OUR Grants

Grant
Awards
Venture Portland’s grant funds are available exclusively for member business associations and are offered each spring. Venture Portland grants fund staffing, contractors, and consultants that build capacity and vitality in business districts.
Current Funding
Opportunities
Venture Portland 2025 Staffing Grants
Business Districts drive our City and make neighborhoods thrive. Paid professional staff is the single most catalytic way for business districts to improve programming and increase membership, business benefits, and revenue. To help Venture Portland achieve its strategic goal of building capacity in business districts, Venture Portland is offering Staffing Grant funds to help districts hire/retain ongoing staff, contractors, and consultants. Venture Portland member districts may apply for one (1) staffing grant during the 2025 grant cycle (April 1-December 31). Applications are due no later than 3/7/25 at 12pm:
Ongoing Staff
Districts may apply for up to $10,000 to hire new ongoing staff or pay existing staff for up to 9 months. Funds must be spent between April 1, 2025 – December 31, 2025. Ongoing staff typically have a varied skillset and provide some or all of the following services:
- Facilitating a membership campaign
- Supporting member businesses
- Managing district events and/or marketing campaigns throughout the year
- Managing the district’s social media, website, newsletters, and/or CRM
- Supporting the BDA board in their work
Contractor/Consultant
Districts may apply for up to $6,000 to hire temporary contractors or consultants. Funds must be spent between April 1, 2025 – December 31, 2025. Contractors and consultants typically have specialized skills and work on a single project including:
- Website/CRM development
- Facilitating a single large-scale event or marketing campaign
- Designing/printing/manufacturing district marketing/placemaking materials
- Board Development
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) training or facilitation
Download the Grant Guidelines and Application
The majority of Portland’s business districts are dues-paying members of Venture Portland 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.