2021 CRF Projects (selected)
Host organization: Getting There Together Coalition
Student fellow: Andrew Oliver
Overview: Created GIS map compiling data relating to the coalition’s goals of racial equity, emissions reduction, accessibility, and safety. This map will help select areas for future investment, activism, and research by visualizing trends and disparities relating to public transit, active transit, and safety in the region. The coalition’s intention is to use the map to start conversations with the community to envision and advocate for a transportation system that is more just and conducive to the COVID-19 recession recovery.
Host organization: Historic Parkrose
Student fellow: Jacob Storm
Overview: Supported development of the Parkrose Community Plan, which Historic Parkrose is leading in partnership with city and state agencies, by creating a survey and recording community input from workshops and discussions. Community engagement for this plan is focused on communities of color, who represent a larger share of the neighborhood population compared to other areas of Portland, and who have often been most impacted by changes but least involved in past plans. The fellow also helped coordinate a summer pop-up market supporting local small and home-based businesses.
Host organization: Living Cully
Student fellow: Kristen Albertson
Overview: With some residents ineligible for government-issued rental assistance based on citizenship status, and/or exposure to COVID-19 through work in the service industry as well as increasing violence in the neighborhood, the fellow’s contribution to fundraising for the Renter Relief Fund and creation of a community-led tax increment finance (TIF) district helped expand resources for community members facing significant vulnerability to income and housing insecurity. The fellow also assisted with planning the Cully Community Celebration, an event focused on gun violence and community safety.
Host organization: Portland Clean Energy Fund (PCEF) Coalition
Student fellow: Jai Daniels
Overview: Informed the coalition about the possible benefit of financially supporting a low-cost or free bikeshare program for high school students in Portland by conducting a focus group and survey of 200+ students. In removing the financial barrier that some low-income students may face in accessing alternative modes of transportation, this program could benefit communities of color and low income communities disproportionately affected by air pollution from exhaust, as well as personal health by reducing young drivers on the road.
Host organization: Regional Accelerator Innovation Network (RAIN)
Student fellow: Mary Elizabeth Chase
Overview: Helped put systems in place for RAIN’s programs so the organization can efficiently match entrepreneurs from underrepresented backgrounds with experts to help them start and grow their businesses and ensure their businesses can withstand future economic shocks. Programs include digital marketing for startups and small businesses and 1:1 technical assistance—including financial guidance and connection with financial management experts such as bookkeepers, accountants, and CPAs.
Host organization: Rockwood Community Development Corporation (CDC)
Student fellow: Heidi Hinshaw, Tanja Olson
Overview: Strengthened various new and existing projects, which included investigation into the feasibility of a new community investment program, adapting the 2021 MURP workshop project “Rockwood Identity Project” into a format for external outreach, and research into the potential for a new mixed-use development proposal submission to incorporate a resilience hub—which involved interviews with Multnomah County Sustainability Office, Portland General Electric, Oregon State Resilience Office, and review of existing case studies.
Host organization: St. Johns Center for Opportunity
Student fellow: Ryan Haight
Overview: By helping organize a successful annual fall fundraiser, the fellow secured resources to support long term COVID-19 recession recovery and the resilience of frontline communities served by St. Johns Center for Opportunity. This enables staff to focus on programming support in areas including workforce development and food access, at a time of elevated need for services offered, such as farmer’s market vouchers, unemployment claim assistance, and help with finding staff (for small local businesses).
2022 Community Recovery Fellowship Applications
Check back soon for information about the 2022 CRF application round!