PORTLAND, Ore.— The Portland Timbers today introduced “Stand Together,” a new community investment platform for the upcoming Major League Soccer season. “Stand Together” depicts the relationship between the Timbers and their fans, and signifies the team’s strong commitment to supporting and standing by the Portland community both on and off the field.
“This is just one small example of our organization’s core commitment to community service,” said Timbers owner and president Merritt Paulson. “Community service is a cornerstone of the Timbers mission."
The Timbers’ community mission is to improve the quality of life for children and families throughout the greater-Portland area through focused giving each year and to strengthen the bond between the Timbers and their fans through extensive community outreach.
In 2010, the Portland Beavers & Portland Timbers Community Fund (PBPTCF), the prior incarnation of the PTCF, was recognized by the Portland Business Journal for the second straight year with the Corporate Philanthropy Award for Small Company after distributing more than $100,000 to deserving nonprofits in and around Portland.
To continue that tradition of corporate giving, the Timbers also announced the launch of the Portland Timbers Community Fund (PTCF). In partnership with new community fund founding partners Alaska Airlines, Burgerville and PGE, the PTCF will award more than $100,000 annually to youth-focused nonprofits in the greater-Portland Area.
The PTCF, an advised fund of the Oregon Community Foundation, supports charitable, nonprofit organizations that are registered as 501(c)(3) with tax-exempt status from the IRS and are located within one of the four surrounding counties of the Portland metro area: Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas and Clark County in Southwest Washington. Grant-seeking organizations must fall under one of the following areas of focus:
- Youth education, specifically the K-12 grade levels
- Youth soccer-related projects
- Childhood obesity
- Environmental awareness and activism with youth and families
Letters of Inquiry (LOI) are now being accepted. To find out how your organization can apply to be considered for a grant from the PTCF, please visit the Stand Together homepage. For more information about the PTCF, contact Sierra Smith, director of community outreach, at ssmith@portlandtimbers.com or 503.553.5430.
Portland Timbers Field Grants
In partnership with the City of Portland and Portland Parks and Recreation, the Timbers will donate $50,000 a year over the next four years to field projects and refurbishments in the greater-Portland area. In 2010, the Timbers and owner Merritt Paulson presented a check for $50,000 toward a soccer center for the Parkrose School District. The soccer center, located at Parkrose High School, will host district students, soccer clubs and kids from all over east Portland.
Pillar PartnershipsThe Timbers have adopted the following nonprofit pillar partners for the 2011-2013 seasons:
Big Brothers Big Sisters
The Timbers will partner with Big Brothers Big Sisters on the “Sports Buddies” program, which is a one-to-one mentoring program for at-risk youth with an emphasis on sports. For more information on Big Brothers Big Sisters, visit http://www.bbbsnorthwest.org/.
Friends of Trees
The Timbers will partner with Friends of Trees during the 2011 season. For every Timbers goal scored at home this season, the team will plant a tree in the Portland community through the “Score a Goal, Plant a Tree” partnership with Friends of Trees. For more information on Friends of Trees, visit http://www.friendsoftrees.org/.
Portland YouthBuilders
The Timbers will partner with Portland YouthBuilders on a community service project in conjunction with MLS W.O.R.K.S. Community Service Program. The Timbers will work in a collaborative effort to combine sport and service and improve lives and communities in the Portland area. For more information on Portland YouthBuilders, visit http://www.pybpdx.org/.
Community Programs
The Timbers will participate in a range of community programs that fall within six areas of community focus: fitness; sport; mentorship; environment; education; and global. Also, the Timbers have teamed up locally with Burgerville to present the “Active Bodies Active Minds” assembly program to reiterate the importance of healthy eating, physical activity and summer reading. In addition, the Timbers will continue an almost decade-long partnership with Schoolhouse Supplies by providing backpacks to students at Jason Lee Elementary School through the “Tools for Schools” program. For more information about all of the programs in the team’s community platform, visit Stand Together.
