to Step One and find one that will!
Below is a list of links to some Portland Area Nonprofits, so happy #GivingTuesday!
Arts, Culture & Humanities
As part of its commitment to the community, Portland Opera makes the final dress rehearsal of each opera available to the region’s students.
The United Way of Columbia-Willamette helps organize the MLK Day of Service like where thousands volunteered like this Camp Fire program where students works in the garden to learn about local plants and vegetables, planting, maintaining gardens and healthy eating.
Portland, OR. This year’s #GivingTuesday, on November 28th, will mark the sixth year of the movement. Since the inaugural #GivingTuesday in 2012, the global day of giving has taken its place alongside Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday, empowering individuals and organizations around the world to help bring about the change they wish to see. The end of the calendar year has always been a busy time for charitable giving, but the #GivingTuesday movement has amplified the effects of giving season.
Here’s a video about the special day:
For a bit of history, #GivingTuesday was founded through a partnership between the 92nd Street Y and the United Nations Foundation to created the movement with the goal of connecting “diverse groups of individuals, communities and organizations around the world for one common purpose: to celebrate and encourage giving.” On #GivingTuesday, 2016, over $177 million dollars worth of donations were made from people in 98 countries.
The spirit behind #GivingTuesday is not only based in generosity but also in the power of social media to connect and inspire (there’s a reason it’s name has a hashtag). Last year on #GivingTuesday, social media engagements reached nearly 2.4 million.
Many donors are turning to Charity Navigator, the nation’s largest independent charity evaluator to research nonprofits. There are 50 nonprofits in Oregon which have earned Charity Navigator’s highest four-star rating and another 58 with an admirable three-star rating. Click here to a learn more about local, national and international nonprofits.
This year Charity Navigator has partnered with GuideStar, Classy and GlobalGiving to display impact information for over twenty-four hundred rated charities. This collaboration will make it easier for charities to share their results and impact-related information with the largest possible audience.
SOLVE is an example of four-star charity – the top Charity Navigator rating. Over the past 30 years, more than 130,000 Spring Oregon Beach Cleanup volunteers have removed an estimated 1.9 million pounds of litter from Oregon’s beaches.
From Charity Navigator:
And we’re launching a collaborative project to bring you information about nonprofit impact. We are publishing results information for approximately 2,400 charities. This information will be provided by one of three partners—GuideStar, Classy, and GlobalGiving. We consider this to be an opportunity for us to help nonprofits become more impactful by clearly sharing that information with you, their donors and beneficiaries. Visit us online so you can see what impact-related information we’re collecting and which charities have this information available on their CN rating pages.
Portland, OR. At a sold-out fall benefit dinner and auction, 240 enthusiastic guests filled the hallways and cafeteria of De La Salle North Catholic High School to show support for students. Patti O’Mara was honored with a special award during the November 2nd benefit. Supporters, including 90 who were attending a De La Salle North Catholic High School fundraiser for the first time, helped raise a record $553,330 for student financial aid. (Photo credit, Andrea Lonas Photography)
Here’s a video about De La Salle North Catholic High School:
From De La Salle North Catholic High School:
De La Salle North Catholic High School opened in 2001 to provide a faith-based, college preparatory high school education to underserved students from the Portland area. These families needed and wanted a viable and affordable choice of schools to send their student. Other private high schools in and around Portland were not an option for most of them because of the cost and the distance their student would have to travel to go to school each day. They spoke out and said “put your school right here in our neighborhood.”
De La Salle was the first school to replicate the innovative corporate work study program pioneered by Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Chicago. There are now over 30 schools throughout urban America that model their school after this Cristo Rey model.
De La Salle North Catholic is sponsored by The De La Salle Christian Brothers and is a part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Portland/Western Oregon. And a nation-wide, independent rating agency has identified De La Salle North Catholic High School as the most diverse private high school in all of Oregon.
