MLS Portland Timbers

Timbers Announce $40,000 in Community Fund Grants

March 16, 2012 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Portland Timbers News Release


PORTLAND, Ore. - The Portland Timbers today announced the awarding of $40,000 in grants to nine youth-focused nonprofit organizations in the greater-Portland area through the Portland Timbers Community Fund (PTCF). The nine Spring grant recipients were selected by the Portland Timbers Community Fund Advisory Board.

Supported by founding partners JELD-WEN Windows & Doors, Alaska Airlines, adidas, PGE and Burgerville, the PTCF presented grants to Adelante Mujeres, Camp Fire Columbia, The Community Cycling Center, The Council for Responsible Sport, Girls Inc., Miracle Theatre Group, Mittleman Jewish Community Center, Open Meadow Alternative School and Playworks.

The PTCF has set an aggressive goal of donating $120,000 in grants to local nonprofits in 2012, which is $20,000 more than was awarded in 2011. The PTCF offers three rounds of grants over the course of the year. Letters of Interest (LOI) for the PTCF's Summer grant cycle are due Monday, April 23. For grant applications and guidelines, visit www.portlandtimbers.com/community/fund.

The funding that Adelante Mujeres received will go toward helping Latina girls from third grade through high school learn ways to improve their overall fitness and health, enhance their self-esteem and learn teamwork through the sport of soccer. For more on the programs provided by Adelante Mujeres, visit www.adelantemujeres.org.

Camp Fire Columbia will use its grant money to introduce students in the David Douglas School District to adult role models, provide afterschool homework assistance, teach the importance of a healthy lifestyle and expand environmental awareness. More on Camp Fire Columbia can be found at www.campfirecolumbia.org.

The Community Cycling Center will apply its grant towards 24 full scholarships, which include tuition and a bike, and 11 tuition-only scholarships for a bike camp for students at Faubion and Harvey Scott Elementary Schools in Portland. Learn more about The Community Cycling Center at www.communitycyclingcenter.org.

The grant awarded to The Council for Responsible Sport will go towards developing an independent, comprehensive certification program for event directors across the world to incorporate environmentally and socially responsible initiatives into its events and educating consumers on which events adhere to higher standards of sustainability. Additional information about The Council for Responsible Sports is available at www.resport.org.

Girls Inc. received funding for the implementation of the organization's Portland-based program called, "Girls Take Off!" - a monthly wilderness and active lifestyle adventure program. Girls Inc. delivers life-changing programs that inspire girls to be strong, smart and bold. The Girls Inc. network serves girls ages 6-18 in 350 cities across the United States and Canada; learn more at www.girlsinc.org.

The grant received by Miracle Theatre Group will be used to fund its children's arts initiatives, which include a Spanish and bilingual K-8 program - Teatro Milagro Art Camp, a multi-disciplinary bilingual arts program, and children's theatrical production Teatro Milagro's Adventuras de Don Quixote. More about Miracle Theatre Group can be found at www.milagro.org.

Mittleman Jewish Community Center received a grant to establish a scholarship program in 2012, benefiting 600 local children in effort to make the organization's camp experiences and activities more affordable. Information about the Mittleman Jewish Community Center is available by clicking here.

The grant awarded to Open Meadow Alternative School in Portland will be put towards the organization's alternative education and school programs designed to reengage youth in education and increase self-esteem. The organization works with over 200 students at risk of dropping out of school. Learn more about the programs offered by Open Meadow Alternative School at www.openmeadow.org.

The funding given to Playworks, a program utilized by Portland Public Schools, will be used to improve the health, education and organized sports opportunities for 5,800 low-income children at 14 schools across the city of Portland. Click here to learn more about Playworks and the programs the organization provides local schools.

The PTCF, an advised fund of the Oregon Community Foundation, supports charitable, non-profit organizations that are registered as a 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; youth sports; youth health and fitness; environmental awareness and activism with youth and families.

Through the club's community outreach platform, Stand Together, the Timbers' community mission is to harness the power of sport to improve the lives of children and families in the region through targeted programs, deep partnerships and philanthropic giving. For more on the Timbers community outreach programs and partners, visit www.portlandtimbers.com/stand-together.

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