August 11 Hoppy Hour

Join Us for Hoppy Hour!

Looking for a fun way to support your local parks and connect with fellow park lovers? Come join our next Hoppy Hour!

Whether you’re a neighborhood volunteer, an outdoor enthusiast, or just love Portland's green spaces, come kick back, grab a cold beverage, and chat all things parks with the PPF team.

The Details

• Date: Tuesday, August 11

• Time: 5-7pm

• Location: Oakshire Beer Hall, 5013 NE 42nd Ave, Portland, OR 97218

• Cost: Free to attend (drinks available for purchase)

Why Come?

• Meet the Team: Chat with PPF staff about upcoming park projects and community grants.

• Connect: Mingle with neighbors who share your passion for keeping Portland vibrant and green.

• Give Back: A portion of select drink sales throughout the day directly supports PPF’s mission to fund, improve, and champion Portland’s parks and green spaces!

Special Hoppy Hour Raffle! 🎟️

Anyone who signs up to become a new monthly donor during Hoppy Hour will be automatically entered into a special raffle to win an exclusive PPF prize pack.

Your recurring support provides predictable funding to keep our parks thriving year-round.so grab a friend and come raise a glass to the parks that keep Portland connected. See you there!

Can't make it? You can still jumpstart your support and join our community of monthly sustainers today by visiting https://www.portlandpf.org/cedar.

Announcing PPF's 2026 Spring Small Grants Recipients!

2026 Spring Small Grants Recipients

The Portland Parks Foundation mobilizes support to improve Portland’s system of parks, natural areas, and public spaces. One of the ways we do this is through our Small Grants program. PPF’s offers small grants of $2,000 each to support programs, projects, and general operations of local organizations who foster equitable access to our urban parks, natural areas, community gardens and community recreation centers.

This spring we received over 30 applications to our Spring Small Grants Cycle. We are excited to announce 9 grant recipients, whose work you can see around Portland making our parks and community spaces more active and vibrant. Congratulations to our Spring Grantees!

Congratulations to all of our recipients!  We’re excited to partner with you and make Portland’s parks and green spaces more accessible, more exciting, and more deeply appreciated. 

The 2026 Recepients are:

• Kindness Farm

• Oregon & SW Washington African Community Development Center

• Our Village Gardens

• Pacific North West Council of Water Protectors

• Portland Community Football Club

• The Black Affinity Group

• The Independent Publishing Resource Center

• Your Nature Network

• Zomi Association of United States

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Green Dreams 2025-2026: Wrapping A Year Engaging Memory, Place, and Nature

Green Dreams 2025-2026:
Wrapping A Year Engaging Memory, Place, and Nature

Started in 2019 with the inkling that we need a new parks movement, PPF’s Green Dreams series feature dynamic conversations between local leaders, spatial thinkers, historians, and community advocates to better understand the role —and the possibilities!— of today and tomorrow’s parks.

Our latest Green Dreams series was inspired by the restoration of the Thompson Elk Fountain which reminded us that our greatest monuments and icons are not simply images of people and pedestals, but of forces of nature, reflections of community, and reminders of the wild. This challenges the tradition of monument making, and begs us to question: 

How do we remember in public? How can art, culture, and the wilderness itself inform our approach to monuments and memorial-making?

Over the past year, PPF partnered with the city’s Portland Monuments Project to examine the interplay of nature, monuments, memory, and cultural placemaking through our Green Dream series.

The Portland Monuments Project is a city-wide program aimed at getting community feedback and creating thoughtful engagement with Portland's monuments, memorials, and public art, particularly those that were damaged or toppled during the 2020 protests. 

What resulted was a series of programs that featured several of our partners doing innovative work in this space, and centered conversations that brought us in touch with deeper cultural understandings of place, memory, and our shared ecologies.

Field Day at Peninsula Park:
Placing Memory, Making Place

Above: Images from the field day, including a history lesson from Friends, shared interviews, and making living monuments.

