“Democracy is not something you have, but something you do. It is a verb.” - Marshall Ganz, Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University

With the election only days away, immigration, reproductive health and civic engagement have taken center stage in the national political conversation. However, these are not just “hot button” political topics; they’re central to the health of our democracy and how justice is delivered in America.

Through our initiative, Together, We Rise, Meyer is proud to support groups working on these and other issues core to developing BIPOC leaders and building inclusive movements here in Oregon.

What is Together, We Rise?

While immigration, reproductive justice, and civic engagement are getting extra attention right now, we at Meyer think about them often. I've had the privilege of working in this space at Meyer for more than 18 years, first through our Building Communities portfolio and now through our recently launched strategic initiative.

Together, We Rise funds leadership development, civic engagement, community organizing, movement building and field infrastructure. These are fundamental to a healthy democracy and critical for advancing Meyer's goals across all our program areas. We focus on supporting organizations that work in historically underserved communities. These organizations engage and support community members, helping them advocate for policy change, overcome historical barriers to civic participation and increase their sense of belonging. 

This year, through Together, We Rise, Meyer will award more than 30 grants totaling more than $5 million to support organizations doing this vital work. (Funding this year was by invitation, but that might change in the future.) 

Immigration: Supporting Human Dignity

Immigrants who have made their home in Oregon are a part of our social fabric and contribute to our collective prosperity. Yet, they are regularly used as scapegoats in increasingly hostile political rhetoric. Below is a selection of Together, We Rise grantees working to reform our broken immigration system and ensure Oregon’s immigrant and refugee communities are not only protected, but empowered.

• Northwest Workers Justice Project: Addresses workplace health and safety violations and protects workers from exploitation, abuse and employer theft
• Innovation Law Lab: Works to end the isolation and exploitation of immigrants and refugees and build permanent pathways to immigrant inclusion  
• Oregon Rural Action: Leads grassroots efforts in Eastern Oregon for farmworker rights, social justice and environmental equity
   

Reproductive Health: Protecting Rights

Reproductive health has been weaponized this political season. However numerous groups are working to preserve Oregonians’ bodily autonomy and access to necessary healthcare. We’ve supported the organizations below in their work to protect these essential freedoms:

• Family Forward Oregon: Focuses on caregiving, gender and reproductive justice, helping BIPOC leaders drive change
• ACLU of Oregon: Through their Equal Rights For All campaign, they’re working to further secure abortion rights and healthcare protections for all Oregonians

 

Civic Engagement: Building an Inclusive Democracy

A healthy democracy requires active civic participation. Everyone deserves a say in shaping our future. But too often marginalized communities face systemic barriers to voting and other forms of engagement. We're supporting the organizations below in their work to break down these barriers and create a truly inclusive system where everyone's voice is heard. 

• Oregon Futures Lab: Provides training and support for incoming leaders from marginalized communities on collaborative and inclusive governance models.
• More Equitable Democracy: Promotes ranked-choice voting to create fairer, more representative electoral systems
• Oregon State Voice: Amplifies the political power of BIPOC-led organizations across the state
• Next Up Oregon: Fosters diverse young activists to achieve a more just and equitable Oregon
   

The Work Continues

No matter the outcome of our upcoming elections, the need for immigration reform, reproductive justice and inclusive elections will continue. These issues won’t be resolved overnight. 

At Meyer, we remain committed to this work for the long haul, knowing that systemic change takes time, effort and sustained support.

 

“When you get these jobs that you have been so brilliantly trained for, just remember that your real job is that if you are free, you need to free somebody else. If you have some power, then your job is to empower somebody else creative." - Toni Morrison

 

With the future of democracy at the forefront of our minds, we met up with Erin Kothari, the executive director of Oregon Futures Lab, to learn more about her organization’s philosophy on BIPOC leadership development and what keeps her grounded.

What drives you?

I come from a long line of strong women. I’m a hometown girl; a third-generation Japanese American originally from Gresham. My great-grandmother and grandmother ran a grocery store, and they worked hard to build something meaningful for their community. I feel a duty to carry that forward in my own way. It’s about justice, service and showing up for my community. I want to make a difference, but I also want to make sure that future leaders — especially those from underrepresented backgrounds — are set up to thrive.

What’s new at Oregon Futures Lab?

