Giving Tuesday is here and business districts are filled with the spirit of kindness and generosity – as well as holiday decorations, festive events, and everything you need to make the season merry and bright.    

Portland’s family of business districts actively support neighborhood causes at twice the rate of national chains and show their gratitude to the customers who keep them in business. Thank you for your continued support. This holiday season we hope you will take a moment to recognize the dedication of Portland’s small business owners, plan a visit to one (or many!) of the City’s 50 neighborhood business districts, and discover why they make Portland a world-class city. Here are a few ideas for giving back at your favorite neighborhood businesses while also finding the perfect gifts for everyone on your list:

  • Central Eastside: Here’s a deal that is Unipiper approved! Right now, through the end of the year, Portland Coffee Roasters is donating $1 to Food 4 Farmers with each bag of Holiday Roast sold, helping fight hunger in Latin American coffee communities.
  • Columbia Corridor: Help animals in need by donating to the Oregon Humane Society. You can donate directly or shop at a number of community partners to make an impact.
  • Foster: Mt. Scott Learning Center enrolls 160 students in grades 9-12, with a full core curriculum, elective offerings, monthly service learning, and community partnerships in the arts, outdoor education, and more.
  • Gateway: Bookmobile Babe provides free books, highlighting underrepresented authors, subjects, and characters to communities all over Portland. Donate to them directly or bring coats and socks to their clothing drive at the Gateway Winter Festival on 12/6.
  • Lents: Every dollar donated to Green Lents will help to provide the community with education, outreach, and a local tool lending library. Donate to Path Home and help families fight housing insecurity through rapid re-housing, shelter, and housing retention programs. 
  • Lloyd: Did you know that Lloyd is the first EcoDistrict in Oregon? That is thanks to the efforts of EcoLloyd, which focuses on pollinator placemaking, decarbonization, and residential resilience.
  • Midway: This December, Jenni’s Sacred Grounds is “adopting” local families and posting their holiday wishlists in their café, as well as hosting donation boxes for food, toiletries, and purses that will become care packages for women experiencing houselessness. Best of all, donating will earn you discounts on coffee and homemade pastries!
  • Mississippi Ave: Businesses are donating 10% of sales to Boise Eliot Humbolt School during Giving Tuesday. Look for this flyer at participating businesses.
  • Multnomah Village: Multnomah Art Center Association provides scholarships, obtains equipment, and facilitates infrastructure improvements that enhance the quality of class programming for life-long art education in Multnomah Village.
  • NW Industrial: All gifts big or small to LIFT UP help to increase food security in our community. As little as $5 equals 15 healthy and nutritious meals for your neighbors who need them the most. 
  • Old Town: Support the only Chinese Garden in Oregon! A gift to the Lan Su Chinese Garden provides funding for long-term safety measures, maintenance projects, care of the garden’s hundreds of species of plants, and cultural and education programs.
  • St. Johns: Donate to the Cathedral Park Performing Arts Collective and support student programming, their Intergenerational Program, and their commitment to making music and theatre arts education accessible to all. St. Johns Swap and Play is a nonprofit, community-driven, indoor play space where families connect, swap, and share resources.
  • Williams District: Give the gift of music this holiday season! Founded in 1998, Ethos provides music lessons, multicultural performances, and outreach to thousands of students each year. Self Enhancement Inc. (SEI) provides support to families and community members throughout the holiday season, including meals and gift baskets, utility assistance, and housing services.

This list is non-exhaustive so you can find more opportunities to give back in Willamette Week’s Give Guide. Don’t forget you can always support Portland’s business districts with a contribution to Venture Portland. It is a gift that keeps on giving all year long!