Portland, September 29th. Taking a page from P Diddy’s playbook, parents and community members converged on the newly-build home of Sheila Hamilton and Colin Maclean to raise money for their students. (Photo credit, Brian Black) The Riverdale School District Parent Teacher Club helped organize the party and white attire was a must. Host families included: The Cains, Cohens, Fords, Hinsvark/Hillmans, Millers, and Moone/Scotts.
Riverdale’s first annual White Party 2012 benefited from the terrific fall weather.
Sheila Hamilton and Colin Maclean
Jillian Cain and Amber Hinsvark
Laura and Andy Ford
Stuart and Barbara Cohen with Allison and Martin Kehoe
Organizers are hoping to recreate the magic again next year.
The Riverdale School District serves over 600 families living in a residential, wooded area seven miles south of downtown Portland, Oregon and adjacent to the city of Lake Oswego. Both Riverdale Grade School and Riverdale High School are accepting applications for the 2012-2013 school year on a rolling basis.
Portland, October 9th, 2012. More than 1,700 people attended the Portland State University (PSU) event which raised more than $1 million – a new record. It was the 13th annual Simon Benson Awards Dinner Tuesday at the Oregon Convention Center. The event is held every fall to honor local philanthropists and this year featured Keynote speaker was Diane Keaton. Pictured are: Co-chairs Ken Thrasher, Honorees Irving Levin and Stephanie Fowler, PSU President Win Wiewel, Keynote speaker Diane Keeton, Honoree Jordan Schnitzer, Sally Hopper, Honoree Travis Knight, Donna Knight and Co-chair Kimberley Cooper.
Tuesday’s event raised 20 percent more than last year, and nearly double what was raised two years ago. Funds raised will go to the Maybelle Clark Macdonald Fund scholarship challenge grant and the Fund for PSU, which supports scholarships, faculty research, and new programs throughout the University
This year’s Simon Benson Award recipients were Arlene Schnitzer and Jordan Schnitzer, and Irving Levin and Stephanie Fowler. Together, the two families have given millions of dollars to a wide array of causes in the Portland area and beyond.
In addition to the two Simon Benson Awards, PSU gave its first-ever Alumni Achievement Award to Travis Knight, president and CEO of LAIKA, the Hillsboro, Ore., animation studio that produced the Academy Award-nominated film “Coraline” and this year’s “ParaNorman.” Knight earned a bachelor’s degree in social science from PSU in 1998. His wife, Donna, is also a PSU alum.
Diane Keaton, award-winning actress, director, producer and screenwriter, was the keynote speaker. Her appearance along with Knight put a spotlight on Portland as a popular location for television and movie production. PSU is the only public university in the Pacific Northwest to offer a degree in film, which is one of the fastest-growing majors on campus with 273 students.
Arlene, Jordan and the late Harold Schnitzer have been major philanthropic forces in Oregon for decades.
The Harold Schnitzer family has supported virtually every cultural, educational and social service agency in our region, including the Portland Center for the Performing Arts, which renamed its theater the “Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall.” Other organizations supported by the Schnitzer family include the Portland Art Museum, Oregon Health & Science University, Oregon Public Broadcasting, Pacific Northwest College of Art, Lewis & Clark College Northwestern School of Law, University of Oregon, and the Oregon Symphony, as well as provided more than $1.6 million in contributions to PSU since 1998.
Arlene and her late husband Harold received honorary doctorates from PSU in 2004. Contributions from the Harold and Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation made it possible for PSU to hire its first tenured faculty member in Judaic Studies. The family also supported PSU’s School of Fine and Performing Arts with a leadership gift to create the DePreist Professorship to advance diversity in the arts.
Jordan Schnitzer has received numerous honors and awards, including the PSU President’s Award for Outstanding Philanthropy in 2002. He serves on PSU’s Judaic Studies Steering Committee and is a strong supporter of PSU’s Center for Real Estate.