One of the main programs we launched in 2022 and continue today is called Care for Disruptive Leadership. It’s a six-month cohort program focused on trauma-informed care and wellness. We designed it to help local elected officials, especially those who are either the first or the only in their positions, find community, identify stressors and receive the support they need to continue their work. A major realization was that leaders need more than just technical skills — they need to be cared for and supported to succeed. The long-term goal is not just to sustain individuals, but to cultivate a leadership pipeline that reflects our communities and supports them throughout their journey.

How have other leadership programs been taking shape?

The BIPOC Executive Director Support Cohort is a program we launched this year, specifically for BIPOC executive directors. After extensive interviews with leaders across Oregon, we realized there was a need for a space where they could connect, build relationships and address challenges unique to their roles. This program started with 15 executive directors, and we’ve been meeting monthly for professional development, workshops and retreats. It’s been a great first year, and we’re already planning for next year to deepen those relationships.

How do you manage your own self-care as a leader?

Honestly, it’s tough. Care for Disruptive Leadership is designed to support leaders, but sometimes even I struggle to prioritize myself. We have to create intentional spaces for leaders to seek care, which is something I try to remind myself to do, too. Leaders need grace, curiosity, and opportunities for rest, and that’s something I’m still learning to balance. I think, for leaders, it’s important to ask for grace, not just from others but from ourselves. We need to remind each other that no one can do it all. The critique culture is strong, but what we need more of is a culture of cultivation — supporting and uplifting leaders instead of just holding them accountable.

What is the future you envision for your community?

I believe the future of leadership in Oregon is BIPOC. The demographics of our student population reflect that, and I think we’re heading toward a future where leadership at every level is more diverse. That’s why it’s so important to invest in and sustain these leaders now. If we’re going to achieve a racially just Oregon, we need leaders who reflect our communities and are supported holistically in their roles. It’s not just about putting someone in a position — it’s about giving them the tools and community they need to thrive.

As the election approaches, what is top of mind for you?

I'm feeling excited and optimistic. While we may not win every race, success shouldn't be defined solely by wins or losses. This election will offer valuable lessons, especially in Oregon, that will make us more organized and effective in the future. I believe movement building is evolving, and we need to focus on authentic, one-on-one connections to meet our communities' needs.

What's something that recently brought you joy?

Connecting with my community and seeing leaders find their stride brings me a lot of joy. Recently, I’ve been enjoying small moments with my kids — just spending time with them, seeing the world through their eyes. It reminds me why I’m doing this work, and it helps me stay grounded.

A portrait of Oregon Futures Lab Executive Director Erin Kothari at the Oregon Justice Resource Center

Since we opened our complimentary event space, the Center for Great Purposes, in October 2023, it’s become a popular resource for many of our grantees. In the past year, we’ve hosted more than 80 events and welcomed over 1,300 community members into our space. We’ve had many organizations hold multiple events in the Center, and we’d love to see even more of our grantees take advantage of this flexible, complimentary event space.

Here’s what you should know if you’re thinking about holding a meeting, workshop, or community gathering in the Center:

Multi-Purpose Space

Located on the first floor of our Portland-based offices, the Center for Great Purposes is open to any Meyer grantee with an active grant. So long as it’s available, you can use the space as many times as you need, whether for a single event or a multi-day gathering. We don’t allow weekly repeating events at this time.

With a room that can accommodate up to 100 people, the Center is designed for flexibility. We’ve hosted everything from large gala receptions to small strategy meetings. Your rental comes with access to the event room, a pre-function area, an adjoining garden and a catering kitchen. Daytime street parking is available.

User-Friendly Tech

Our grantees consistently rave about our tech setup and its ease of use. The room comes with a Zoom-compatible TV wall, two microphones and a sound system. So, whether you’re hosting an in-person or hybrid meeting, the Center is ready to handle it. Also, for the less tech-savvy, someone on our team is always on hand to help with issues as they arise. 

Catering and Layout Flexibility

We know that planning an event means juggling a lot of details. To make things easy, we keep our policies as flexible as possible. 

We have an open catering policy. Feel free to bring your own food or work with the caterer of your choice. We are also happy to recommend some local caterers we’ve worked with before.

The Center is equipped with 24 rectangular tables and 100 chairs and can be set up in a few different ways to suit your needs. You can also bring in outside furniture, like bistro or dining tables. Just keep in mind that, while we’re happy to accommodate these options, we leave coordinating the logistics up to you.

If you’re bringing someone to film your event, let us know ahead of time to ensure there’s room for the extra equipment.

Looking to Book?

Currently, we can accommodate events Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Reservations are filling up for the remaining months of 2024, with broader availability in the early months of 2025. I encourage folks to reach out at least a month in advance with a few date options. 

