By Sheryl Sackman

In 1976, Eugene residents Leslie Brockelbank and Charles Gray invited activists to meet along the McKenzie River to turn their inheritance into grants that would fund social change organizing. Those grants marked the start of the McKenzie River Gathering (MRG), a community-supported foundation that has gone on to make more than $9 million in grants in its 30-year history.

Many organizations Portland Alliance readers are familiar with received early, critical funding from MRG. Their grants list reads like a "who’s who" of progressive organizations in Oregon. Many of these are anchors in Portland’s progressive movement today, including:

* Center for Intercultural Organizing
* Portland Central America Solidarity Committee
* Portland Jobs with Justice
* Environmental Justice Action Group
* Sisters in Action for Power
* Partnership for Safety and Justice (formerly known as Western Prison Project)

MRG has been a key funder for emerging groups and issues when other funders were not and has been one of Oregon’s only consistent funders of progressive, grassroots organizing.

As Marcy Westerling, founding director of the Rural Organizing Project says: "ROP might not have happened if early funders like MRG hadn’t supported us technically and financially and emphasized again and again that our work mattered. MRG plays that critical role with social justice groups in Oregon."

To cap off their 30th year, MRG is hosting a celebration, Justice within Reach, on Saturday, Feb. 3rd, 2007 from 7 pm - Midnight in Portland. This will be an event filled with political music, art, dancing and fun. Tickets are $25 - $50 sliding scale.

Sheryl Sackman works at the McKenzie River Gathering Foundation.

For more information about their work, how you can support MRG and to learn about Justice within Reach, call 503-289-1517 or visit
www.mrgfoundation.org.