The Oregon Community Foundation

What if we built hope in Oregon? Building Hope looks like a teacher finding a home near the school where he teaches. A nurse, living near the patients she serves. A young family buying a starter home instead of leaving Oregon all together. In a recent conversation with Ryan Buchanan on the We Believe in Portland podcast, Oregon Community Foundation President and CEO Lisa Mensah shared why OCF launched the Building Hope Fund with a $100 million investment to help jumpstart housing production across Oregon. Oregon’s housing challenge extends beyond affordable housing and shelter. Too many buyers are increasingly stuck in the middle, earning too much to qualify for affordable housing, but unable to buy at market prices. And OCF is willing to work in the middle. "In my experience, the middle is where we get things done," Lisa said. "There's nothing more obvious than tackling housing. What I think Portland residents and givers will see is us working in all 36 counties. Twenty homes in a small town pops, and it starts to eat away at this narrative that no one cares.” The Building Hope Fund is designed to move projects from ready to build to under construction by making loans to developers who are stuck for lack of financing. “We’ve got a serious down payment,” Lisa said. “The job now is to actually make this fund a lot bigger. That’s how we get to 10,000 homes.” Join us in the Building Hope Fund. https://lnkd.in/gHscqt66

What makes you love Oregon? Its beauty. Its resilience. Its creativity. Its people. Across Oregon, communities are coming together to strengthen child care, fight hunger, build homes, celebrate culture, support the arts and create a future where everyone thrives. Real change happens side by side — neighbor to neighbor, community to community. That’s the work of Oregon Community Foundation. Join us in creating lasting change across Oregon. Video: Jason Hill

The Building Hope Fund is a down payment on Oregon's economic future, especially in rural communities where 10 to 30 new homes can make a big difference, enabling employers to add jobs and families to find stability. Oregon Community Foundation President & CEO Lisa Mensah talked through the goals of the Building Hope Fund on KOIN-TV's AM Extra, explaining why OCF is reaching out to more investors, donors and partners to help finance the construction of 10,000 new homes in Oregon. "Oregon Community Foundation has invested $100 million. We need more investors so we can have a strong Building Hope Fund," Lisa said. "Our doors are open to anyone who wants to be a part of this." Thanks to hosts Mia Villanueva and Emily Burris! Watch the segment: https://lnkd.in/ggi_t28g Learn about the Building Hope Fund: https://lnkd.in/g5ickV5c

We’re proud to welcome fourth-generation eastern Oregon rancher Cory Carman to the Board of Directors of Oregon Community Foundation. A nationally recognized voice in regenerative agriculture, Cory brings deep expertise in sustainable food systems, rural community development and land stewardship. Through her leadership at Carman Ranch she has helped build partnerships that connect Oregon ranching families with consumers and institutions across the state, while advancing soil health, animal welfare and ecological resilience. “Cory brings a singular voice to our state — one shaped by vision, determination and a deep commitment to reimagining ranching while honoring the way of life and economic vitality of eastern Oregon,” said Lisa Mensah, OCF President & CEO. Cory’s experience spans agriculture, public policy and nonprofit leadership. She serves on the Oregon Board of Trustees for The Nature Conservancy and on the Board of Directors for the Children's Institute and has served on state and federal agricultural committees. She’s a member of the @International Women’s Forum. Cory holds a degree in Public Policy from Stanford University. 