To learn more, set up a tour or book the Center for your next event, contact us at reservations [at] mmt.org or call 503-228-5512.

What Grantees are Saying

“We’ve had the pleasure of hosting three significant events in the Center,” says Tai Love, development director at Portland Housing Center. “Each allowed us to bring together larger groups than our own space permits.”

“Latino Network held a training series for our program managers at Meyer’s Center for Great Purposes,” says Micaela Alvarez Orgambidez, agency project manager and fiscal support specialist. “It allowed us to offer a hybrid series where people could attend virtually or in person. I attended virtually and was impressed by the visual and audio quality.”

“It is such a blessing to have a space like this,” says Jenn Luevano-Brummett, community impact project manager at Social Venture Partners Portland. “We’ve used the Center for Great Purposes for various gatherings and it always reduces stress for planning, especially with the staff going above and beyond to ensure our events are successful.”

 

There’s a saying in Indian Country that goes, “If you’ve met with one tribe, you’ve met with one tribe.” This saying reveals an important truth: while the needs and priorities of each tribe can be similar, they can also be vastly different. There is no one-size-fits-all approach.

I was reminded of this recently while meeting with tribes throughout the region to build new relationships and strengthen long-standing ties. I, alongside a group of partners in philanthropy and government, spent the summer touring our region. We traveled to Warm Springs to meet with Dustin Seyler, the small business program manager for the Warm Springs Community Action Team. While taking us through the reservation, Dustin told us about how the lack of public gathering space had impacted the community. The once vibrant commissary had become in need of deep repair. With funding to restore this historic structure, the space would provide jobs and nourishment.

This summer, CEO Toya Fick and I met with Chairwoman Brenda Meade and other leaders of the Coquille Tribe. While walking through the halls of their early education offices and wellness center, I saw the care and compassion each person brought to serving their community. There, I learned how important it was for healthcare workers to provide culturally competent medical treatment and wellness services for their community.

Finding Community in this Work

In each of these visits, while grappling with questions of how our cross-sector coalition could better support tribes, I also felt an immense appreciation for the affinity with like-minded people.

As a citizen of MHA Nation (The Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation) who has held roles in government, nonprofits and philanthropy, I have found serving as a liaison for tribal relations can be lonely and progress, glacial. Balancing the needs of my community while navigating dominant cultural systems can be isolating. And yet, there are few things I take more pride in than being a Native leader.

I come from a long line of individuals who have strived to make an impact on behalf of Native communities. My grandma strived to create better systems within the Bureau of Indian Affairs. My auntie helped set mandates within the Bureau of Indian Education. My mom continues to serve tribes at the North Portland Area Indian Health Board. My dad lobbied and advocated on behalf of the Columbia River Treaty Tribes in D.C. While the list goes on and on, I’ve learned it's always important to take big swings on behalf of Native communities. And yet, at the same time, it's just as important to make the smaller efforts that improve the daily lives of all Indigenous peoples.

In our Tribal Funders Tour this summer, we were trying to build something that is oftentimes rare in this space: relationships and trust. By centering community, we’re continuing to build collective power.

This exchange grounded us, especially when considering the sobering dynamics at play in our sector. Only 0.4% — four cents of every philanthropic dollar — goes to Indigenous communities. Coupled with the looming litigation that seeks to undermine philanthropy’s ability to fund on the basis of race and the Biden Administration’s call for philanthropy to step up its investments in tribal communities, there are complex systems we must navigate to make real impact in partnership with tribal nations.

In light of all of this, we at Meyer asked ourselves, “How could we respond to these vast needs and be accountable to our tribal partners?” Our answer: deeper investment and flexible funding.

Honoring Indigenous Wisdom & Correcting Historic Harms

Meyer’s approach to Native grantmaking reflects a shift toward recognizing the long-overdue need for equitable, intentional support of tribal sovereignty. Rooted in deep respect, a commitment to change and decades of groundwork, our strategy aims to decentralize our own role and center the voices, needs and priorities of sovereign tribal nations.

These needs and priorities have often been undervalued in a state founded upon the colonial notion of Manifest Destiny. Oregon’s history is laden with broken treaties, exploitation and genocide. Meyer’s Native grantmaking strategy attempts to address the broader power dynamics and historic harms that dominant institutions have inflicted on Indigenous communities.