Students at De La Salle North Catholic High School attend class four days per week and work for a local company one day each week as part of the Corporate Work Study Program (CWSP). The CWSP provides work experience, business contacts, and helps offset the cost to educate them. This school exists to provide this unique educational opportunity to families who would not be able to afford a private, Catholic education. Our goal is to develop tomorrow’s community leaders by making high-quality education accessible to motivated young people in a learning environment that values cultural, spiritual, and ethnic diversity. We don’t turn away any capable, motivated or interested student because they cannot afford our modest tuition.
The Christmas Ship Parade will launch Friday, December 1st, in North Portland Harbor. The parade will run for 15 nights through Thursday December 21st. (There will be no parades on Dec 3rd, 4th, 5th, 11th, 12th, and 18th.) Christmas Ships, Inc. is a non-profit corporation. Some restaurants and hotels along both rivers, and private citizens, donate to the insurance fund for the lead boats each year. Minimal administrative costs for the year are paid from the fund.
The boats, 14 to 65 feet long, are brightly decorated for the holiday season. The ships draw thousands of residents each night to the banks of the rivers for their performances. Up to 60 holiday boats are expected to make up the two fleets this year.
Restaurants and hotels along the Columbia and Willamette rivers are already taking reservations with nights already booked for some evenings.
There’s always room for more boats in the parade of Christmas ships:
The privately owned vessels come from Portland, Vancouver, McMinnville, Salem and Hood River areas. Some of the ships owners have been part of Christmas tradition for more than 30 years with many being part of the Christmas Ship fleet for over 20 years. Each skipper is responsible for their own expenses, including fuel and insurance for their vessels over the two weeks. This can run into the hundreds of dollars, which in itself is a testament to the dedication and enthusiasm the Christmas Ship skippers bring to the organization, and the community. The organization accepts donations to help cover the cost of maintaining, managing and promoting the organization, but none of these donations go to the skippers, their crews, or their boats. Christmas Ships, Inc. is an all-volunteer organization, with no paid staff or officers, just a large group of friendly individual volunteers/skippers who give back to the community.
From The Christmas Ships:
The Christmas Ship Parade started in 1954 with one lone sailboat from Portland Yacht Club. Bows of green with some ribbon where tied along the rails and it paraded on the rivers. The next year the parade started to grow. Today, The Christmas Ship Fleet averages about 55 to 60 boats between the Columbia and Willamette River fleets. Things have changed from the first lone ship. Now the displays are brightly lit and can be seen from bank to bank on each river.
The Portland tradition packs restaurants along the two rivers. Many reservations are made a year in advance. Many hotel rooms are booked by mid-summer. Corporation Christmas parties are scheduled around the Christmas Ship Parade schedule. By the thousands every night regardless of the weather Portland-Vancouver residents line the banks of both rivers to watch the parade. To show their appreciation for the all volunteer effort and the performance they give, many homes and cars along the way flash their porch and headlights as the fleet passes.
Each boat owner designs and builds their lighted Christmas display and pays their operating costs which includes fuel. Many of the displays can be seen each year, but new boats join the flotilla each year and bring with them new Christmas oriented lighted exhibits. As skippers retire, they also hand down their well known displays so the tradition continues. Even though not all boats make it out every night of the two weeks the ships parade on the rivers of Portland, most do. For many of the boat owners, this is a family Christmas tradition, offering the Portland area thrilling Christmas time parades. Many of the operators also have small private parties for friends and families aboard their vessels during the parade. All costs are borne by the owners.
Weather is the only element that will cancel the ships performance. That determination is made by the leaders for the evening about a half hour before the ships are scheduled to begin performing.
Portland, OR. Fête du Vin on November 4th brought together some of Oregon’s best wineries and restaurants, uniting the diverse and progressive community that surrounds the French American International School. FAIS Parent & Alumni relations Manager, KaDo Gorman posed for a photo with Fete Committee members Raphaelle Robert, Julia Bannon, Michelle Reeves, and Paul Willenberg. (Photo credit, Jason DeSomer)
FAIS Parent and Fete Chair Michelle Reeves pours a glass of David Wine to Fete Committee Member Julia Bannon while Verdigris Restaurant representatives Johnny Nunn explains his fine food.