Jordan has also received the State of Oregon’s Governor Arts Award in 2003, the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser Award in 2009 and the Lewis & Clark College Northwestern School of Law’s Distinguished Business Law Graduate Award in 2011, among others. He has served on more than 30 nonprofit boards and organizations, strengthening their presence in the community.
Irving Levin is a serial entrepreneur, angel investor and mentor. He and his wife Stephanie Fowler co-founded The Renaissance Foundation in 2000 to benefit a wide range of philanthropic interests, especially education. Levin is currently executive chairman of Genesis Financial Solutions and chairman of Digital Divide Data, an international social enterprise operating in several developing countries. He serves on the boards of several private companies and non-profits, and previously was on the boards of the PSU Foundation, Providence St. Vincent Medical Foundation, SMART and the Children’s Institute, among others.
Fowler is an award-winning journalist and a psychotherapist. She was an associate editor and member of the editorial board of The Oregonian, and for nine years hosted Oregon Public Broadcasting’s news and public affairs program “Seven Days.” For many years prior, she was the political reporter/analyst at KGW-TV, then KOIN-TV. She serves on the Oregon Board of the Nature Conservancy, the World Affairs Council advisory board and as a Trustee of Lewis and Clark College.
Levin and Fowler created a scholarship at PSU for undergraduate students who are the first in their family to attend college. More than 60 students have benefited from the scholarship. They also recently created a new scholarship for 30 or more students in the Graduate School of Education who were the first in their family to attend college and now are working toward a teaching career. Levin and Fowler also developed the concept and provided seed funding for PSU’s entrepreneurial leadership program in partnership with Mercy Corps and Digital Divide Data. More than 250 local business managers and students from 35 countries have completed the six-week certificate program.
Named after one of Oregon’s first philanthropists, the Simon Benson Award was created by PSU in 1999 to honor the region’s contemporary pioneers in philanthropy. Recipients are community leaders who have generously given time and resources to improve the lives of generations of Oregonians. A key objective of the event is to highlight the impact and raise the profile of philanthropy throughout Oregon.
Bank of America was the presenting sponsor of this year’s event. It also received the support of the following lead sponsors:
Principal Level Sponsors
Fred Meyer Stores, Howard S. Wright Constructors, Peter W. Stott Foundation, The Harold & Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation, The Hedinger Family Foundation, The Renaissance Foundation.
Leadership Sponsors
Chase Bank, Key Bank, Portland Monthly Magazine, Pete and Chris Nickerson, Gordon D. Sondland and Katherine J. Durant Foundation, Umpqua Bank, The Greenbrier Companies.
About Portland State University (PSU)
Located in Portland, Oregon, PSU has about 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students. PSU’s motto is “Let Knowledge Serve the City,” and we provide every student with opportunities to work with businesses, schools and organizations on real-world projects. Our downtown campus exhibits PSU’s commitment to sustainability with green buildings, while sustainability is incorporated into much of the curriculum.
Portland, September 20th. Wild Splendor is the annual fundraising event where sponsors, donors and friends get together to support the mission of Columbia Land Trust. Richard and Sarah Melching, David DiCesare and Jane Jacobsen raise a glass in celebration. (Photo Credit, Andie Petkus) The event was at Pure Space.
Wild Splendor’s Video Sponsor Funnelbox joins Columbia Land Trust to support conservation of land. Steve Crocker, Kalina Torino, Matt Roberts, and Sean Saul from their team celebrate together.
Phillip Hillaire, Paul Lumley, and Executive Director Glenn Lamb enjoy the evening.
Since 1990, the private nonprofit Columbia Land Trust has been working in the greater Columbia River region to conserve signature landscapes and vital habitats.
Around the same time, the private nonprofit Three Rivers Land Conservancy began work to preserve lands around the Portland Metro area. They began acquiring lands around Lake Oswego and continued to identify 11 other local watersheds where land conservation would be beneficial. After growing to nearly 1000 members, they merged with Columbia Land Trust in 2010.
