Community Vitality and Economic Opportunity Grant Pilot Program

2025 recipients

Summaries provided by recipient organizations have been lightly edited.

Latino Network: Adelante Juntos (AJ) Community Defense Initiative — family preparedness clinics

Latino Network (LN)’s new Adelante Juntos (AJ) Community Defense Initiative provides critical resources in response to growing threats to the Latine community. The Latine community has been subjected to increased attacks regarding immigration during this federal administration. Those attacks have added trauma, fear and uncertainty to many immigrant and refugee community members. Core AJ service areas are Immigration Justice, Mental Health Support, Reproductive Health, and Staff Support and Joy. Our proposed project is to promote civic vitality by engaging communities in events and activities. Our project also functions as an innovative community safety solution, while promoting equity and inclusion amongst immigrant communities.

The events that will be facilitated by our staff will be two Family Preparedness Clinics, with the goal of educating families for the unexpected. This will be a Family Preparedness event where families can pick up materials to organize important documents, such as birth certificates, passports, vaccination cards, school report cards, and delegation of powers; and/or receive direct assistance from staff. Families will receive resources about the Delegation of Parental Powers process; Relative Caregiver Affidavits; and requirements for a guardian to travel outside of the country with a minor. Families will also receive Know Your Rights training sessions, to prepare if faced with an arresting federal agent. Families will receive the Family Preparedness packet prepared by Oregon Law Center and Latino Network. LN staff who are Notary Publics will be available to notarize documentation. Families will receive a fire & waterproof organizer for documents. Families will also receive a USB to save documents electronically. Families will also receive training on how to prepare and store documents electronically.

Family preparedness is crucial for ensuring the well-being of loved ones during emergencies and immigration detentions. It involves having a plan, assembling documentation and supplies, and practicing how to respond. Family preparedness strengthens communities by creating a more resilient population that can better respond to the unexpected. Families who are prepared are more likely to be self-sufficient, reducing the burden on public resources and emergency responders. Family preparedness is not just about individual safety; it’s about building a strong, resilient, and capable community that can foster belonging for all.

LLoyd EcoDistrict: Lloyd Live at Holladay

Lloyd Live at Holladay is a Summer 2025 Activation strategy led by Lloyd EcoDistrict to transform Holladay Park into a vibrant, inclusive community space through consistent and diverse programming, a direct response to long-standing public safety concerns in Lloyd's only significant green space, Holladay Park — a Portland Parks & Recreation property surrounded by residents, workers, and transit riders. From July to September 2025, Lloyd EcoDistrict will maintain a consistent presence and host 60+ free public events, ranging from concerts and pop-up markets to yoga, meditation, storytelling, and creative workshops. These activations will support public safety through regular, joyful presence; promote economic opportunity by engaging BIPOC artists, nonprofits, and vendors; and rebuild trust in this vital public space.

This project is the first phase of a long-term transformation plan for Holladay Park, building on our extensive community engagement work, a recent survey of over 160 residents through planning efforts funded by a Metro grant for Resilience and Mobility Hub, and our fledgling Lending Library, which provides free infrastructure (tables, chairs, solar power, signage, serviceware) and a borrowable inventory of items that can support year-round programming long after the grant period ends.

Oregon Entrepreneurs Network: Pop Up & Pitch

The Oregon Entrepreneurs Network (OEN) will host a community event called a Pop-Up & Pitch that features 25+ local food and non-alcoholic beverage innovators who have opened new businesses. This community event is hosted free of charge and open to the public annually to highlight the newest food and beverage startups across Multnomah County. Attendees are invited to sip, sample, and purchase from these local businesses while the business owners receive an opportunity on stage to share the story of their business to the audience. This event highlights a wide diversity of entrepreneurs and cuisines including Haitian, Thai, Tibetan, Peruvian, West African, Mediterranean and more along with delicious vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free options which allows this project to align with the grant funding goal of promoting equity and inclusion across the many diverse communities living in the county. In past years, this event has attracted over 200 community members.

For the 2025 event, OEN is partnering with Flock PDX, Portland’s new premier food hall featuring foods from around the world. Steve Fang, Flock PDX founder, is fully committed to this community event which will feature the entrepreneurs inside the food hall in addition to the 25+ food and beverage startups OEN will recruit to set up in the courtyard outside the Flock food hall. This partnership allows OEN to host this event in downtown Portland, supporting over 35 small businesses, and drawing hundreds of people to celebrate a culturally diverse dining experience.

