About the Alliance

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Charitable Institute

The Alliance understands that in order to ensure economic prosperity in the Portland region it is important to build partnerships with and give support to other non-profit organizations. In some cases the burden of administrative and human resource requirements can overwhelm small organizations, so in 1982, the Alliance created the Charitable Institute, a 501(c)(3) corporation.

The Charitable Institute serves as an umbrella organization and provides administrative and human resource services for other nonprofits that align with the Alliance mission of ensuring economic prosperity in the Portland region. Sometimes these small organizations grow to the point where they can become a stand-alone nonprofit.

The Citizens Crime Commission was the first organization to become part of the Institute. One of the state's leading mentoring organizations, Oregon Mentors, was one of the more recent organizations to be assisted through the Charitable Institute and is now a stand-alone entity serving thousands of children. Currently, the Charitable Institute supports four organizations that are all working to improve the Portland region.

Alliance members are involved in each of the Charitable Institute's programs and receive support from Alliance staff. Currently, Judy Peppler, president of Qwest Oregon, serves as the Charitable Institute's board chair. Sam Brooks, President of Brooks Staffing, Steve Holwerda, Chief Operating Officer of Ferguson Wellman, sit on the board.

The Charitable Institutes programs include:

Citizens Crime Commission

The Citizens Crime Commission brings a unique business perspective to the criminal justice system that focuses on the greatest cost/benefit for public dollars spent. We continue to strive for a balance between prevention, intervention, and incarceration that will lead to the greatest crime reduction in our community.

Leaders Roundtable

In existence since 1983, the Leaders Roundtable has been working to insure that all children complete their schooling with the skills to access post-secondary education or work. By aligning the activities of our various organizations and institutions toward the common goal of school success and measuring results, we can achieve better educational outcomes for our community's children and youth.

Nike School Innovation Fund

Portland, Beaverton and Hillsboro School Districts each received grants to facilitate the education of early learners, by creating summer programs to assist kindergarteners getting ready for first grade. Portland also received a grant to fund a leadership academy for teachers and principals and to experiment with the use of business managers in its high schools. In all cases the use of innovative methods was encouraged.

Nike and its employees are already engaged and supportive of public schools, and the Nike School Innovation Fund builds on that effort.

Kevin Montgomery Smith Fund