Thanks to the Oregon Cultural Trust!

How are we thriving? Thanks to the Oregon Cultural Trust, we’re using our time in lockdown productively: by shoring up our organizational structure and development.

As you may know, some 25 volunteers dedicate their service as a labor of love to Portland Radio Project, a 501c3 nonprofit launched by a small band of passionate volunteers in 2013. Our organization has grown into a vibrant LPFM (low-power FM) radio station with thousands of streaming sessions, an expanding community of monthly donors, and diverse programming – including a podcast platform. Over 640 local artists are currently featured in regular rotation; we have profiled the important public service work of more than 150 local nonprofits; and we have mentored dozens of media-interested Portland high school and college students.

We are amazed and grateful for volunteers who run all these departments at PRP: Administration, Revenue Development, Marketing, Production, Engineering, Facilities, Music Curation/Library, Air Team, Volunteer Coordination, Community Voices (nonprofit coverage).

Over six years, however, we’ve found that rewards and recognition are sometimes not enough to retain valuable team members indefinitely. In order to avoid turnover and/or burnout, we aim to move toward paid staff.

That will take strategic planning and grant writing.

In partnership with grants specialist/consultant Meg McHutchison, we are reaching out to arts-supporting foundations to fund our transition from an all-volunteer organization to one with paid staff.

This project, to plan strategically and write grant applications, is supported by an Organizational & Professional Development Grant from the Oregon Cultural Trust. Thank you OCT!