Ways to Give

The Need

Owning a home is the greatest asset many of us will have. Yet, historic and systemic injustices have created disparities in homeownership rates, particularly for communities of color and low- to moderate-income households who are at greatest risk of displacement and have been excluded from wealth-building opportunities.

Our Solution

Since our founding in 1999, Proud Ground’s community land trust model has helped more than 700 working families and a disproportionate number of households of color become homeowners. We serve Clackamas, Jackson, Lincoln, Multnomah, and Washington Counties in Oregon, and since 2014, Clark County, Washington.

For households of more modest means, the inventory of affordable homes continues to fall short of demand.

Proud Ground’s Community Land Trust model puts homeownership within reach for more working families. In return, the property remains permanently affordable because homeowners commit to selling at an affordable price to another income-eligible buyer, paying it forward for future generations.

In 2025, we will add at least 70 affordable homeownership opportunities in our region for about the same monthly payment as the average two-bedroom rental apartment.

Following is a list of our robust programming/services to ensure that homebuyers are mortgage-ready and have continued support once they become homeowners:

  • Community outreach

  • Homebuyer education

  • One-on-one financial counseling

  • Down-payment assistance

  • Post-purchase homeowner stewardship, including continued financial education, tax preparation, and estate planning.

Your Commitment

By investing in Proud Ground, you are helping to create equitable pathways to homeownership and ending the cycle of generational poverty and displacement for families in our community.

Take a few minutes to watch this 2025 video featuring homeowner Christin. Hear how Proud Ground supporters like you have helped her break the chain of generational poverty for her sons through homeownership.

Your charitable gift helps families like McKenna’s create stability for their children by enabling them to stay in their schools and with their friends. Her oldest son is looking forward to hosting a sleepover, and the youngest son’s fourth birthday party will be in their new townhome: what may seem like little things to many are big firsts for this grateful family of four.

Would you like to pay tribute to someone special through a gift to Proud Ground? Consider a dedication.

Make a gift in honor of or in memory of someone, and we will notify the individual/family of your thoughtfulness. Simply select “Dedicate this gift” on the donation page.

Increase the Impact of Your Support: Become a Monthly Donor

Your sustaining support helps Proud Ground year-round, while enabling you to spread your gift over time to make an even greater impact.

Monthly contributions of any size allow us to provide community outreach, educational programming, 1-on-1 counseling for prospective homebuyers, and post-purchase stewardship.

It's a gift that allows us to guide individuals through the entire homebuying journey!

Types of Gifts

Cash

Proud Ground honors general, restricted, and anonymous cash donations in the form of EFT payments, credit card payments, and checks payable to Proud Ground.

Stock

Proud Ground gladly accepts gifts of stock.

Donor Advised Funds and IRAs

Contribute to the mission of Proud Ground by including charitable donations in your financial plans, such as donor-advised funds (DAFs) and gifts from IRAs. See below for additional giving options from your estate plan.

Collectively, Small Decisions Make Big Changes

“As an individual, the affordable housing crisis facing our city seems daunting and my own effort seems small. But I love Portland; it’s my home, and I hope my small decisions inspire others’ small decisions. Together, we can be part of the affordable homeownership solution.”

Proud Ground Donor

Planned Giving Options

Planned giving offers a meaningful way to support housing equity while leaving a lasting legacy. Examples include:

  1. Living Trusts: You can structure your trust to give assets to Proud Ground after your lifetime. This approach honors your charitable intentions and ensures a smooth transfer of your assets without going through probate.

  2. Bequests: You can designate a specific amount or asset to Proud Ground in your will. This straightforward approach allows you to continue supporting our mission even after your lifetime.

  3. Charitable Remainder Trusts: These are investment accounts that provide income to you, the donor, for a specified period before the remaining assets are donated to Proud Ground. This arrangement allows you to receive tax benefits while supporting housing equality.

  4. Charitable Gift Annuities: By transferring cash or property to Proud Ground with a minimum value of $10,000, you can receive fixed payments for the rest of your life while also benefiting our programs.

  5. Qualified Retirement Accounts: Naming Proud Ground as a beneficiary of your retirement account can be a tax-efficient way to make a significant donation. This kind of gift is not subject to IRA taxation on distributions beyond your lifetime.

  6. Life Insurance: You can name Proud Ground as the beneficiary of a life insurance policy, allowing your support for our mission to continue.

  7. Transfer on Death Deeds: A transfer on death deed allows a property owner to designate Proud Ground as a beneficiary who will receive your property after your lifetime, circumventing the probate process.

Gifts from Your Estate Plan

“I give to Proud Ground because I believe that their model of permanent affordability is a good investment. I know that I am making a long-term impact in my community through both my real estate development investments and my individual donations to their nonprofit.”

Proud Ground Donor

For questions about giving to Proud Ground, please email Marilyn Kun at marilynkun@proudground.org or call 503.493.0293 ext. 105.