Venture Portland

Business District Members

The majority of Portland’s business districts are members of Venture Portland. Explore the list below to learn more about our members and get a glimpse of what makes the city’s business districts uniquely successful commercial corridors that contribute to Portland’s economic well-being on a daily basis.

No business district association in your area? Form one! Email us for more information.

82nd Avenue

Beaumont

Central Eastside Industrial

Columbia Corridor

Foster

Greater Brooklyn

Hawthorne

Hillsdale

Jade District

Lents

Lloyd

Midway business Association

Menlo Park

Historic Mississippi Ave

Montavilla/East Tabor

Multnomah Village

NE Broadway

Northwest Industrial

Old Town

Historic Parkrose

Raleigh Hills

St. Johns

Stadium District

Swan Island

Soul District

Williams District

Membership

Has Its Benefits

Is your business district missing? Join Venture Portland today and receive valuable benefits including grants, marketing, and representation on Venture Portland’s Board of Directors. Venture Portland also provides start-up support and assistance to emerging business districts.

Learn More

About Business Districts

Today’s economy requires creativity and collaboration for businesses to succeed. Business district associations provide small businesses coordinated marketing, effective events, and opportunities to leverage limited investment into significant return.

A neighborhood business district association is a volunteer-run membership organization where business owners pay dues in exchange for participation in programs that benefit their business and business district.

While all neighborhood business district associations may not be structured exactly the same, they will always have the following:

  • Geographic Boundaries – defines where the association’s activities and member benefits occur
  • Members – businesses that pay dues annually in exchange for benefits
  • Board of Directors – volunteers responsible for the association’s strategy, policy and financial oversight
  • Officers – a President, Treasurer and Secretary are legally required, many associations also have a Vice President
  • Regular Board Meetings – including an annual meeting where board elections occur

Since the 1920’s, neighborhood businesses in Portland have worked together to ensure their financial success by forming neighborhood business district associations. These volunteer-run membership organizations provide a structure for businesses in a common geographical area to refer business, pool resources and promote the area in which they do business. Some benefits that neighborhood business district associations may provide include:

  • Networking Opportunities – morning coffee chats, luncheons, happy hour mixers, educational seminars
  • District Wide Events – street fairs, sidewalk sales, shopping passports, seasonal or holiday festivities, parades, pub crawls
  • Web/Social Media Presence – district website with member pages, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, email newsletter
  • District Identity/Placemaking – district and association branding, banners and signage, trash cans, benches, planters, public art
  • Collateral – brochures, maps, visitor guides, gift guides, coupon books
  • Community Building – district clean-ups, food drives, charitable giving campaigns
  • Advocacy – public policy, business legislation, zoning, construction

Venture

Out

Venture Portland and its member business districts host more than 100 events every year. From street fairs and shopping passports to mixers a community events, there is always something exciting happening in Portland’s business districts!