Community Pulse Association: Business Bootcamp and Civic Engagement Series

Community Pulse Association, as a part of the Coalition of Slavic and Eastern European Community-Based Organizations (Community Pulse Association, IRCO, LCSNW,SCCOFNW, SOSS), proposes a transformative Business Bootcamp and Civic Engagement Series designed to empower aspiring Russian speaking entrepreneurs from Slavic, Eastern European and Central Asia countries and uplift local business ecosystems in Multnomah County. This 10-week bilingual (Russian / English) business bootcamp — facilitated by Astra Davalos, an accomplished entrepreneur — will guide two teams of 10-12 participants through the fundamentals of launching and sustaining small businesses, from idea development and customer validation to branding, legal considerations, and pitching.

To amplify community engagement, the initiative includes a citywide “Business Quest” highlighting hidden business gems, a visual storytelling campaign featuring immigrant entrepreneurs, and a youth-focused business workshop series to inspire the next generation of business leaders This comprehensive approach not only enhances economic vitality but also fosters civic pride, cultural awareness, and inclusive growth. As a result of the Business Quest, participants will analyze the diverse business landscape in Multnomah County, educate the community on the entrepreneurial mindset, business idea development, and the business model canvas, and engage with local enterprises while assessing business centers. Ultimately, this initiative connects aspiring entrepreneurs with resources and networks that will support their ventures, driving sustainable growth and community development in Multnomah County.

Division-Midway Alliance: Division-Midway Business Leadership in Creating a Vibrant and Prosperous Corridor

Division Midway Alliance (DMA) is a place-based nonprofit committed to creating a resilient and prosperous East Portland through community-driven programs. We propose the “Division-Midway Business Leadership in Creating a Vibrant and Prosperous Corridor” project to strengthen small business leadership and increase their participation in activating public spaces.

In 2023, DMA partnered with the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) and the Coalition of Communities of Color (CCC) on “Beyond Traffic Safety: Building Community Belonging Spaces" project. This report includes a community-recommended safety toolkit, which highlights the importance of incentivizing small business participation along the Division Corridor to help create safe and vibrant public spaces.

To support this community-driven vision, we aim to cultivate leadership among small businesses in creating safer and vibrant spaces while also enhancing the economic growth of both home-based and storefront businesses. We plan to achieve our goals through 3 key project components: The first component is creating Mural Art at the 124th Business Plaza. DMA will collaborate with four local businesses and a mural artist to co-design and implement a mural that reflects the community’s culture and identity. The second component is Midway Bazaar at the 124th Business Plaza. In early September, DMA and participating businesses will host a community marketplace featuring local and home-based vendors, creating a space for economic activity and cultural exchange.The third is installing “Belonging” Street Banners. In 2023, DMA worked with a local artist to design banners that celebrate the neighborhood’s cultural diversity. These banners will be installed along SE Division Street from 117th to 148th Avenue.

Through these efforts, DMA seeks to build business leadership, celebrate cultural diversity, and create safer, more welcoming, and vibrant community spaces. This project supports long-term economic resilience while fostering a sense of belonging in the Division-Midway district. The initiative is focused on serving Division-Midway businesses and the diverse community members who call the neighborhood home.

Outgrowing Hunger: Rockwood People's Market enhancement

The Rockwood Food System Collaborative (RFSC) is a multi-agency network which enhances the Stark-Burnside corridor through east Multnomah County by building a robust and thriving ecosystem of social entrepreneurs, nonprofits, community organizers, business support agencies, and active & engaged community members. The keystone component of this ecosystem is the low-barrier Rockwood People's Market, operated by Play Grow Learn and sponsored by Outgrowing Hunger and Rockwood CDC, held in the parking lot of the Multnomah County Courthouse on SE 185th & Burnside. In 2024, the market received over 11,000 visits and generated more than $200,000 in economic activity. Secondary impacts included individual entrepreneur mentoring for 7 refugee-owned farm businesses, and distributing $116,000 in subsidized farm-fresh produce to community members for free.

