What We Do
Together is built into the design.
We organize resources, relationships, and wisdom differently to meet needs now and explore what becomes possible together.
Our vision is a Portland where, together, everyone’s needs are met.
Reaching it will require transformation in how we collectively meet people’s needs.
One | Pool Resources
Bring philanthropic resources together.
We pool contributions from individuals, foundations, donor advised funds, and other partners, and put them to work through larger, longer-term, unrestricted funding.
Two | Fund One Cohort
Five organizations. One cohort. Three years.
Organizations choose to apply together in groups of five. One cohort is selected.
Each organization receives $100,000 a year in unrestricted funding for three years, representing $1.5 million in direct funding across the cohort.
What We Fund
Love, Portland funds five interconnected areas that speak directly to the root causes of homelessness.
Keeping People Housed
Over 50% of Portlanders are cost burdened by rent
Substance Use Disorder Treatment
In 2020, Oregon had the second-highest rate of substance use disorder in the United States, and ranked last for access to treatment
Domestic & Family Violence Services
Domestic & Family violence are the leading cause of homelessness in women and children.
Foster Care Services
40% of youth aging out of foster care will experience homelessness by the time they’re 26
Youth Mentorship
One consistent caring adult is among the strongest protective factors against outcomes like homelessness
Three | Learn Over Time
Explore what becomes possible through collaboration.
Alongside committed, unrestricted funding, the cohort will benefit from facilitated time to build relationships, deepen trust, share what they know, and explore what becomes possible together.
What can we see together that we cannot see alone?
There is no predetermined solution. Over three years, the collective work can reveal what is working, what is missing, and where larger philanthropic and public investments could make a greater difference.
Why We’re Starting Here
Love, Portland intentionally chose five focus areas that represent critical intervention points where meeting needs earlier can help prevent homelessness.
Each is a critical intervention point in its own right, and each offers a distinct vantage point into where people’s needs are going unmet.
Homelessness is one of the clearest expressions of needs going unmet, and it is rarely the beginning of a crisis. These five areas are important places to meet needs earlier, and together offer different perspectives on what people and communities need.
Homelessness prevention is an important through-line in why we chose these five areas, but it is not a predetermined outcome for the cohort’s work together.
18,248 People
Are experiencing homelessness in Multnomah County alone
(as of May 2026)
1,100 People
Move into housing
1,400 People
Become Houseless
These numbers point toward an opportunity to meet more needs earlier, while more possibilities remain open to people who are struggling.
Join Us
Our first cohort is already more than 80% funded. Explore the grant opportunity as a potential applicant, or help us complete the funding as a co-funder