Philanthropy has capitalized on the erasure of Indigenous peoples, as well as the seizure of their land for economic prosperity. We aim to be a thoughtful partner to tribes, acknowledging the complexity of tribal governance and the responsibility of philanthropy to work together in solidarity.

This year, Meyer will invest $2.25 million across Oregon’s nine federally-recognized tribes. This is the beginning of a sustained, flexible commitment to fund tribal priorities regardless of whether they align with Meyer’s other funding strategies. This isn’t about fit; it’s about honoring sovereignty. We recognize we need to better understand the nuances of each tribe's operating structures and priorities to make certain that Meyer's investment is making the desired impact. Alongside this, Meyer will continue to invest in organizations that support Native communities through our issue-based portfolios and strategic initiatives, which were also informed by our engagement with Native leaders. Investing in communities of color is central to our mission; it is part of our DNA.

To learn more about Meyer’s tribal grantmaking strategy, click here.

One of Many

Getting here has been no small undertaking. This work has evolved with contributions from both Native and non-Native leaders. I am incredibly grateful for our partners as well as current and former program and executive team members who have contributed their time and wisdom. Together, we are taking a vital step toward a more equitable and just future, where philanthropy supports Indigenous self-determination and tribal sovereignty, and honors the ancestral lands of Oregon’s first peoples.

As Gabe Sheoships (Cayuse/Walla Walla), the executive director of Friends of Tryon Creek, recently reminded me, “We’re all cogs in this wheel and it takes all of the cogs working together to turn it.”

 

In Solidarity,

Stone Hudson, MHA Nation

 

Tribal Funders Group after touring the Umatilla Tribe's cultural institution, Tamastslikt

As Oregon ramps up its efforts to become a 100% clean energy state by 2040, a coalition of nonprofits is paving the way for communities of color to be active players in building a regenerative economy. With a Justice Oregon for Black Lives collaborative grant from Meyer, Leaders Become Legends (LBL), Constructing Hope and NWXcelerator are creating green technology pathways with people who have been historically excluded from such opportunities.

For this coalition, climate justice and reparative justice go hand-in-hand. Many of their program participants are men who have been impacted by the criminal legal system and young people navigating street violence. By partnering with the collaborative, not only do participants gain a foothold in the green workforce, they also build a new sense of purpose and self-efficacy.

“This isn’t about job placement,” Bretto Jackson, co-executive director of LBL, said. “It’s about bringing back information for our community, building intergenerational wealth and how to heal from 400 years of oppression.”

For Martín Minjarez, the coalition has been a lifeline. In and out of the system since his youth, he knows how difficult it is to move beyond the binds of incarceration. After finishing his sentence last year, he immediately connected with LBL for a chance at a different life. They welcomed him, connecting him with career coaching and financial planning management in addition to trauma-informed therapy and an opportunity to complete his GED. Now a participant of the collaborative’s Green Energy Program, Martín leads a solar installation crew at Imagine Energy, one of Oregon’s longest standing clean energy companies.

On his days off, he enjoys helping Green Energy Program participants with another of the coalition’s projects: a holistic career advancement center in Gresham.

While attaching studs to floor joists for what will become a communal kitchen, program participants check in with each other. They may come from different backgrounds, but what they hold in common bonds them: a desire to ascend the shackles of their environment.

“A lot of guys getting out of prison don't think they're going to be successful in life,” Martín said. “After working together on renovating the building one day, we realized we’re actually part of something that will impact someone’s life besides our own.”

The coalition has big plans for the center. They envision it as an entrepreneurial hub where clients can become whole, grow in their careers and give back to their community.

This project, while new, has also earned support from the Portland Clean Energy Fund (PCEF), which prioritizes climate action for communities of color, low-income neighborhoods and people living with disabilities.

“Typically, people are more invested in something when they are also direct participants,” Pat Schellerup, principal & director of business operations at Imagine Energy, said. “Expanding the workforce overall is needed to support Oregon’s, and the world’s, climate change goals. To accomplish this, it’s important the workforce is representative of the most impacted communities.”

In Oregon, less than 11% of the green energy workforce is BIPOC. As our state and country turn to renewable energy sources, there is an opportunity for the communities hit hardest by climate change to be a real part of the solution. If we are to build a just economy, communities of color must be central to what will be one of the most significant transformations in U.S. history.

Leaders Become Legends Co-Executive Directors James Turner, Bretto Jackson and Derric Thompson

I was talking to a friend recently about the moments in our lives where we felt part of something bigger than ourselves, larger than one person or organization. It’s a magical feeling — when change seems tangible and progress feels possible. (Truthfully, when you work on complex movements like racial justice, these special moments can feel pretty rare.)

