PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Timbers today announced the awarding of $50,000 in grants to seven educational, environmental and community-focused nonprofit organizations in the greater-Portland area through the Portland Timbers Community Fund (PTCF). The recipients were selected by the Portland Timbers Community Fund Advisory Board, consisting of partners adidas, Alaska Airlines and Providence Health & Services.
Since the club’s inaugural MLS season in 2011, the Timbers have given more than $4.3 million in cash and in-kind donations, including their philanthropic work through the PTCF, the club’s field-grants program and various charitable activities.
The Portland Timbers Community Fund presented grants to Beaverton Education Foundation, Big Brothers Big Sisters Columbia Northwest, Girls on the Run of Portland Metro, Open School, Oregon Zoo Foundation, Reading Results and Verde.
Each of the seven organizations will be recognized at Providence Park during halftime of the Timbers match against Los Angeles FC on Saturday.
The Beaverton Education Foundation, an organization that supports strong public schools by developing strategic partnerships with businesses and individual donors, will apply its grant toward a Safe and Sound 4 Student program that provides 30 weeks of after-school academic support and athletics for 800 at-risk middle school students. For more information on the Beaverton Education Foundation, visit https://www.beavertonedfoundation.org.
The grant awarded to Big Brothers Big Sisters Columbia Northwest, an organization that enables children facing adversity to reach their greatest potential, will be used to support a dropout prevention initiative that matches 124 at-risk youth, identified by teachers and school counselors, with one-on-one mentors at corporations. For more information, visit https://itsbigtime.org.
Girls on the Run of Portland Metro will utilize its grant to expand its programming to three Title I schools and help to cover scholarships for 325 low-income girls (ages 8-11) to participate. Participants will receive running and physical activity coaching, life-skills training and healthy snacks from coaches twice per week for 10 weeks to reduce the decline of girls’ participation in sport during adolescence. For more information, visit http://www.girlsontherunpdx.org.
Open School, an organization that aims to develop connection, capability and confidence in disconnected youth, will use its grant to support the implementation of accelerated learning for 500 at-risk middle and high school students in the Portland metro area to increase their likelihood of graduating on time from 25 percent to 70 percent. For more information on Open School, visit https://openschoolnw.org.
The Oregon Zoo Foundation, an organization that aims to inspire the community to respect animals and take action on behalf of the natural world, will apply its grant to its Deliver Nature Overnight program for 300 underserved youth and provide paid Zoo Animal Presenters positions for 35 underserved teens. For more information on the Oregon Zoo Foundation, visit https://www.oregonzoo.org.
The grant awarded to Reading Results will be used toward expanding an early intervention reading program from 660 to 720 at-risk elementary students who are not on track to read at benchmark by the third grade. For more information, visit https://readingresultspdx.org.
Verde, an organization that serves communities by building environmental wealth through social enterprise, outreach and advocacy, will use its grant to connect low-income Cully residents to sustainability and movement to protect the Columbia Slough Watershed through installation and maintenance of the rain gardens. For more information, visit http://www.verdenw.org.
Through the Timbers’ community outreach platform, Stand Together, the team is committed to furthering its community mission to harness the power of sport to improve the lives of children and families in the region through targeted programs, deep partnerships and philanthropic giving. For more on the Timbers community outreach programs and partners, visit www.timbers.com/stand-together.
