Time in and time out, Oregon Black Pioneers can count on its community. Thanks to another tremendous outpouring of our support, OBP ended its #YearEndCampaign successfully.
When all the gifts were counted, this fundraising push exceeded all expectations. Our internal goal was to raise $8000. But with donations large and small from every corner of Oregon, we ended up raising over $16,000!
This year, OBP’s approach was to remind our Facebook followers of all the amazing projects we were able to take part in thanks to their unrestricted support. We created a list of our ten favorite accomplishments in 2021. These included new historical markers and headstones, a celebratory weekend in Southern Oregon near Ben Johnson Mountain, one year of radio programming on The Register, and the dedication of a memorial to Alonzo Tucker on Juneteenth. There are many more things we mentioned –and so many which we couldn’t get to! 2021 was a year to remember for OBP, and it is all thanks to our supporters.
These stories were meant to inspire, and thankfully, many people felt to call to donate. 108 individual gifts were made between November 15 and December 31. Of those, 95 were for $250 or less. That demonstrates that the majority of our support came from gifts from ordinary Oregonians who believe in our mission to preserve and present Oregon’s Black history. On top of their incredibly thoughtful support were several impactful gifts from long time supporters, new friends, and businesses that believe in the work we do as well. Together, this community of Black heritage evangelists have set Oregon Black Pioneers up on a the right foot to begin 2022.
As a small, hardworking nonprofit, we depend on gifts for every project we are part of. Thanks to you, Oregon Black Pioneers is poised for another stellar year with great work ahead. On behalf of everyone at OBP, thank you so much.
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Oregon Black Pioneers is Oregon’s only historical society dedicated to preserving and presenting the experiences of African Americans statewide. Since 1993, our organization has illuminated the seldom-told history of people of African descent in Oregon. We are inspired by the tenacity of Black Oregonians who have faced discrimination and hardship to make a life for themselves here over the past 400 years. We honor their sacrifices by remembering their stories and by sharing them with the public.
Please consider making a donation to help us preserve and promote Oregon’s African American history and culture.