350 guest enjoy the flavors of some of Oregon’s best wineries and restaurants.
FAIS Board members Kim Patterson, Patti Schafner Jordan, Andrea Vloon, Matt Littwin, Pamela Neferkara, Steve Lesnard, Christine Chang, Mat Birchard, Bonnie Stewart and Scott Shaw celebrate at Fete du Vin.
From French American School:
Established in 1979, FAIS has since built one of Portland’s most respected and forward-thinking schools. Known for its high-quality academic program, FAIS is committed to growing a global community of international thinkers and innovators. All proceeds from this event go towards supporting FAIS and its mission to foster open-mindedness, integrity, and collaborative community. FAIS is proud to host Fête du Vin at its new event venue, Pure Space in the Pearl district of Portland.
Founded – 1979 Head of School – Pam Dreisin Middle School Division Head/
Assistant Head of School – Emmanuelle Burk Lower School Division Head – Catherine Cohen FAIS Includes –
The French American Lower School, grades PS-5
FAIS educates approximately 550 students in preschool through grade eight. There are about 140 students in Maternelle (preschool, prekindergarten, and kindergarten), 230 in grades one through five, and 180 in grades six through eight.
Class size is generally limited to 18 in all grade levels, and the average class size is 15. Maternelle classes (preschool, prekindergarten and kindergarten) have a certified French teacher and a bilingual assistant.
Curriculum
French American Lower School (preschool through grade five) – Our primary school is a French immersion program that combines the best of the French and American educational systems. The language of instruction is exclusively French from preschool through fifth grade. English language arts, U.S. social studies and science are taught in English beginning in the second grade. A copy of the curriculum outline is available on request.
Gilkey International Middle School (grades six through eight) – Our middle school offers an inspiring international curriculum where students strive to become independent, creative, and critical thinkers, preparing themselves as responsible citizens and leaders within their local and world communities. Students choose between instruction in English or partial immersion in French, German, Spanish, or Mandarin. All students also select a beginning language (French, German, Spanish, or Mandarin). A copy of the curriculum outline is available on request.
Portland, OR. The 11th annual Rosemary Anderson High School (RAHS) Gala drew 325 supporters and raised $265,000 to fund education and mental health services for RAHS youth – making this the largest and most successful Gala to date for the nonprofit. Joe McFerrin II, RAHS President & CEO, posed for a photo with award winners John Shreiber and Summy To of Myoptic Optometry.
RAHS Board Member and Emcee Tanasia Bishop addresses the audience at the November 1st gala at Pure Space.
RAHS is part of Portland Opportunities Industrialization Center, Inc., a non-profit education management organization, established for 42 years in North Portland, serving over 560 students and work trainees annually, across three programs: Rosemary Anderson High School, Rosemary Anderson Transitions, and Work Opportunities Training. Here’s a video about the program:
Portland Opportunities Industrialization Center, Inc., reconnect alienated at-risk youth affected by poverty, family instability and homelessness; with high school education through Rosemary Anderson High School (RAHS), and with career training through POIC Work Opportunity Training programs (WOT). The program continues to mentor and support graduates in post-secondary education until they reach the age of stable maturity at 25, through Rosemary Anderson Transitions program (RATR).
RAHS President & CEO Joe Mcferrin II explains the importance of the programs at the gala.
RAHS Board Members Kristin Valente and Sally Leisure are honored at the event.
Attendees celebrate on the dance floor.
From RAHS:
We would like to give a special thank you to our major sponsors: EY and The Renaissance Foundation; Cheryl’s on 12th & As Good As It Gets Catering for providing a wonderful meal; and to all of our outstanding table sponsors. Thank you as well to Stark Photography and Shields Films; Marjorie Belson & Mel Shulevitz, our Honorary Gala Co-Chairs; Brigitte Dortmund Ting & Marjorie Belson, our Auction Co-Chairs; Tanasia Bishop for emceeing our evening’s program; and to Rosie and Malik for bringing our video to life and sharing what RAHS means to them.
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