Big ideas rarely begin in a spotlight. They usually start quietly — when someone sees what’s broken and imagines something better. Today, OCF President & CEO Lisa Mensah announced the Building Hope Fund, a new effort to help finance housing for developers of middle-income housing. Too many people who keep Oregon running — nurses, restaurant workers, teachers, construction workers and small business owners — cannot find homes they can afford near the communities they serve. In some cases, people working full time are still living in vans because housing is out of reach. The Building Hope Fund will provide lower-interest loans to housing developers who are ready to build but unable to secure reasonable financing. To launch the effort, OCF is committing a down payment of $100 million. This is an investment in dignity, economic opportunity and the long-term strength of Oregon communities. But we know a challenge this large cannot be carried alone. We are inviting investors, donors, foundations and financial institutions to join us. Together, we intend to help build 10,000 homes across Oregon. We will send a signal to the nation: Oregon is willing to do what it takes to help neighbors move from uncertainty into stability — from sleeping in vans to living in homes with a door, a floor and a future. We are balancing bold action with the collective wisdom that has guided this institution for more than 50 years. And we believe that with the right partners, the right structure and rock-solid resolve we can do more than build homes. We can build a better Oregon. Think big, Oregon. And hold hands — as a way of working, a way of showing up and a way of carrying the future together.

A transformational gift for Oregon’s future. Portland philanthropist Joseph E. Weston has donated the remainder of his commercial real estate holdings to the OCF Joseph E. Weston Public Foundation, bringing its endowment to more than $1 billion. This is the largest single gift in the history of Oregon Community Foundation. Since 1991, Weston and his Foundation have awarded more than $250 million in grants and scholarships. This latest gift ensures that support for vulnerable Oregonians will continue in perpetuity, funding opportunities for children, working families, seniors and people experiencing homelessness. "Joe has earned his place in history as one of Oregon's most generous philanthropists. This donation is a triumph for Joe and his legacy,” said Lisa Mensah, President and CEO of Oregon Community Foundation. "We are proud to be part of his enormous impact on our state." Joe grew up in Southeast Portland. Helped develop Portland’s Pearl District. Built and bought thousands of apartments and hundreds of real estate projects across Oregon. His is a story of vision, discipline and deep generosity. Thank you, Joe.

Volunteers power Oregon Community Foundation and the organizations we support. More than 2,200 volunteers shared their time with us last year because they believe in contributing to their communities. We rely on them to review thousands of grant and scholarship applications and assess community needs, and we're so grateful for their leadership and candor. Become an OCF volunteer today by applying through the link in the comments or contacting Sonja McKenzie,CVA at smckenzie@oregoncf.org.

What if your philanthropy could create change far bigger than any single gift? After 35 years working in complex healthcare systems, Sue Hennessy learned a powerful lesson: lasting change happens when you focus on systems, not just symptoms. That insight now shapes how she and her husband, Marcus Wood, give back. Sue and Marcus pool their contributions with others through Oregon Community Foundation to address community challenges at scale. Through OCF’s 18 Collective Giving Funds, donors join experienced program officers who identify where dollars can do the most good across all 36 Oregon counties. One example: the Stronger Together Fund, which powers OCF’s Community Grants program, is helping nonprofits like LIFEBOAT SERVICES, Treehouse Therapies, and Boys & Girls Clubs of the Rogue Valley expand services and strengthen communities. “It’s a return for what we’ve been given,” Sue says. “We have everything we need. And then some. So why not?” 

Child care is the reason tens of thousands of Oregon parents can show up to work. Yet for too long, child care providers have been seen more as informal caregivers than vital links in the economy. In-home providers like Brenda Barajas of Happy Tots Childcare are small business owners who supply nearly 30 percent of all child care slots. A lack of available child care costs Oregon an estimated $1.4 billion each year in lost earnings, productivity and revenue. When families cannot find care, workers turn down jobs, careers stall and employers lose talent. “Child care is a market failure,” says Ruby Ramirez, Senior Program Officer for Early Childhood Programs at Oregon Community Foundation. “It's expensive for families and unsustainable for providers. They have extremely low profit margins, and it's a difficult business to keep up and running,” Programs like the Oregon Child Care Alliance exist to support these essential small businesses with coaching, tools and resources. Brenda will soon expand her enrollment from seven to up to 16 with a child care infrastructure grant from Business Oregon, the state’s economic development agency. She’ll hire an employee and care for more infants, the age group where care is scarcest.   With the right investments, child care providers can grow sustainable businesses that strengthen our entire economy. Story: Shelby Oppel Wood  Photos: Jason Hill