Together we work exclusively with Washington and Oregon landowners committed to voluntarily preserving their land forever.
Our organization prides itself on maintaining neutrality in the interests of the common good. We succeed because we are resourceful, versatile and pragmatic in working to achieve our goals while remaining true to our long-term vision.
Through the generous actions of our nearly 1,800 members, and by working collaboratively with landowners, local residents, government entities and other nonprofit organizations, the Columbia Land Trust has conserved more than 18,000 acres from the east side of the Cascade Mountains to the Pacific Ocean in Oregon and Washington.
Portland, September 15th. Pet Partners (formerly Delta Society) hosted its second fall fundraising gala, One Bond One World: Celebrating 35 Years of Delta Society & Pet Partners. Honorary Event Chairs Dr. Robert and Kate Franklin, Pet Partners’ CEO Stephen Browning, Event Chair Lynda Iverson and award honoree Katharine Harding with Cavadoodles Karisto and Philia enjoyed the party. The pet-friendly event was attended by approximately 150 guests, including many registered therapy dogs and other well-behaved pets, and funds raised nearly tripled those raised at last year’s gala.
Emcees Kim Singer and Larry Shoop with celebrity host David Frei, television host of the Westminster Dog Show.
Pet Partners co-founder Dr. Bill McCulloch presents Katharine Harding with the first “Delta Spirit of Caring” award.
On hand were past and present Pet Partners board members, co-founder Dr. Bill McCulloch and emcees David Frei, television host of the Westminster Dog Show, Kim Singer and Larry Shoop. Longtime volunteer and supporter Katharine Harding was presented with the first “Delta Spirit of Caring Award,” which will be awarded annually to honor a person, group, company or organization that exemplifies Pet Partners’ mission to promote and demonstrate that positive human-animal interactions improve people’s physical, psychological and emotional health.
Therapy animals registered with Pet Partners as well as other well-behaved pets were treated to an elegant evening.
Volunteer Melanii Lambert poses with her therapy animal partner, Taquita.
Pet Partners’ Board member Dr. Laird Goodman and his wife Pam enjoy the VIP reception and silent auction.
The elegant evening of dining, dancing, silent and live auctions, and mingling with others who support Pet Partners’ dedication to the human–animal bond was enjoyed by all the guests.
Pet Partners, established in Portland as Delta Society in 1977, is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to demonstrating and promotion that positive interactions with animals improve people’s physical, psychological and emotional health. The organization’s Therapy Animal Program trains and evaluates volunteer therapy animal teams, its Service Animal Program provides information and resources for people with disabilities who are considering getting a service dog or who are currently partnered with a service dog, and its Companion Animal Program educates individuals and families on the ways companion animals can improve health and well-being in everyday life. Each year, Pet Partners’ 11,000 therapy animal teams visit more than 1 million people across the United States and in 14 other countries. For more information, visit www.petpartners.org.
Portland, October 6th. Feminist icon Gloria Steinem was the keynote speaker at the Annual Choice Celebration at the Portland Marriott and visited with Cylvia Hayes, Governor John Kitzhaber. (Photo credit, Andie Petkus) The event organized by NARAL Pro-Choice Oregon featured the activist and advocate for women’s rights who urged women to vote in November.
Students from ‘Girls Lead’–a group from the recently closed Harriet Tubman Leadership Academy for Young Women were invited to join Gloria on stage.
Gloria Steinem addressing the crowd of 700.
Gloria with the more than fifty elected officials in attendance
Gloria with the staff of NARAL Pro-Choice Oregon. From left: Executive Director Michele Stranger Hunter, Outreach Coordinator Rachel Adams, Policy Coordinator Anne Morrill, Program Director Jill Wantland, and Administrative Assistant Kristin Ploog
Steinem visited Portland last year to address the YMCA and Smith College alumni. This year, her message was to remind women they have, “the power to make a difference.”
