Portland is home to 23,000+ neighborhood businesses that provide 300,000+ jobs, the majority of which have been hit hard by closures and limited operations as a result of COVID-19. In response to the current economic crisis, Venture Portland awarded $62,000 to fund 21 grant projects in Portland’s neighborhood business districts citywide. These funds will help districts retain critical staff who support local businesses and market and promote their unique commercial corridors. 

Venture Portland’s Grants Committee, comprised of neighborhood business owners, evaluated grant submissions to determine business district grant funding. This highly competitive round of grants funds includes brand new District Resilience Grants that were created in direct response to the COVID-19 crisis. These grants featured a simplified and accelerated application process to help infuse funds into struggling business districts as quickly as possible. Additional grants fund Benchmark, Destination Investment and Economic Development projects. These projects were made possible in part by Travel Portland.

“As a former small business owner and a lifelong Portlander, I am deeply concerned about COVID-19’s impact on our local business community. Portland’s small businesses are essential to who we are and what makes Portland so special, and I am committed to doing everything I can to ensure that they have the tools they need to weather this crisis,” said Portland City Commissioner Chloe Eudaly. “I want to thank Venture Portland and Travel Portland for recognizing this need and creating the District Resilience Grant Program—these grants will provide vital funds to small, local businesses and help ensure that our business districts keep their unique character through this crisis and beyond.”

“The heartbeat of our City is made of small businesses; the owners and innovators who have the bravery and creativity to set up shop in Portland,” said Joy Church, Venture Portland’s Interim Executive Director. “In times of crisis, we believe that Portland’s business district associations need additional support to hold tight and stay strong. It is our honor to provide these emergency funds to so many deserving business districts.” 

To further support neighborhood businesses, Venture Portland has also created an extensive COVID-19 Resource Guide for business owners, their employees and their customers. Resources include information on local, state and federal relief for businesses as well as ways Portlanders can shop local during this critical time. Now more than ever, it is important to support the small businesses that strengthen the livability and character of the neighborhoods we call home. 

A complete list of grant-funded activities is below:

District Resilience Grant Awards
  • Belmont Area – Staffing and Marketing
  • Central Eastside Industrial – Staffing and Webinars
  • Division/Clinton – Staffing and Marketing
  • Foster Area – Marketing
  • Hawthorne Blvd – Marketing
  • Kenton – Marketing
  • Lloyd – Staffing
  • Mississippi Ave – Staffing and Marketing
  • Multnomah Village – Marketing
  • NE Broadway – Staffing
  • NW Portland – Marketing
  • Old Town – Staffing
  • Pearl District – Staffing
  • Prosper Portland – Small Business Relief Fund
Benchmark Grant Awards
  • Historic Parkrose – District Map
  • Lloyd – District Video
  • Midway – ‘Midway Thriving’ Event
  • NW Industrial – District Website
  • Old Town – Design Week Event

Destination Investment Grant Award

  • Pearl District – Garbage and Recycling Initiative

Economic Development Grant Award

  • Hawthorne Boulevard – Enhanced Services District

In FY 19-20 Venture Portland awarded $118,300 to fund 38 projects in 20 business districts, leveraging an additional $168,710 in private investment. Since 1995 Venture Portland has granted more than $1.8 million to fund 608 business district projects, leveraging more than $5.4 million in additional private investment in districts citywide.