Programs

Member

Center

Venture Portland is the support organization for all of Portland’s business districts, providing our members with funding, training, marketing, and significant staff support. Since 1986 Venture Portland has helped business districts city-wide best meet the needs of their diverse communities. We invite you to discover the ways Venture Portland can support your business district by navigating this section and contacting us today.

Grants

Venture Portland’s grant funds are available exclusively for member business associations and are offered various times throughout the year. Venture Portland grants fund many of the activities that make Portland unique, including street fairs and other community events, holiday festivities and shopping promotions, websites, banners, newsletters, maps and other marketing collateral for business districts.

Lunch & Learns

Each year Venture Portland hosts trainings to build the capacity of business district leaders. Venture Portland trainings address all aspects of business district operations such as great promotions, membership campaigns, marketing and running a successful business association.

Sponsorship

Get your business or district noticed with sponsorship opportunities! Venture Portland sends out a weekly press release, a weekly “Friday email”, and we have a monthly Small Business Portland podcast. Now that we’ve moved to virtual trainings, attendance is higher than ever before and people can access the webinars via our youtube channel at their convenience. Each of these offers a chance for you to advertise your association and/or your business by sponsoring any or all of the above!

Marketing & Events

Venture Portland promotes business districts and their member businesses via twice-per-week newsletters, social media, and ventureportland.org. We also regularly host both in-person and virtual opportunities for business district leaders to network and share resources.

Catalytic Investment Initiative

The Catalytic Investment Initiative is designed to respond to the disparity among Portland’s business associations. Participating Catalytic Investment Initiative districts possess a unique demographic and economic profile, business district size, built form and lack of infrastructure pose unique and significant challenges.

Fee-For-Service

Venture Portland’s Fee-For-Service Programs are low-cost options for a variety of business district services from Venture Portland’s talented staff. Programs focus on Strong Membership, District Identity and Strong Business District Associations.

Youtube

Resources

Venture Portland’s YouTube channel has multiple years of webinar recordings on topics ranging from business association governance, marketing, events, and city partners. Check out the most popular videos here or explore more on our channel.

Leadership Skills & Volunteer Recognition

District Design & Marketing Made Easy with Canva

Using Video and Viral Trends to Impact Your Business

Podcast

Episodes

The Small Business Portland Podcast features interviews with business district experts, small business owners and local leaders to discuss the state of small business in Portland. Join host Eleni Gerding as she explores issues affecting Portland’s 50 business districts and the small business owners that make them unique.

Membership

Has Its Benefits

The majority of Portland’s business districts are dues-paying members of Venture Portland and receive valuable benefits including grants and representation on Venture Portland’s Board of Directors. Venture Portland also provides start-up support and assistance to emerging business districts.