NARAL Pro-Choice America, Inc., a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization
Portland, October 8th. The Timbers’ “Stand Together Week ” is drawing more people into nonprofit work. Organized with the help of Hands On Greater Portland and supported by adidas, Alaska Airlines, Fred Meyer, JELD-WEN Windows and Doors, and KPTV, Stand Together Week includes 40 projects across the Portland metro area benefiting more than 30 nonprofit organizations focused on youth and the environment.
The projects and volunteer opportunities affiliated with Stand Together Week range from leading youth activities to outdoor/garden maintenance and construction projects. In total, Stand Together Week will bring together nearly 1,000 volunteers, including Timbers players and staff, supporters and members of the community. Volunteer opportunities are offered through Sunday, October 14th. Click here for a link to the Hands on Greater Portland sign up page!
Timber Joey volunteer with Fred Meyer at Portland YouthBuilders for Stand Together Week (L.M. Parr/Portland Timbers)
Community Cycling Center volunteers.
1,000 volunteers will be involved over the course of the week.
Timber Joey volunteers with fans at Ockley Green K-8 School for Growing Gardens as part of Stand Together Week. (Matthew Ellis for Portland Timbers)
Portland Timbers forward Kris Boyd (9) volunteers with fans at Ockley Green K-8 School for Growing Gardens as part of Stand Together Week on October 8, 2012 in Portland, Oregon. (Matthew Ellis for Portland Timbers)
Bright Dike and Timbers Joey with volunteers that helped prepare reclaimed lumber at the ReBuilding Center in North Portland during Stand Together Week . (Justin Silvey/Portland Timbers)
Portland, September 29th. Priscilla and Dan Wieden were among more than 500 donors supporting Self Enhancement Inc. at Art + Soul. The spirited event was a showcase for SEI’s talented students. (Photo credit, Antonio Harris)
Students raise their voices.
SEI CEO, Tony Hopson and wife, Carla Hopson.
Mike and Cynthia Louaillier
Hundreds of SEI Guests gear up for the evening.
Priscilla and Dan Wieden
Honoree, Stephen L. Shepard and his family
From SEI:
We are Self Enhancement, Inc. (SEI), a nonprofit organization supporting at-risk urban youth. In 31 years, SEI has grown from a 1-week summer basketball camp to a flourishing agency serving thousands of students each year in the greater Portland, Oregon area, with plans to replicate across the country.
Whereas others see only statistics, we see strong individuals, tomorrow’s business owners and leaders, teachers and citizens. We help our students see themselves and their potential the same way. Then we help them find their strengths, ignite their passion and identify the plan that will move them in the direction of their dream. And we stay with them every step of the way, 24/7, 365 days a year from age eight through 25.
Mission statements, vision statements, slogans and credos are displayed on walls and web sites all over for-profit and non-profit America. Some are poignant, some are pathetic. We think that too often they are just words that are pointed to now and then. Not here. Students and staff live by the SEI standards from the moment they walk through our doors.
Portland, Monday, September 24th. Over 65 Nonprofit leaders raised their glasses at The Treasury Ballroom to celebrate the release of the fifth edition of The Oregon Nonprofit Corporation Handbook. Authors Cindy Cumfer and Kay Sohl were on hand to sign hot-off-the-press copies of the essential resource. They also had a chance to enjoy appetizers, wine, and beverages generously donated by Vibrant Table.
Alice Forbes, Nonprofit Association of Oregon Interim Executive Director and Alissa Beddow, Nonprofit Association of Oregon Communications & Design Coordinator take a look at the new book.
Carrie Kaufman, Director of Development & Communications and Warren Bechotolt Jr.
The only complete guide for Oregon nonprofits, the Handbook is four great reference books in one: legal, tax exemption, management, and accounting.
The Nonprofit Association of Oregon was very appreciative of the generous donation of catering services from Vibrant table.