Our first event took place in Peninsula Park. Your first thought might be: what memorial is there? Well, beyond the historic (and first!) rose garden in Portland, the Friends of Peninsula Park Rose Garden stirred up good trouble in the past few years implementing their Storied Ground project. This community-driven public history project has installed low-cost, temporary, but professionally-designed signage featuring decades of local history which spans diverse communities and uses of the park - from a circus to historically-timed basketball practice. Dozens of these colorful, informational signs are freckled throughout the park, creating portals across time: introducing you to some neighbors long passed, some still bringing life to this vibrant park. We heard from Patricia Frobes, president of FOPPRG on the history of the project as a way to get a deeper understanding of the park’s history. David Hedberd, a local environmental historian, took us through the parkwide installation and shared the power of collecting local stories as a more grounded approach to writing, observing, and creating our “history.” Julie Hammond, a local artist involved with the project led us through an embodied interview process inquiring the participants about memorable experiences in a park. This project stands as a fantastic example of how thoughtful, creative, and small-budget interventions can invite a complex reframing of our public spaces, better understood through a polyphony of stories. Plus, this project and more was covered in Literary Art’s recent podcast series. Have a listen here. 

Panel: Through the Eyes of the Elk:
Social, Structural, Ecological Histories

Above: Image from the evening panel including our four speakers, PPF’s Executive Director, Jessica Green holding the old bolt which was the Elk’s original sole anchor point, and shots of the crowd.

Our second event focused on the dynamic histories of our beloved Thompson Elk Fountain, ever a gathering place for conversations about how our city is run. We gathered for an evening at the lovely Literary Arts building to learn from three local historians: Milo Reed, an independent historian who wrote the social history of the Elk for the restoration feasibility study; Keith Eggener, architecture professor at University of Oregon who spoke on Thompson’s personal history and role of the fountain; and David Harrelson, Cultural Resource Manager at the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde, who spoke the broader cultural and ecological stories of elk and its role in early regional ecologies. Our panelists helped show us and attendees that the fountain has truly been a social and cultural watering hole for over a century, informing and empowering civic involvement and reformation. That community love continued at the Elk’s celebrated return this April, where hundreds gathered in a festive outpouring of music, dance, poetry and civic pride. We’re so glad the Elk is back! You can view the panel discussion online here.

Field Day at Tryon Creek:
Placekeeping in Motion: Native Memory and Presence

Above: Images from our field day, including an ecology walk, collective making and sharing, and panel talk from artists.

The third and final event took place at Tryon Creek State Natural Area, where we partnered with the Friends of Tryon Creek and the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation to focus on Pacific Northwest indigenous perspectives on relating to the land, place-based memory and traditional art as storytelling. We spent the first part of our day in the forest, getting acquainted with the look and uses of native flora like stinging nettle and cedar. Then, attendees gathered at Tryon Creek’s new education pavilion (inspired by indigenous architecture) and reflected on their own relationship with the forest through a reflective painting exercise led by painter Kitana Connelly (Grand Ronde). We closed out the day with a shared meal of indigenous cuisine and a discussion with sculptors Shirod Younker (Coquille) and Greg A. Robinson (Chinook), whose wooden sculptures create a cultural crossroads in the new pavilion, drawing from traditional forms and ways. Participants left the day with a sense that these rich cultural and ecological contexts are not an optional add-on, but a necessary inclusion to understand our collective placemaking.

Stay tuned for future series exploring what green spaces were, are, and can be for Portland!

Announcing PPF's 2026 PGE Parks Champions!

2026 PGE Parks Champions

The Parks Champion Awards honor individuals who make outstanding contributions or provide significant service to a Portland park, community center, natural area, community garden, or park-related or recreation program through direct volunteer service.

PPF is excited to announce our two 2026 awardees: Katherine Schroeder, for her work at the Community Music Center, and Patricia Frobes, for her work with Friends of Peninsula Park Rose Garden, Portland Parks Coalition, and even previously on PPF’s own board of directors! These two women exemplify that parks volunteerism can take many forms - from the rose bed to the board room, from balancing budgets, to getting students and teachers needed scholarships and supplies. All helps expand access to parks and recreation programing, and creates a deeper sense of ownership for our natural spaces and community. Thank you for your service!

Katherine Schroeder 

Katherine Schroeder is a behind-the-scenes star at the Community Music Center (CMC Inc.), where she has been on the board since 2011. CMC Inc. supports PP&R’s synonymous facility, which serves hundreds of students from 50 different zip codes around Portland offering affordable music lessons, classes, and ensembles. Katherine raises money for need-based scholarships and merit awards, helps acquire specialized equipment, and she stewards the non-profits’ financial resources and musical instrument collection. Kathy has helped CMC and PP&R negotiate several partnership contracts, build the non-profit’s website, maintain and insure its instrument collection, and procure professional services such as bookkeeping and legal advice. During the pandemic shutdown she helped CMC’s music lessons continue by helping the organization provide micro grants paid directly to music teachers providing remote learning. Together with the free and low-cost services CMC hosts, it provides equitable access to music making and music learning programs for thousands of Portlanders each year.