Today feels like a part-of-something-special moment for Meyer Memorial Trust.

Last year, we offered a high-level look at our progress: new funding priorities that better express our mission to accelerate racial, social and economic justice for Oregon’s lands and peoples. Today, we can announce the specific goals and strategies that will guide our three issue-based priority areas: Our Resilient Places, Our Empowered Youth and Our Collective Prosperity.

Through Our Resilient Places, we will support work that builds power and capacity for frontline communities, helps us transition toward more regenerative economic policies and practices and affirms BIPOC communities' connection to place.

Under Our Collective Prosperity, we will focus on closing Oregon’s persistent racial wealth gap, holistically supporting families and caretakers and creating a just and equitable path to homeownership.

In Our Empowered Youth, we’ll continue our work reforming the education system to create opportunities for our most marginalized students and support educators and decision-makers who reflect the diversity of our students.

To view the full scope of our goals and strategies, visit our updated programs page.

Our path to these goals

We are not under the illusion that it is the work of private foundations like Meyer to define what justice looks like. Rather, it is incumbent upon us, as part of the larger Oregon ecosystem, to follow the lead set by our grantees and partners.

That’s why our path to these goals and strategies included community-specific listening sessions, one-on-one interviews, robust literature reviews, panel presentations and more. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this process — especially our grantee partners for sharing your time, wisdom and expertise.

These new goals and strategies reflect what we heard from you about what our state needs and how we can move forward together.

An open call for proposals

I am excited to share that, in August, Meyer will hold an open call for proposals for these three portfolios with grantmaking funds totaling over $12 million. You’ve told us the value of reliable, unrestricted funding so we’re offering an option to apply for multi-year and general operating support grants. You can also apply for project-specific support or as part of a collaborative with other organizations. We will also continue to offer invite-only opportunities to groups working in the three portfolio areas.

(If your work falls outside these three portfolios, other Meyer funding will continue through our special initiatives.) We'll share more details about how to apply for the three portfolios in the coming weeks. In the meantime, sign up for our e-newsletter to ensure you’re getting the latest.

Hitting the road

We want to talk more about all of this in person. That’s why, this summer, my colleagues and I are hitting the road. Members of our team will be traveling across Oregon to meet with you and talk more about this funding opportunity and Meyer’s new focus. (We will also share this information through several virtual info sessions for folks who can’t meet us in person.)

We know that Meyer is just a small part of the larger work happening every day across our state and we’re excited to reconnect with organizations we’ve worked with for years and meet groups brand new to us. Our itinerary will be shared in the coming weeks.

Thank you

We know much has changed since Meyer’s last open call in the summer of 2021, while we were still at the height of the COVID pandemic. Most of us have returned to our offices, finding some semblance of a new normal. But we’ve also seen unprecedented attacks on racial justice, reproductive rights and the transgender community.  As the world has changed, so have we. We experienced shifts in our leadership and staff and, like many of our grantee organizations, we had to find a new footing — one rooted in the justice values of our new mission.

During this period, Meyer never slowed or reduced our grantmaking — which continued primarily through invitation-only grants, renewals and special initiatives. But still, we have been anxious to open a funding opportunity to new programs and partners. This is a big moment we’ve been looking forward to for a long time. Thank you for partnering with us on this journey.

We can’t wait to see you soon,

Nancy

 

Candice Jimenez of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs smiles at her daughter

As you heard last month from Vice President of Impact, Kim Melton, Meyer has been working to build the strongest program strategy we can, incorporating a mix of community voice, staff expertise and research from those who are walking the same path as we are — towards justice. One outcome from our learning journey has been that we now have three issues-based portfolios; Our Empowered Youth, Our Collective Prosperity and Our Resilient Places.

But our understanding of how change happens in the world compels us to come at the work from different angles. In addition to investments in topical areas, we must also take approaches that expressly focus on the root causes of injustice and foster the conditions necessary for transformational change and healing.

Meyer’s strategic initiatives represent another layer to our overall funding strategy. We’ve grouped a number of our ongoing funding efforts in this area, including the Justice Oregon for Black Lives initiative and the Oregon Immigrant and Refugee Funder Collaborative. Our developing work in the Together, We Rise and Our Shared Purpose focus areas also live under the strategic initiatives banner, along with our emerging funding framework to formalize support for tribal nations.