The mission of the Nonprofit Association of Oregon is to strengthen the collective voice, leadership, and capacity of nonprofits to enrich the lives of all Oregonians.
What We Value
The Role of Nonprofits in Our Society We believe nonprofits play an exceptional and vital role in our communities and in our state. The sector enriches community life, offers people a way to participate, stands up for underrepresented people, provides needed services, and pioneers solutions to social and economic problems. To fulfill these roles, the nonprofit sector needs a strong collective voice.
Innovation, Investment, Stewardship We believe the role of nonprofits is central to addressing social challenges and opportunities. Nonprofits are critical to the creation of a better future through their innovation, entrepreneurship, creative use of resources, and ability to engage communities in shared visions. We believe strongly in investing in the capacity of nonprofits to build the systems and infrastructure they need to develop effective and sustainable organizations. We are careful stewards of all human, financial, and natural resources. We use the time and talents of those working with us effectively, we spend the funds invested in us wisely, and we are environmentally responsible.
The Diversity of the People of Oregon We respect and include all of Oregon’s people, cultures, regions, and political views. We believe that nonprofits play a leadership role in establishing cross-cultural effectiveness.
Portland, Saturday, September 22nd. It was an inside/outside night of beautiful music for the Portland Opera. Featured soloists Jennifer Forni and Resident Artist Lindsay Ohse enjoying the Notte Grande Gala. Outside the Keller Auditorium, a street fair drew a lively crowd as the Portland Opera staged the 2nd Annual BIG NIGHT.
Hundreds of people enjoyed the an outdoor concert on the Street in front of the Keller Auditorium. Later they watched the Opera performance on a big screen.
It was a yet another delightfully warm fall Saturday night which added to the ambiance.
Jason Bray, Joshua Buck, Jaqueline Davis and Silas Davis
Portland Opera’s Claudie Fisher with Special Guest, Sasha Roiz from NBC’s Grimm
Inside the concert was also a hit! This year George Manahan returned to conduct. Jonathan Boyd, Michael Todd Simpson, Jennifer Forni and the Portland Opera Studio Artists joined the Portland Opera Orchestra and Chorus on stage for an evening of opera arias, duets and choral pieces from Rossini, Verdi, Mozart and Wagner.
Portland Opera’s BIG NIGHT Concert.: André Chiang, Caitlin Mathes, Matthew Grills, George Manahan, Jennifer Forni, Jonathan Boyd, Michael Todd Simpson, Lindsay Ohse and Nicholas Nelson, with the Portland Opera Orchestra and Chorus.
All proceeds from BIG NIGHT benefited Portland Opera’s education and outreach programs: bringing opera to students throughout the state of Oregon!
Portland, September 9th. At a freewheeling Scavenger Hunt organized by the nonprofit BACKBONES, one person per team was required to be in a wheelchair; some people were trying it for the first time. The hunt started at the Mercy Corps Building and took teams around the Rose City. Participants learned about spinal cord research at the Rehabilitation Institute of Oregon and had a great time doing it. The event marked Spinal Chord Awareness Month and attracted a wide range of attendees.
Ashley Schahfer holds up a team t-shirt from the Scavenger Hunt.
“Never underestimate the power of a few committed people to change the world.” – Mohandas Gandhi
Reveca Torres, founder of BACKBONES from Illinois, gets a hug from one of the competitors.
The nonprofit was started in the Chicago area by Reveca Torres whose spinal cord was fractured in an automobile accident when she was a teenager. BACKBONES launched in Portland last year.
From BACKBONES:
BACKBONES exists to provide free support for people with spinal cord injury and their families. Through our network we facilitate telephone, in-person, or web-based connections and encourage growth by the sharing of experiences and ideas. As a host to events, BACKBONES creates an inviting atmosphere where people can ask questions, learn from each other informally, and make lasting friendships. If you’d like to get involved, here’s a link: http://backbonesonline.com/
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