Patricia Frobes 

Patricia Frobes is a consistent advocate for Portland parks and a core leader in the founding and ongoing work of the Friends of Peninsula Park Rose Garden (FOPPRG) since 2012. Through her service on Parks Board, the Parks Foundation Board, and the Parks Alliance, and her longtime guidance of FOPPRG, Pat has always pushed for accountability, fairness, and for what’s best for the environment and the people of Portland. During the BLM marches, many of which began at Peninsula Park, Pat realized that the historical record of the rose garden and park were flawed: it omitting the important history of people of color in and around Peninsula Park. She then worked with a group of advocates and artists to create a public project featuring a diverse collection of community members, past and present. She has been an inspiration to hundreds of volunteers over the last 14 years, and continues to help mentor new Friends groups, boards, and board members. 

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2026 Nominees

• Bill Bannister - Forest Park, Marquam Nature Park, Ancient Forest Preserve

• Catherine Clark - Roseway Parkway

• Corin Wallace - Village Park

• Danae Hutson - Peninsula Elementary School

• Eric Mitchell - Hoyt Arboretum

• Jill Gaddis - Friends of April Hill Park

• Jo Durand - South Park Blocks

• Kara Shane Colley - Couch Park

• Karen Campbell - Trail Keepers of Oregon, Powell Butte Nature Park, Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge

• Katherine Schroeder - Community Music Center

• Lise Gervais - Mt. Tabor, Montavilla Park, Ventura Park, Forest Park, Leach Botanical Garden, Richmond Neighborhood, St. John’s Community Center, Lents

• Patricia Frobes - Friends of Peninsula Park Rose Garden, Portland Parks Foundation Board, Parks Board, Parks Alliance

• Peter Condra - Lents Neighborhood

Announcing PPF's 2026 Joey Pope Award for Parks Leadership Honorees

Joey Pope Award for Parks Leadership
2026 Honorees

The Joey Pope Award for Parks Leadership was established in 2022 to recognize an emerging leader, organization, or initiative promoting greater innovation and accessibility in Portland’s system of parks and open spaces. Learn more here.

PPF is excited to announce 2026’s Joey Pope Award Honorees: Talietha Mathis of Better Chances, Inc. and Eca-Etabo “Waso” Wasongolo, of Our Village Gardens. Both of these honorees exemplify what it means to make parks, nature, and recreational opportunities responsive their communities, by creating innovative and culturally-informed programming. Learn more about their work below.

Talietha Mathis
Better Chances Inc.

Talietha Mathis is the Executive Director of Better Chances Inc. (BCI) which is a 100% volunteer-run nonprofit activating parks and recreation spaces in North and Northeast Portland as structured environments for youth leadership, mentorship, and growth. During Talietha’s leadership, BCI has established itself in just a few years as a reliable and respected presence within Portland’s park system, demonstrating what disciplined, volunteer-led leadership can accomplish. Whether on the court, in the garden, or in the community, each experience reinforces responsibility and positive youth development.

Advancing Equity, Access & Cultural Understanding

Talietha’s commitment to advancing equity and cultural understanding within the parks system is evident in her programs aimed at historically excluded groups. Through the “Future Leaders” initiative, she creates an inclusive environment where youth from diverse backgrounds can engage in discussions about cultural identity and community issues. This initiative not only empowers participants to embrace their cultural heritage but also fosters a sense of belonging and shared responsibility. By prioritizing accessibility in all her programs, Talietha actively works to dismantle barriers that have historically marginalized certain groups, ensuring that every youth has the chance to thrive.

Learn more about their work here: betterchances.net

Eca-Etabo “Waso” Wasongolo
Our Village Gardens

Eca-Etabo Wasongolo, known to everyone in New Columbia as “Waso,” has spent twenty years showing up for one of North Portland’s most under-resourced neighborhoods, but has deepened his work in the past 4 years to great impact to this international neighborhood. He works as Garden Program Manager at Our Village Gardens (OVG), a community-led nonprofit rooted in New Columbia, Oregon’s largest affordable housing neighborhood. OVG operates the Seeds of Harmony Community Garden, with 83 free plots where immigrant and refugee families grow lemongrass, bitter melon, chilacayote, and dozens of other crops rarely available at any nearby store. 

