The City of Portland has two funding opportunities now open for partner organizations to help design and implement community education and engagement activities to meaningfully engage Portland’s diverse communities in the City Charter review process with a focus on Portlanders who have been historically left out of City Hall decision making. Applications for the community engagement cohort and proposals in response to the request for proposals for community engagement are due Friday, August 6, 2021. Both funding opportunities are described below.
Request for Proposal from organizations
We are seeking proposals from organizations to design and implement community education and engagement activities to meaningfully engage Portland’s diverse communities in the City Charter review process with a focus on Portlanders who have been historically left out of City Hall decision making.
Ideally, proposers should be organizations based in the Portland metropolitan region who primarily work with, advocate for and/or provide services to historically underserved communities and who have experience with civic or community engagement, leadership development or community organizing and advocacy.
We are looking for proposals from organizations who have a track record of building relationships and tailoring engagement for culturally specific communities, such as Black, Indigenous, people of color and people with disabilities. We value community leadership and lived, as well as professional, experience.
Project Funding
Up to $120,000 will be awarded for services through June 30, 2022. Based upon the proposals received, the City may award multiple contracts. To see the full request for proposal, scope of work, requirements and more, please visit procurement website here.
Proposals are due on Friday, August 6, 2021 at 4:00 pm. A non-mandatory, pre-submittal meeting will be held virtually July 19, 2021 at 12:00 pm. Please visit procurement website to learn more.
The Community Engagement Cohort
Applications for the community engagement cohort are now open! The City of Portland is seeking up to 8 community-based organizations to participate in an education and engagement cohort for the City’s Charter Commission.
Working together, the cohort will develop ways for community members to provide input – and then engage the communities they serve to participate. This approach is designed to elevate voices the City needs to hear, ensure that engagement is culturally relevant, reduce barriers to participation and compensate community organizations for their expertise. We hope that working in collaboration with fellow cohort members also deepens connections among community organizations.
Project Funding
Selected organizations will receive a stipend of $7,000 to participate in the cohort from September 2021 through June 2022. Participating organizations will designate a community member or staff member to serve on the cohort. If a community member is selected to represent your organization, the stipend may be used to compensate that individual for their time. The City will provide free access to services such as translation, interpretation and printing, to ensure that participating organizations do not incur direct costs for engagement.
Who’s Eligible?
Organizations based in the Portland metro region who primarily work with, advocate for and/or provide services to historically underserved communities and who have experience with civic or community engagement, leadership development, or community organizing and advocacy.
What is expected of cohort members?
The total time commitment will be about 12 hours per month, dedicated to the following activities:
- Attend virtual cohort meetings twice a month, facilitated by the City’s Charter Commission Engagement and Communications Coordinator (2 hours per month)
- Monthly one-on-one check-in with Engagement and Communications Coordinator (1 hour per month)
- Review, customize and distribute engagement materials such as flyers, social media posts and website content (3 hours per month)
- Host in-person or virtual events within your community, or represent the Charter Commission at community events (average of 4 hours per month – will vary month to month)
- Summarize community feedback to provide to the City (2 hours per month)
Application and selection process:
To apply for a spot in the cohort, complete the short application here by Friday, August 6, 2021. A committee of City staff and Charter Commission members will evaluate applications and select up to 8 organizations to participate in the cohort using the following criteria:
- Alignment of organization’s mission and audience with Charter Commission engagement goals
- Experience with civic engagement, leadership development, community organizing or advocacy, with a focus on communities historically left out of City Hall decision making
- Clear and compelling interest in Charter Commission engagement, and unique value added to cohort
- Ability to fulfill cohort responsibilities
- Overall diversity of organizations, ensuring that reflect as much of the vibrancy of Portland as possible
All applicants will be notified by the end of August 2021 whether they are being offered a spot in the cohort.
Community Engagement Cohort model applications are available here and due on Friday, August 6, 2021 via email to CharterReview2020@portlandoregon.gov.