When asked to describe her relationship to MRG, Teressa Raiford, Don’t Shoot Portland’s (DSP) Founder and Lead Organizer, said “MRG saved my life.” She went on to say, “it’s a lot going on [in the world today] you know? The world is not like it was yesterday. We’re post-Ferguson, and a lot is happening and […]
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Five years ago I was selected as MRG’s ‘next’ executive director. I was chosen to honor the past and to lead us boldly into the future. While at MRG I’ve promoted the power of critical thinking, pushed bold programming, and introduced powerful community conversations. I’ve worked with smart and creative staff, board, and community members […]
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MRG Foundation was named “2016 Outstanding Philanthropic Foundation” by the Association of Fundraising Professionals Oregon & SW Washington Chapter. MRG was selected for this award based on the following criteria: This award recognizes a private or community foundation or community grantmaking organization that supports not only nonprofit organizational goals but also offers encouragement and motivation […]
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“Life for me ain’t been no crystal stairs” these words from Langston Hughes poem “Mother to Son” always resonate with me when the question is asked for me to share myself. As a native Portlander and as a Black man the convergence of these two realities are constantly in conflict with each other, but I […]
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As I come to the end of my 26th year as a fund raiser and my 45th year as a person of color and a black woman, I am forced to assess my worth in light of what I have given back and in terms of how I want my future and the future of […]
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MRG Foundation is excited to award $225,000 to 17 groups across Oregon to continue to build and grow the social justice movement. Inspired by the events that took place in Malhuer County this January and understanding the limited resources available to individuals and groups organizing in rural communities, we made a consecrated effort during this […]
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As we head into Pride weekend, we at MRG are reminded of the importance of creating and holding space to celebrate who we are, where we came from, and build a vision for a better, stronger, and safer tomorrow. This week’s MRG staff meeting started a little differently than most. One of our leaders shared […]
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MRG Foundation is looking for a committed and inspirational leader, who has a deep understanding of racial justice and intersectionality, the ability to inspire a wider circle of people to support social justice grantmaking by elevating MRG’s work locally, regionally, and nationally, and will unleash the leadership potential of the MRG team. Learn more about […]
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In mid May, Latinx youth, allies, and community groups from Forest Grove and surrounding communities confronted racism rooted in the rhetoric of building a wall on the US-Mexico border. The racial tensions that have been present in the community for some time were elevated during a key “unity week” event at Forest Grove High School […]
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In January of 2016 MRG officially launched the Capacity Building Initiative (CBI). The CBI provides multi-year funding, individualized technical assistance, and peer learning opportunities to ten grassroots social change organizations across the state. Our pilot project is currently being funded in partnership with Meyer Memorial Trust. Voices of CBI is a blog series that features […]
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