Building Coalitions & Partnerships

Waso’s approach is not programmatic. He does not run a model. He listens to people’s stories, identifies what is missing, and builds something to fill it. When families needed more than just a food box, Waso helped develop educational workshops so they understood what they were growing and why it mattered. To make the work more accessible, Waso designs and facilitates multilingual workshops on composting, irrigation, seasonal planting, and seed saving. He runs garden registration with multiple time slots so that neighbors who work different schedules can participate. He personally recruits gardeners from communities with no prior relationship to Portland’s parks infrastructure, and he stays in relationship with them across seasons.

Learn more about their work here: villagegardens.org

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2026 Nominees

• Andra Vltavín, Regenerate Northern Willamette Valley

• Ashley Murray, Sellwood Community House

• Beth Kracum, Portland Children’s Garden

• Bo Lyons & Marti Clemmons, Birdhers

• Community Orchard Care Program, Portland Fruit Tree Project

• Corey Pierson, Rosewood Initiative

• Curbside Serenade

• Dieter Waiblinger, Sail2Change

• Eca-Etabo “Waso” Wasongolo, Our Village Gardens

• Eric Carlson AKA “Seymore Gulls”, Birding For The People

• Full Count: Play Ball Everywhere, Friends of Baseball

• Jen Armbruster, Adaptive Sports Northwest

• Latino Outdoors, Portland Chapter

• Ryan Al-Schamma, Stay ON the Grass (SOTG)

• Talietha Mathis, Better Chances Inc.

• Tammy Jo Wilson, TERRAIN: a land art exhibition

Announcing PPF's 2026 Spring Awards Nominees!

2025’s PGE Parks Champion and Joey Pope Award for Parks Leadership nominees having some fun at the 2025 Friends & Allies Spring Summit.

Celebrate our nominees at the
Friends & Allies Spring Summit!

The Portland Parks Foundation is bringing Portland's parks communities together at our annual Friends & Allies Spring Summit on Thursday, May 14, 5:00-7:30 PM at the Laurelhurst Club to recognize your impact, share your stories, and connect with each other. At the summit, we’ll also introduce you to all the nominees for the PGE Parks Champion Award and the Joey Pope Award for Parks Leadership and announce the 2026 honorees.

PGE Parks Champion Awards

The Parks Champion Awards honor individuals who make outstanding contributions or provide significant service to a Portland park, community center, natural area, community garden, or park-related or recreation program through direct volunteer service.

2026 PGE Parks Champion Nominees Include:

• Bill Bannister - Forest Park, Marquam Nature Park, Ancient Forest Preserve

• Catherine Clark - Roseway Parkway

• Corin Wallace - Village Park

• Danae Hutson - Peninsula Elementary School

• Eric Mitchell - Hoyt Arboretum

• Jill Gaddis - Friends of April Hill Park

• Jo Durand - South Park Blocks

• Kara Shane Colley - Couch Park

• Karen Campbell - Trail Keepers of Oregon, Powell Butte Nature Park, Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge

• Katherine Schroeder - Community Music Center

• Lise Gervais - Mt. Tabor, Montavilla Park, Ventura Park, Forest Park, Leach Botanical Garden, Richmond Neighborhood, St. John’s Community Center, Lents

• Patricia Frobes - Friends of Peninsula Park Rose Garden, Portland Parks Foundation Board, Parks Board, Parks Alliance

• Peter Condra - Lents Neighborhood

Joey Pope Award for Parks Leadership

The Joey Pope Award for Parks Leadership was established in 2022 to recognize an emerging leader, organization, or initiative promoting greater innovation and accessibility in Portland’s system of parks and open spaces. The honoree receives a $10,000 grant to advance their work plus customized technical assistance in partnership with PPF.

2026 Joey Pope Award for Parks Leadership Nominees Include:

• Andra Vltavín - Regenerate Northern Willamette Valley

• Ashley Murray - Sellwood Community House

• Beth Kracum - Portland Children’s Garden

• Bo Lyons & Marti Clemmons - Birdhers

• Community Orchard Care Program - Portland Fruit Tree Project

• Corey Pierson - Rosewood Initiative

• Curbside Serenade

• Dieter Waiblinger - Sail2Change

• Eca-Etabo “Waso” Wasongolo - Our Village Gardens

• Eric Carlson AKA “Seymore Gulls” - Birding For The People

• Full Count: Play Ball Everywhere - Friends of Baseball

• Jen Armbruster - Adaptive Sports Northwest

• Latino Outdoors, Portland Chapter

• Ryan Al-Schamma - Stay ON the Grass (SOTG)

• Talietha Mathis - Better Chances Inc.

• Tammy Jo Wilson - TERRAIN: a land art exhibition

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The Thompson Elk Fountain Returns to Downtown!