The funding in these areas is not entirely new, but I want to share more about how we view this work alongside and in addition to Meyer’s issues-based portfolios.

Justice demands redress and repair

If we are serious about racial justice in this country, then our work must include explicit strategies to lift up and support redress, repair and thriving for Black and Native communities.

The compounding impacts of genocidal violence, the theft of land and labor and other atrocities committed against African and Indigenous peoples continue to show up in disaggregated data for most life outcomes today.

This is why our Justice Oregon for Black Lives initiative is focused exclusively on priorities identified by an advisory committee of Black community members. Also, respecting tribal sovereignty means that Native nations don’t need to “fit” into Meyer’s other topically focused strategies to access support that is, simply put, owed to them.

Our funding must also include explicit strategies to support integration, belonging and thriving for immigrant and refugee communities. That is why Meyer has been a leading member of the Oregon Immigrant and Refugee Funder Collaborative since its founding in 2016.

Oregon, and our nation, has always been and continues to be buoyed, sustained and enriched in myriad ways by the labor and countless other contributions of immigrants and refugees. This is despite being excluded from many opportunities and benefits and being alternately disregarded and vilified for political purposes.

Justice requires shifting power

Long-term power building for communities most impacted by injustice is also part and parcel of working for transformational change. That is why our Together, We Rise initiative will support leadership development, civic engagement, organizing, movement building and field infrastructure. The focus here isn’t on particular issues, but on the capacity for collective action of an interconnected progressive movement, led by impacted communities, to achieve and hold onto wins. There is an emphasis on healthy democracy in this initiative and intersectional work that cuts across issues. That’s evident in the work of grantees like Oregon Futures Lab, Basic Rights Oregon, Rural Organizing Project, Oregon Donor Alliance, and Intersect to name just a few.

Justice requires collaboration

Systems of oppression run on division and separation, so dismantling them will require many forms of coming together. This is true for neighbors, communities, movements and, yes, funders. That is why Meyer will look for opportunities to partner with philanthropic peers and cross-sector entities to work with Shared Purpose. We can each bring the best of our particular resources to bear so that the whole of our effort can be greater than the sum of our well-intentioned individual actions.

Those who follow our grantmaking closely will notice that the themes of Meyer’s initiatives — support for Black, Native and immigrant and refugee communities, long-term power-building, and partnerships and collaboration – show up across our portfolios as well. Of course! These are so key that we’re intentional about a multi-layered approach, combining dedicated and diffused support.

We are so excited to move forward with grantmaking in initiatives, which will be by invitation only this year. Next month, Director of Programs and Policy, Nancy Haque will share more about Meyer’s issue-focused portfolios, which will start taking applications in late summer.

Michelle Yemaya Benton is the executive director of Black Community of Portland, a Justice Oregon for Black Lives grantee partner. We caught up with her to talk about her new scope of work, how community organizing is in her DNA and what it means to be a revolutionary.

What’s one thing you did recently that brought you joy?

I just came back from my trip to Morocco. It was my first time leaving the country and traveling to Africa was a spiritual experience. The hospitality, the people, the culture, the sunsets — it was really beautiful. I felt like I had to battle my ancestors to come back.

Who has been the biggest influence in your life?

I have two: the matriarch of my family, my great-grandmother Jonnie B. Clarkston and the Black women in Portland. My great-grandmother was my example of generational wealth, what it means to take care of your family and what it means to take care of your community.

It's hard for me to pinpoint one Black woman because there's so many Black women that really influenced my life. My friend Mikinya Jackson, a co-founder of the Melanated Sisterhood of Portland, is a big revolutionary influence; Joy Alise Davis at Imagine Black inspires how I go about my work; Laquida Lanford, the founder of Afro Village, uplifts and empowers me; Noni Causey who runs B.E.A.M is one of my mentors and I can call on her for anything. We support the missions, the movement and each other.

What are some words of wisdom you’d give your younger self?

When I was in high school, I wanted to go to a HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) and be an attorney. I didn’t have the grades and I didn’t have the support, but I was organizing even then. I did soulful cookouts, helped start the step team, organized fundraisers — but the school-to-prison pipeline is real and even just having the stigma in your bloodline can affect some roads we walk and it can be intense. So I would tell my younger self, ‘If you want to study law and become an attorney, you need to do the things to get there. Find programs, find outside support. If that’s what you want to do, do it.’

How did you become the executive director of Black Community of Portland?

