Announcing the 2016 GB Grant

Marathon Scholars, The Dougy Center, Meals on Wheels People, S.M.A.R.T.—united by region, local nonprofit organizations like these share a passion for finding innovative ways to help out the members of our community who need it most.

We want to give back to these and other nonprofits for all they do to help our community. Each year, the Grady Britton Grant provides one Portland-area nonprofit with a $25,000 donation of in-kind marketing services. The recipient meets with us to decide how to use their new funds: on advertising, brand development, public relations, digital strategy, or any number of our team’s capabilities.

We’re happy to announce that applications for the 2016 GB Grant are now open! Last year, our two grant winners, Marathon Scholars and LIVE, both had amazing successes, and we are so proud of the work we did in partnership with them.

We also had another amazingly successful year with our other major philanthropic initiative, the Willamette Week's Give?Guide, earning $3.6 million for local nonprofits.

Read on to learn about some of the work we’ve done for our grant recipients in past years, and how you can apply.

What Can This Year’s Grant Winner Expect?

Marathon Scholars: Listen In

Marathon Scholars, last year’s GB Grant winner, is an education program that pairs low-income students with adult mentors for four years or more. The name refers to the “marathon”—financial, emotional, and otherwise—young people hurtle through on the path toward completing a college degree. Inspired by the StoryCorps model, we collaborated with Marathon Scholars to launch Listen In: an audible collection of students’ and mentors’ stories.

Meals on Wheels People

Whether they’re in need of a hot meal or just craving the company, thousands of Portland seniors depend on Meals on Wheels People. In 2013, we worked alongside the organization to create a broadcast sponsorship campaign that would boost awareness during the holiday fundraising season. The results? An astounding 800% increase in website visits, and more than 5 million TV and social media impressions. Perhaps most incredible is that, through donations, Meals on Wheels People doubled its initial marketing budget investment.

S.M.A.R.T.: Readers Change History

S.M.A.R.T. (Start Making a Reader Today) was our first GB Grant winner, and the campaign we created together in 2008 remains one of our favorites. Today, S.M.A.R.T. is Oregon’s largest literacy nonprofit; but back when we first met, the organization was facing difficulties in recruiting volunteer readers for its program. We developed an identity and media package under one powerful tagline: “Readers Change History.”

Apply for the 2016 GB Grant

These are only a few examples of how GB Grant recipients have spent their in-kind donation. How would your organization use marketing and creative services worth $25,000?

If you or someone you know is involved in a local nonprofit, we encourage you to apply and—hopefully—find out. For more information about the GB grant, as well as additional case studies featuring past winners.