Regional and National Funders Continue to Invest in the All Hands Raised Partnership

Work to Improve Local Educational Outcomes Continues to Progress, as Momentum Builds to Add a Fifth Collaborative Focused on the Transition from High School to College and Career.

In the first half of 2014 a number of local and national foundations and corporations made significant investments in the work of the All Hands Raised Partnership, helping to advance the organization’s mission to help all kids achieve their full potential.

Since January of this year, All Hands Raised has received over $600,000 to support its work.

All Hands Raised focuses the community’s collective efforts to improve educational outcomes for children and youth from birth to career, facilitating thoughtful and measureable action and connecting the dots between all sectors and organizations. Investments made to All Hands Raised in support of its role as convener of the local cradle to career initiative include gifts from: Meyer Memorial Trust ($150,000), Oregon Community Foundation ($25,000), Oregon Education Investment Board ($25,000), America’s Promise Alliance ($15,000), PGE Foundation ($50,000), The Standard ($7,500) and Unitus Community Credit Union ($3,087). The All Hands Raised Partnership serves as a model community for the State of Oregon’s Regional Achievement Collaboratives and as a leader in the national StriveTogether Network.

The All Hands Raised Partnership has four active Collaboratives that influence improved practices and outcomes for students across Multnomah County. These Collaboratives are focused on early learning measures including kindergarten readiness, ninth grade credit attainment, chronic absenteeism at all grade levels, and eliminating disparities that exist across our community. A fifth Collaborative is being added this fall focused on improving the transition from high school to college and career. The establishment of the new Collaborative is being fueled by many investors including: Lumina Foundation ($170,000), Living Cities ($60,000) and Bank of America ($15,000).

Since 1994, All Hands Raised has been proud to steward PPS parent-led fundraising and manage the PPSF Equity Fund through the Portland Public Schools Foundation. This work is fueled by private donations, which since January of 2014 include: $44,389 from New Seasons Market through the Cans for Kids and School Fruit programs and $43,425 from the Roy Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation. In addition, the Portland Trail Blazers through its make it better Foundation made contributions to the educational foundations of our six partner school districts totaling $26,799.81 (the PPS portion of these funds was directed to the PPSF Equity Fund).

The mission of All Hands Raised is to champion education, equity and excellence from cradle to career inside and outside of the classroom by mobilizing leadership, ideas, resources and community action to ensure kids throughout Portland and Multnomah County achieve their full potential. This is a community-wide effort to methodically, significantly and permanently improve educational outcomes for children and youth, birth through college and/or career. And, we remain true to our roots, stewarding PPS parent-led fundraising and managing the PPSF Equity Fund.

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