It was a prayer for purpose. One of my good friends, Mikinya, invited me to a community dinner at The Horn of Africa. There was a long table and lots of Black folks all wanting to empower and uplift the Black community. I sat down and never left. That day, I submitted my application to join the Black Riders Liberation Party, the new generation of Black Panthers for Portland chapter.

Part of our mission is leveling up our community: empowering our people, protecting our people by educating our people. I thought of my younger cousins and how much I needed advocacy growing up. My family is no stranger to the 'war on drugs,' or the New Jim Crow era. The buck stops here. I put that first and that’s how I got into this work.

What new venture is your organization embarking on?

We’re coming together with Imagine Black Futures and The Rosewood Initiative to create what we’re calling the Oregon Black Worker Center. Working while Black in Oregon is a topic not taken seriously or spoken on enough. This center is going to be a space of empowerment, a space for learning and sharing information, opportunities and resources. Our goal is to create a supportive community where Black workers receive fair treatment and respect in the workplace.

We’re all coming together to build a bigger movement of advocacy and accountability. Community voice is crucial. Right now, we’re reaching out to community members to better understand their needs for this space.

As a revolutionary, what does revolution look like to you and what does it look like in Oregon?

For me, revolution is the sheer audacity and ability to do what you will with your life and not allow the limiting beliefs of others to prevent you from moving forward. It’s being able to empower people. The revolution starts at home. It starts with you.

Revolution in Oregon is giving people the power and authority to live their lives how they see fit. It’s divestment — not just of the police — but of a budget that doesn’t represent the people who live in this state; it’s reparations for Black folks whose families have lived here for generations; it’s removing racist language from our constitution to restructure our policies.

What’s on your bucket list?

Seeing every single country in Africa, touching every single continent in the world and expanding my nonprofit to be a national organization.

"It has been a long and winding road to get to where I am today." Atlas Mountains, Morocco.

In his 1988 novel "Arrow of God,” Chinua Achebe quotes a well-known Igbo proverb that says “The world is like a Mask dancing. If you want to see it well, you do not stand in one place.”

He later talked about the power of that statement in Igbo culture, telling an interviewer that the masquerade represented all the motion of life — music, architecture, dance, writings, history, battle, politics — and that we must be ready and open to try something new.

“You are telling people not to get so deeply rooted in one thing that they don’t see the possibilities in change.”

Over the past seven months since I’ve joined the team at Meyer Memorial Trust, I’ve considered it a powerful opportunity to see my community and the possibilities to have a meaningful impact in new ways. After spending nearly 20 years in Portland as a journalist, non-profit advocate and leader in public policy and government, I have welcomed the opportunity to learn from each place I’ve been. It is critical to take the lessons from wherever we are — how to build policy and programs, how our success is intertwined with our community members and how moving with compassion, creativity and perseverance is vital.

That is the same attitude that we’ve taken at Meyer as we’ve sought to complete the redesign of our program portfolios and grantmaking strategy.

Just as important as where we land and what we focus on is what kind of path we are taking to get there and the voices guiding our journey. Taking the time to engage with our community members, leaders, grantees, partners, staff and the learnings from research have all been important parts of the process. Among the major themes that we’ve heard:

From community input sessions: A holistic approach

One key through-line was to see our families, neighbors and children in holistic ways — that it’s as important to build tools, strength and skills as it is to invest in belonging, healing and power for communities that have been consistently denied access and opportunity.

From our grantees: Deeper investments, deeper relationships

We heard consistently the need for sustainable investments that result in deeper capacity building, collaboration and leadership development.

From research with our peers: Advance policy change and implementation

The promising and proven practices around philanthropy’s contribution to positive community change requires a committed focus on policy, advocacy and systems change in balance with program support.

From our staff: Center community voices

The staff at Meyer who have walked in the field with grantees over the past years have richly contributed their learnings to our design as well, calling us to center first the voices of our community and let those insights anchor us.

I could go on listing recommendations and feedback, dreams and demands. What we’ve been doing and are continuing to do is build the strongest program strategy we can with racial, social and economic justice as our through-line and community impact as our goal. We are looking at areas of opportunity, insight, alignment and where we can push ourselves to do more.

In the upcoming months, Nancy Haque, director of programs and policy will share more details about our three portfolios organized by issue area: Our Empowered Youth, Our Collective Prosperity and Our Resilient Places.

