Donors Support Arts and Culture for a More Vibrant Oregon

OCF donors show up in generous support of arts and culture: performing and fine arts, arts education and all forms of cultural expression, reflecting the cultural richness and diversity of our state. Below are snapshots of just a few examples of OCF donors supporting arts and culture in our state.  

Portugal. The Man: Elevating Indigenous Voices With OCF 

The Grammy-winning, Portland-based rock group Portugal. The Man has a long history of advocating for the rights of Indigenous peoples in the United States and around the world. The PTM Fund at OCF serves as the financial arm of the PTM Foundation, which boosts the voice and visibility of Indigenous communities and organizations. Read more. 

Chris Carpenter: Donor Enjoys Flexible Giving With OCF 

Chris Carpenter flourished in a career as a performing arts textile artist. She dyed, printed and applied surface treatments to fabrics, including a 17-year run working for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. A planned gift from her estate will support a place close to her heart: the Oregon Shakespeare Festival dye room where textiles are prepared for stage. Read more. 

Charles Hudson and Sons: Responsibility and Resilience 

Charles, a Mandan-Hidatsa tribal member, with his sons established the Many Dances Family Fund to support land stewardship, outdoors ethics, homelessness, food sovereignty, addiction/recovery and the growing movement to reintegrate traditional, healthful diets into people’s lives. Read more. 

Oregon Black Pioneers: Preserving Oregon’s Black Heritage 

Oregon Black Pioneers is a Salem-based nonprofit dedicated to researching, recognizing and commemorating the culture and heritage of African Americans in Oregon. The organization laid a path for long-term growth and impact by creating an OCF endowment partner fund. Read more.  

David Burris: Supporting a Community Hub for Performing Arts 

For much of his life, Baker City resident David Burris longed to restore the downtown Baker Orpheum Theatre to its former glory – a process now underway. David has supported the renovation, and his OCF fund will subsidize ticket costs to make access to quality performances accessible to the community. Read more.  

Cathy and Paul Nicholson: Supporting Arts, Culture and Scholarships 

A couple with long involvement with the arts, education and volunteering in Southern Oregon established testamentary and donor advised funds to award scholarships and arts and culture grants. Read more. 

Bonnie Reagan, M.D: Finding a Partner in OCF

After retiring in 2009, donor Bonnie co-founded BRAVO Youth Orchestras to expand access to music education. In 2017 Bonnie and her husband Pete opened a donor advised fund with OCF to focuses on supporting social justice, immigration, arts, education, climate and reproductive rights. Read more.  

MacKenzie Scott

In 2021, artists and arts organizations in Oregon received much-needed funding thanks to a $4 million gift from Pacific Northwest philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. Scott’s gift to OCF’s Oregon Arts and Culture Recovery Fund was among recipients of $2.74 billion she gave to support “high-impact organizations in categories and communities that have been historically underfunded and overlooked.” Read more.