These 9 groups will receive Multnomah County funding to launch neighborhood events, initiatives in Portland

Multnomah County

is distributing a total of $250,000 to nine small businesses and nonprofits in an effort to boost

the local economy

.

The county announced the recipients of the inaugural Community Vitality and Economy Opportunity Grants in a press release last week.

The announcement comes after board members indicated in January that finding new ways to spur the economy would be one of their priorities.

“These investments in small businesses and vibrant neighborhoods are key to our region’s economic health and prosperity,” Chair Jessica Vega Pederson said in a statement.

The one-time money was allocated in this year’s budget, but Vega Pederson did not include ongoing funding for the grants in her proposed budget for the 2026 fiscal year.

The county is facing a $15.5 million deficit in its estimated $897 million general fund, the government’s largest pool of discretionary dollars, and commissioners are currently weighing a slew of deep cuts to close the gap. They will vote on the $4 billion budget this week.

A total of 52 small businesses and nonprofits applied for the grants this year, but only nine received money. Here are the nine projects that will be funded through the grant program:

• 
  
  Lloyd Ecodistrict ($49,562):
  
  The money will support Lloyd Live, a series of more than 60 free public events, “ranging from concerts and pop-up markets to yoga, meditation, storytelling, and creative workshops,” that will be held at Holladay Park. Lloyd Ecodistrict said that program was “a direct response to long-standing public safety concerns in Lloyd’s only significant green space.”
  
• 
  
  Community Pulse Association ($45,000):
  
  The funding will go to a 10-week bilingual, business bootcamp series for aspiring Russian speaking entrepreneurs from Slavic, Eastern European and Central Asia countries. The bootcamp will focus on “the fundamentals of launching and sustaining small businesses, from idea development and customer validation to branding, legal considerations, and pitching.”
  
• 
  
  Division Midway Alliance ($39,506):
  
  The nonprofit will use the funding to support a mural and community marketplace at the 124th Business Plaza and to install “belonging” street banners along Southeast Division Street from 117th to 148th avenues. The group said the project “supports long-term economic resilience while fostering a sense of belonging in the Division-Midway district.”
  
• 
  
  Latino Network ($37,000):
  
  The money will go to the new Adelante Juntos Community Defense Initiative, which will help support Latine families who have been subjected to “increased attacks regarding immigration during this federal administration” by providing them with the opportunity to take part in family preparedness clinics.
  
• 
  
  Old Town Community Association ($30,000):
  
  The money will fund the No Vacancy Art Gallery, which will turn “underutilized storefronts and public spaces into vibrant exhibition venues, creating a continuous art corridor that begins at Saturday Market and guides visitors throughout Old Town.”
  
• 
  
  Outgrowing Hunger ($15,000):
  
  The money will go toward enhancing the Rockwood People’s Market by turning it into a series of 15 community events, providing business development seminars to support BIPOC, immigrant or refugee entrepreneurs and providing free veggie tokens to low-income market attendees.
  
• 
  
  Lan Su Chinese Garden ($12,000):
  
  The funding will enable the Lan Su Chinese Garden to launch the Blossom & Bounty Summer Market. The outdoor market will take place over six weekends in Old Town Chinatown and will feature “vendor booths, live performances, wellness activities, cooking demonstrations, and youth programming — all rooted in Asian and Pacific Islander traditions.”
  
• 
  
  Asian Health and Family Center ($11,416):
  
  The center will use the funding to support its public facility on Southeast Foster Road. The center hosts community events at the facility “with a special focus on events and gatherings for Asian community members, including senior citizens, immigrants and other vulnerable community members.”
  
• 
  
  Oregon Entrepreneurs Forum ($10,516):
  
  The Oregon Entrepreneurs Network will use the money to continue to host a community Pop-Up & Pitch event featuring more than 25 local food and beverage startups. Attendees will be able to “sip, sample, and purchase from these local businesses while the business owners receive an opportunity on stage to share the story of their business to the audience.”
  

— Austin De Dios covers Multnomah County politics, programs and more. Reach him at 503-319-9744,


adedios@oregonian.com


or @AustinDeDios.

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