In addition to funding across our portfolios, we have grantmaking that supports key initiatives — community specific and culturally specific efforts as well as partnerships and coalitions, and movement building investments. The overarching goal is to ensure our Oregon environment is one where those most impacted by decisions have the time, tools and support to be part of our democracy and help shape what Oregon will become. Next month, you’ll get to hear more about this work from Erin Dysart, managing director of strategic initiatives.

Our aim is to take all we’ve been learning and put it into action for our state. Later this summer, our team will be traveling around Oregon to share more information about our work, answer questions and be in community.

With hope,

— Kim

istock

Two years ago, I accepted the opportunity of a lifetime. 

At the time, Meyer was in the process of living into its newly adopted mission to accelerate racial, social and economic justice. I set out to ensure that every part of Meyer works in service of this mission within my first few years in this role. From grantmaking and evaluation to internal operations and how we invest the endowment, we all needed to be pointed in one direction. I often referred to this direction as “One Meyer.”

Like all evolutions, reaching this goal has required a number of changes. For Meyer, these changes included creating a new internal structure and shifting our investment practice to an outsourced office. 

Impact Department

We have a newly-created Impact Department — three teams who will work to implement trust-based practices, learn from our grantees and share the outcomes of our grantmaking. Led by Vice President of Impact, Kim Melton, this department includes our program, communications, and learning and grant operations teams.  

As you know, we have been working diligently to define our new funding priorities — particularly for Our Resilient Places, Our Collective Prosperity and Our Empowered Youth. 

We recently welcomed a new cohort of senior program officers who offer deep expertise that will further our understanding of our state’s most pressing challenges in these three fields, as well as the most promising approaches to overcoming them. I’m excited to work with and learn from Huy Ong, Maribel de León and Michael Reyes as we round the corner on completing our strategic plan for grantmaking. We look forward to announcing the goals we hope our grantmaking will achieve and the strategies we plan to fund to reach them.  

Building out the capacity of our communications team is important to me, not just for our own internal purposes, but to provide additional resources to amplify the phenomenal work of our grantees. And so, we’re delighted to welcome Senior Digital Communications Manager Tyler Quinn to help us do just that. 

Please join me in welcoming Huy, Maribel, Michael and Tyler to the Meyer team. 

Mission-Aligned Investing

Meyer has long been ahead of the field in terms of deploying all our resources in ways that mirror our values. Along the way, we hired diverse talent to manage our endowment and adopted an investment policy statement that pushes us to utilize our endowment to help achieve our mission.  

And after 42 years of managing our portfolio primarily through in-house staff, our trustees have decided to use an outsourced investment office to help ensure we can meet the challenge of investing in ways that accelerate justice. We are excited to partner with the investment firm, RockCreek, on this important endeavor. 

As one of the world’s largest woman-owned investment firms, RockCreek brings decades of experience in mission-aligned investing. Vice President of Investments and Finance, Sohel Hussain will work closely with RockCreek to align our endowment with our new mission, all while delivering returns. 

This new partnership will help us to expand the impact Meyer can make in Oregon and beyond.

A heartfelt thank you

Getting to this place has taken the tireless efforts of Meyer staff — our new staff, our longtime leaders and those who have since moved on. Their collective experience, knowledge and relationships have helped light our path as we continue our justice journey. Thank you all. 

In addition, we have a number of new titles and responsibilities for many of our current staff. Much appreciation to all those who have taken on new or reconfigured roles over the last several months. 

What’s next

It’s important to remember that amidst all the changes, our staff has continued to make powerful and meaningful investments throughout Oregon. In this fiscal year, we granted nearly $45 million to organizations doing incredible work.  

It is an honor and privilege to support work that impacts the lives of so many Oregonians.

Soon, we will share the big, hairy, audacious and inspiring goals we hope to achieve in Meyer’s new funding priorities, along with the specific strategies we plan to fund to help meet those goals. Our goals are long-term, population-level changes and we fully understand that it will take time to see and feel any results. We will measure our progress in decades, not in yearly grant application renewals. 

Furthermore, just as we are working to meet our own mission, we aim to fund grantees like we want them to meet their missions. Thus, we plan to write fewer, bigger checks, support the general operations of our grantees and walk alongside them to help find ways to support their work beyond writing checks. We will fund work happening in communities, support movement building and engage in changing the systems that make programs necessary in the first place. 

This is a lot of change to take on all at once. I call this Meyer’s ‘everything, everywhere, all at once’ evolution. I have to say, I am more excited today than when I agreed to take on this awesome responsibility. 

Here we go!

— Toya

An aerial photo of the Columbia Gorge on a sunny day.