On April 9, 2026, the City of Portland welcomed the return of the David P. Thompson Elk Fountain, and, on April 12, 2026, we gathered with hundreds of Portlanders to honor its return after its removal 6 years ago when the fountain was damaged and had to be removed during 2020’s downtown social unrest. 

The Elk’s restoration required a lot of patience, perseverance, sorting through a lot of political layers, and a strong alliance to get everyone working together. Thank you to the 65 community members who donated to the design phase of this project - paving a path forward and expediting its return by as much as 12 months! And thank you to city leadership and staff and the amazing project team for prioritizing this project and the dedication required to getting it right. 

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Project Overview

The Thompson Elk Fountain was built in 1900 and named for its benefactor, David P. Thompson. Thompson served as Portland’s mayor from 1879 to 1882 and was a founder of the Oregon Humane Society. The bronze elk was sculpted by Roland Hinton Perry. The granite base and fountain were designed and built by H. G. Wright.

The Elk Fountain’s base was damaged by fires and had to be removed during 2020’s downtown social unrest. The bronze elk statue did not need any restoration work. It was cleaned and safely stored by the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) while the City worked on a plan to restore the stone base.

In May 2023, the Portland City Council voted on an ordinance to authorize the $1.5 million budget required to restore the Elk back to its original location, per a feasibility study commissioned by the Portland Parks Foundation (PPF). 

Collaborating with the offices of Commissioners Dan Ryan, Mingus Mapps, and Carmen Rubio and City Arts Program Manager Jeff Hawthorne, the City and PPF crafted a unique, innovative private/public partnership to bring the Thompson Elk Fountain back:

• PPF hired leading historic preservation firm, Architectural Resources Group, to commission full contract drawings for the design and engineering of the Elk Fountain’s restoration, complete with a seismic upgrade, a recirculating pump, and graffiti resistant coating

• The City, under the leadership of the Water Bureau, contracted the construction to restore the fountain working with Cedar Mills Construction and Pioneer Waterproofing.

• RACC cared for and will coordinate the return of the Elk back to its historic perch on top of the fountain base.

The fountain’s historic integrity will be preserved while using new technology to meet current standards.

• Parts of the granite fountain base needed to be remade from new granite sourced from the same quarry in Barre, Vermont that supplied the original stone.

• The statue was originally secured to its base with a single bolt. New seismically resilient attachments will increase the statue’s stability.

• A new recirculating water pump will make the fountain more efficient and save up to 18,720 gallons of water a day.

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About the Homecoming Celebration

The City of Portland, Portland Parks Foundation, the Regional Arts & Culture Council, hosted a public event to celebrate the return of the Thompson Elk Fountain on August 12, 2026. The afternoon of celebration featured:

• Dedication ceremony

  • Flash Mob by Open Space

  • JR Lilly, Board Chair, Portland Parks Foundation Board Chair, Emcee

  • Jessica Green, Executive Director, Portland Parks Foundation 

  • Kim Stafford, Oregon poet and writer

  • David Harrelson, Cultural Resources Department Manager for the Grand Ronde Tribe and Oregon Arts Commissioner

  • Dan Ryan, Portland City Councilor, District 2

  • Darion Jones, Assistant Director, Office of Arts & Culture, City of Portland

  • Priya Dhanapal, Deputy City Administrator, Public Works, City of Portland

  • Jamie Dunphy, Portland City Council President, District 1

  • Olivia Clark, Portland City Council Vice-President, District 4

  • Eric Zimmerman, Portland City Councilor, District 4

  • Keith Wilson, Mayor, City of Portland

  • Metropolitan Youth Orchestra, “Elk Fanfare”

  • McDaniel High Cheer Team

• Performance by IN A LANDSCAPE: Classical Music in the Wild™ with Thomas Lauderdale, Founder and Bandleader of Pink Martini

• The Elk’s Floral Wreath, generously donated by Flowers Tommy Luk

Project Partners

Design Team

Construction Team

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Event Sponsors

Historic Memory Maker

Friends of the Elk

John W. Russell
Suzanne & John Bishop
Anonymous

Other Event Partners

Prosper Portland
Flowers Tommy Luke
Shiels Obletz Johnsen
Downtown Clean & Safe
American SaniCan

Celebrating Raymond Park Playground Opening in East Portland

Thanks to our community’s generous support for the Everybody Plays Playground Campaign, a vibrant new space for play and connection is ready for all to enjoy! We are thrilled to invite you to the grand opening celebration of the Raymond Park Playground.