Basic bare-bones operations for this ecosystem is secured for 2025, allowing the market to open and the vendors to sell their goods. Our proposed project is to: 1) Elevate market days to become a series of 15 robust community engagement events, each attracting over 1500 people from priority communities;. 2) Support small business entrepreneurs with 4 business development seminars supporting BIPOC, immigrant, or refugee entrepreneurs vending in or near the market; 3) Partner staff time for the acquisition and implementation of an electronic token processing system developed by the University of Cincinnati, which will facilitate low-income market attendees accessing free veggie tokens donated by partner agencies; and 4) Funding for a poly-lingual staff person to support immigrant & refugee entrepreneurs at each event and seminar.

Upgrading basic market operations to community events involves hiring 5-7 additional event staff for each market day, extensive outreach, and planning and preparations to host a rotating roster of culturally-specific presenters, DJ's, musicians, and ethnic cuisine sampling. Our ability to execute effectively rests on the diverse composition of the RFSC member organizations and trusted community partners, which has been proven through many prior events since 2021 including the Sunrise Farmers Market and Gresham Juneteenth celebrations. Business Development seminars will be provided by the East County Business Bridge, which has been tailoring basic business, accounting, and economic education to beginning entrepreneurs through monthly meetings and individual support since 2022.

Lan Su Chinese Garden: Blossom & Bounty Summer Market

Lan Su Chinese Garden proposes the Blossom & Bounty Summer Market, a six-weekend outdoor market series designed to activate Block 24 in Old Town/Chinatown with cultural celebration, economic opportunity, and community connection. Launching in summer 2025, the Market will feature vendor booths, live performances, wellness activities, cooking demonstrations, and youth programming—all rooted in Asian and Pacific Islander traditions. The Market will prioritize participation from AANHPI entrepreneurs, artisans, and food producers, offering affordable booth space and financial assistance to new and emerging vendors. It provides a platform for small businesses to grow their customer base, test products, and share cultural heritage with the broader community.

Lan Su is requesting $16,482 to support core expenses such as infrastructure, translation, performance stipends, and outreach. Additional support will come from $2,475 in vendor fees and in-kind staffing and volunteer contributions, ensuring strong return on investment and program sustainability. The project advances Multnomah County’s goals by: nhancing Old Town with safe, welcoming, high-traffic activation; boosting economic vitality through vendor opportunities and local partnerships; promoting civic engagement through cultural programming and volunteer roles; and building social cohesion through multilingual outreach and collaboration with the Oregon Rises Above Hate (ORAH) network.

Old Town Community Association: No Vacancy Gallery

Experience Old Town’s NO VACANCY GALLERY is a community-led initiative designed to revitalize one of Portland's most historic neighborhoods through an innovative walking art gallery. This project transforms underutilized storefronts and public spaces into vibrant exhibition venues, creating a continuous art corridor that begins at Saturday Market and guides visitors throughout Old Town. Our target community is twofold: Old Town's diverse business owners — particularly BIPOC entrepreneurs — and potential visitors hesitant to explore the area due to negative perceptions.

The walking gallery directly addresses all four grant funding goals by: enhancing the business district through visual improvements and increased foot traffic to local establishments, building on No Vacancy's mission to reimagine Portland's storefronts; implementing innovative safety solutions by activating empty spaces, improving lighting, and increasing community presence; promoting civic vitality through regular art walks, cultural events, and community engagement activities; and advancing equity by prominently featuring works from diverse artists and highlighting BIPOC-owned businesses

The $30,000 grant will fund window installations, weatherproof outdoor art displays, wayfinding signage, and promotional materials. Implementation will be coordinated by the Old Town Community Association through our established coalition of businesses, residents, and cultural institutions.

Building on Experience Old Town’s successful marketing campaign that launched in the summer of 2024, NO VACANCY GALLERY transforms negative perceptions into curiosity and exploration, driving economic growth while celebrating the neighborhood's architectural heritage and cultural significance. This project expands on No Vacancy's activation strategy of using murals, window displays, and street painting to create a cohesive, vibrant experience that encourages Portlanders to rediscover this vital district.

