Final Report

March 24, 2026

Dear Friends,

Over the past five years, the Opening Doors campaign has helped Proud Ground move closer to a vision we share with so many of you: a region where more families have access to stable, affordable homeownership. The progress reflected in this report belongs to all of you.Your investment has helped open doors to homeownership for hundreds of families and has created community assets that will ensure the permanence of affordability in perpetuity.

When we launched Opening Doors in 2021, we had three rather audacious goals. I am proud to report that because of your support, we achieved the following impact, completing a successful campaign.

GOAL 1
Raise $5 million to support operations, including outreach, HUD certified homeownership counseling services, and stewardship. 

Thanks to your generous financial support, we exceeded the fundraising by raising $5,023,000!!!  Your support, when coupled with the support provided by public agencies and municipalities, allowed Proud Ground to provide median down-payment assistance of $95,000 per household over the past 5 years. This meant that home buyers needed as little as $500 in escrow plus closing costs, for which some of our lenders offered further assistance, to close on their home purchases.

GOAL 2
Add 200 permanently affordable homes to Proud Ground’s community land trust.

During the campaign, we added 237 homesand our community land trust portfolio grew from 363 to 600 homes, a remarkable 65% increase. This resulted in 842 household members moving into Proud Ground homes, including 369 children. Sixty-five percent (65%) of homes were purchased by female-led households. Today, a total of 740 homeowners have purchased homes through Proud Ground since our founding in 1999, reflecting the important role Proud Ground has in creating long-term stability and economic mobility for the families and communities we serve.

While market-rate home prices in our region continued to rise dramatically (17% over five years), Proud Ground homes remained within reach for many working families, with an increase of just 6.3% over the same period. Proud Ground’s median affordable sales price was $245,888 compared to the market-rate priceof $545,000 for a home in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro area alone. Proud Ground’s community land trust model remains a strong opportunity for those whose incomes would otherwise make homeownership impossible.

GOAL 3
To ensure that 75% of the new homes added were afforded to BIPOC families and households.

Of our new homeowners, 72% (198 of 237) identified as BIPOC. Although we fell just short of the larger goal — by just 7 households — these strong results are reflective of our intentionality to reach the underserved in home ownership. Our focus continues to be on serving and expanding access to homeownership for households historically excluded from the housing market.  This remains central to our mission, and we will continue to focus on households at risk of displacement due to rising rents, gentrification, and other historical barriers.

As we pause to celebrate these successes and share our gratitude, we are busy working on our 2026 – 2028 strategic plan. This plan will center around community engagement and the lessons learned through Opening Doors. We hope you will continue the journey with us. 

In gratitude and service,