This project has been a true community effort and now, 1,600 households in East Portland have gained access to a modern, inclusive, and fully accessible play area. From the smooth rubber surfacing to the sensory stations and communication boards, every detail ensures that children of all abilities have a safe, welcoming place to learn, stay healthy, and grow.

Please join Portland Parks Foundation, Portland Parks & Recreation, the Powell-Hurst Gilbert neighborhood, and local partners to celebrate this joyous moment. 

When: Friday, May 8th
Time: 2:30 PM – 5:30 PM
Where: Raymond Park (118th Ave & SE Raymond St)
Parking can also be found at SE Liebe St)
What: Community celebration, brief remarks, and plenty of play!

We look forward to celebrating this milestone with you and thanking you in person for making Everybody Plays a reality at Raymond Park.

Thompson Elk Fountain Update March 2026

Thompson Elk Getting Ready for its Return in April

Image courtesy of Keith Lachowicz, Regional Arts & Culture Council

After many years of advocacy, private and public support, an amazing project team, and a serious commitment to patience and project flexibility, the Elk is ready to return to its historic home this April.

At this time the stonework is done and the steel vault has been installed. Over the next few weeks the construction team will be repairing the road and putting the final touches on the site to get it ready for the Elk’s homecoming. Meanwhile, the Elk is getting ready too.

Below are photos that were taken earlier this month from our friends at Regional Arts & Culture Council of the Elk receiving a nice new coat of wax to get ready for its return.

In the first two images, Conservator Robert Krueger of Cascadia Art Conservation Center is shown "hot waxing" the Elk. In his left hand he is holding a torch that he uses to heat the bronze surface, in his right hand is a natural bristle brush loaded with a special wax mixture that he lightly touches to the surface, the heat of the metal and the composition of the wax allow it to flow onto the surface evenly. The wax protects and preserves the bronze and its patina.

The bottom two images were taken after he followed up the hot wax with a layer of "cold wax"—this is a way to add an additional layer of protection that will then be hand buffed. Buffing toughens the wax coating and causes its matte finish to take on a subtle sheen.

In the middle image, as the Elk moves back into the warehouse securely attached to its temporary pallet, you can see a bit of that buffed sheen reflected on the surface.

We can’t wait to celebrate with you and our city. Details coming soon!

Hot Waxing

Conservator Robert Krueger of Cascadia Art Conservation Center is "hot waxing" the Elk.

Hot Waxing

Conservator Robert Krueger of Cascadia Art Conservation Center is "hot waxing" the Elk.

Buffed

The Elk moves back into the warehouse securely attached to its temporary pallet, you can see a bit of that buffed sheen reflected on the surface.

Cold Waxing

After the hot wax Conservator Robert Krueger of Cascadia Art Conservation Center adds a layer of "cold wax" which will then be hand buffed.

Cold Waxing

After the hot wax Conservator Robert Krueger of Cascadia Art Conservation Center adds a layer of "cold wax" which will then be hand buffed.

Photos:  Images and wax description of the Thompson Elk courtesy of Keith Lachowicz, Regional Arts & Culture Council. 

Announcing PPF’s Spring 2025 Small Grant Recipients

Announcing PPF’s Spring 2025
Small Grant Recipients

The Portland Parks Foundation mobilizes support to improve Portland’s system of parks, natural areas, and public spaces. One of the ways we do this is through our Small Grants program. PPF’s offers small grants of $2,000 each to support programs, projects, and general operations of local organizations who foster equitable access to our urban parks, natural areas, community gardens and community recreation centers.

This spring, PPF is able to support 10 organizations whose work spans the city and creatively addresses various gaps in current programming and services found in our communities thanks to a generous bequest from Nancy Hebb Freeman.

We encourage you to learn more about each of these organizations and their diverse approaches to making Portland thrive. You can find them bringing new green spaces to intersections, providing food opportunities and justice to local communities, preserving and enjoying our forests and rivers, and educating young and old alike. 

Congratulations to all of our recipients!  We’re excited to partner with you and make Portland’s parks and green spaces more accessible, more exciting, and more deeply appreciated. 

The Spring 2025 Small Grant recipients are:

• Archeology Roadshow

• Gather:Make:Shelter

• Green Lents

• Kids N’ Tennis

• The Kindness Farm

• Lavender League

• Medicine Bear

• Municipal Eco Resiliency Project

• Roots and Beats Project

• Wonderfolk

Read about each of the organizations
and the work they are doing to help our parks!