Asian Health and Service Center: Capital Improvements and community events

Asian Health & Service Center proposes to enhance our public facility in the Lents Town Center
business district – the House of Love and Kindness at 9035 SE Foster Road. This project will improve and enhance the safety and vibrancy of our Center as a space for community events open to the general public and with a special focus on events and gatherings for Asian community members, including senior citizens, immigrants and other vulnerable community members. The primary uses for the grant will be outdoor lighting improvement, gate repair, graffiti removal and parking lot improvements to support outdoor and indoor community events.

Additionally, the grant will support staff time to organize community outreach events including a community health fair, mobile vision and dental clinics held in our parking lot, and cultural celebration during summer. These improvements will also allow AHSC to support other neighborhood and community events, if requested by other partners, such as overflow free parking for the Lents International Farmers market, rental of our community spaces for any other organizations that desired to hold an event. A portion of this grant will be used to offer discounts to some community organizations and partners, based on mission alignment, space availability and grant funds available.

Background and grant program information

Funding goals

Enhance Business Districts and neighborhoods throughout Multnomah County by creating safe and vibrant spaces for community members to live, work, and shop.
Facilitate implementation of innovative safety solutions in the community that encourage economic growth and community cohesion.
Promote civic vitality by engaging communities in events and activities.
Promote Multnomah County values of equity and inclusion across diverse communities throughout the County.

Qualifications*

Small businesses, nonprofit organizations, Tribal governments, faith institutions, organizations with fiscal sponsors, and governments are eligible to apply for these funds, but must meet the following criteria:

Have staff physically located in Multnomah County;
Serve Multnomah County residents through programs, events, or as vendors serving the public;
Eligible businesses must operate with budgets of less than $5,000,000 per year, and have location(s) in Multnomah County;
Have a business license, documentation of 501(c)(3) status, or other documentation that can be verified with the Oregon Secretary of State business registration site;
Operate in alignment with Multnomah County Mission, Vision and Values.
Have evidence of insurance coverage.

* NOTE: Individuals, political parties, 501 (c)(4) organizations and political action committees are not eligible to apply.

Examples of projects consistent with these goals include, but are not limited to, graffiti removal, overhead lighting, physical enhancements to activate key pedestrian spaces, community events and other community engagement activities. Proposed projects may not directly provide goods or services that benefit Multnomah County staff or programs.

Up to $250,000 will be awarded in grants ranging from $5,000 to $50,000. No matching funds are required.

Eligible expenses

Staff time to implement proposed activities
Costs and materials related to proposal
Transportation related proposal
Communications and marketing specific to proposal
Cosmetic repairs and additions that enhance the public’s experience, such as firepits, benches, paint, lighting, etc.
Administrative costs, which cannot exceed 10 percent (10%)
Stipends to community members for engaging in the proposed project, which will need to be detailed in the final reporting.

Ineligible expenses

Activities or events held outside of Multnomah County
Materials or costs not related to the proposal
Costs of preparing the grant application
Annual appeals or fundraising drives
Direct grants or loans that primarily benefit specific individuals or businesses rather than the broader community
General operating support
Proposed expenditures may not be used to fund previously budgeted expenditures
Projects that provide goods or services directly to Multnomah County programs or staff
Political events

Application review and scoring and awards

Scoring reviews: Qualified applications will be reviewed and scored by designated County staff to identify applications that meet or exceed the minimum score (75 points). All applications receiving a passing score will be assessed by the Review Committee as either "recommended" or "not recommended," based on their final average score and in consideration of equitable geographical distribution of available funds. Review Committee members will be required to recuse themselves from discussion and decisions of any application whenever there is a conflict of interest related to the application(s) in question. Review Committee funding recommendations will be reviewed by the Deputy Chief Financial Officer.
Final funding decisions: Multnomah County will make final funding decisions and notify awardees no later than June 2, 2025.
Payment of grant funds: County will release awarded funds no later than June 30, 2025.

Recipient Disbursement Report

All Grant recipients will be required to expend all funds and provide a final report no later than September 30, 2024 using a data collection document provided by the County that will require:

Brief outline of successes and lessons learned
Expenditure report
Report on success metrics outlined in their application
Number of project participants or individuals impacted (if applicable)

*NOTE: Final report extensions may be granted if 1) funded activities cannot be completed by Aug. 31, 2025, but can viably be completed by Sept. 30, 2025, and 2) a request for an extension is submitted no later than July 15, 2025. Approved extensions will have a reporting deadline 30 days following the approved project completion date.