2016 100 Best Nonprofit Workplaces in Oregon


More than 5,000 employees and volunteers took part in this year’s 100 Best Nonprofits to Work For in Oregon survey.

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The project attracted organizations from across the state, representing a variety of sectors, from social services to environmental advocacy.

Nonprofits are a thriving and vital part of the Oregon economy, employing more than 140,000 people and representing 12% of private-sector jobs. Charitable contributions to nonprofits in 2013 totaled $1.76 billion, up slightly from the year before, according to the Giving in Oregon 2015 report.

Now in its eighth year, the annual survey gives a voice to nonprofit-sector employees by asking them to rate their satisfaction with 20 workplace practices. The 100 Best list showcases organizations that are exceptional places to work based on employee feedback to the survey. 

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Large Organizations: 50 or more Oregon employees

1 Life Flight Network — Emergency air medical service
       Oregon employees: 172 
       Overall score: 537.92 

2  Bridgeway Recovery Services — Behavioral and physical health care services
      Oregon employees: 109
      Overall score: 530.11 

3  Childpeace Montessori School — Montessori education for toddlers through adolescents
      Oregon employees: 64
      Overall score: 514.97

4  Our House  — Services provider for people living with HIV
        Oregon employees: 53
        Overall score: 513.25

5  Energy Trust of Oregon — Helps utility customers benefit from saving energy and generating renewable power
       Oregon employees: 110
       Overall score: 510.71

6  CareOregon— Health plan services
       Oregon employees: 627
       Overall score: 501.69

7  Lines for Life — Crisis lines, advocacy and prevention services
       Oregon employees: 55
       Overall score: 499.83

8  Mary’s Woods at Marylhurst — Continuing-care retirement community
       Oregon employees: 340
       Overall score: 495.72

9   Oregon Coast Aquarium — Aquarium and visitor center
      Oregon employees: 85
      Overall score: 491.59

10   College Housing Northwest — Provides affordable student housing
               Oregon employees: 50
               Overall score: 489.22

11  The Nature Conservancy — Nature conservation
          Oregon employees: 85
          Overall score: 489.20

12  OCHIN — Health care technology provider
          Oregon employees: 245
          Overall score: 488.73

13  Nursingale — Provides in-home professional nursing services to medically fragile individuals
            Oregon employees: 73
            Overall score: 488.72

14  Cascade Health Solutions — Occupational medicine, home health, hospice, community wellness provider
           Oregon employees: 166
           Overall score: 488.60

15  Pathway Enterprises — Disability services provider
          Oregon employees/volunteers: 130
          Overall score: 482.84

16  Capital Manor — Continuous-care retirement community
          Oregon employees: 185
          Overall score: 481.73

17  Transition Projects — Housing and homeless services
          Oregon employees: 178
          Overall score: 481.13

18 Northwest Family Services— Family services provider
            Oregon employees: 67
            Overall score: 478.17

19  Care Partners Hospice and Palliative Care— Hospice and palliative care, counseling and bereavement services
           Oregon employees: 55
           Overall score: 477.69

20  ColumbiaCare Services — Provider of mental health treatment, community services and veterans housing
                 Oregon employees: 448
                 Overall score: 477.41

21  Community Vision — Services for individuals with disabilities
          Oregon employees: 225
          Overall score: 472.04

22  Direction Service — Social and advocacy service for youth and counseling for all ages
           Oregon employees: 51
           Overall score: 470.30

23 United Cerebral Palsy of Oregon & SW Washington — Disability services provider
            Oregon employees: 212
            Overall score: 470.09

24  Willamette Family — Provides substance abuse and mental health treatment
          Oregon employees: 250
          Overall score: 469.71

25   Living Opportunities— Supports individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities
          Oregon employees: 175
          Overall score: 464.49

26  Outside In — Medical and mental health, employment, education and housing provider
          Oregon employees: 174
          Overall score: 456.21

27 Cascade AIDS Project — AIDS service organization
            Oregon employees: 62
            Overall score: 453.68

28  Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency — Poverty reduction services provider
          Oregon employees: 300
          Overall score: 451.54

29  Oregon Historical Society — Museum, research library and archives for Oregon
          Oregon employees: 67
          Overall score: 450.74

30  ALSO — Residential and employment services to individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities
                 Oregon employees: 265
                 Overall score: 448.12

31  NeighborImpact — Social-service agency serving Central Oregon
            Oregon employees: 150
            Overall score: 448.00

32  Rogue Community Health Center — Health care for the underserved
            Oregon employees: 125
            Overall score: 445.69

33   Rainbow Adult Living— Provides developmentally disabled adults 24-hour home care
               Oregon employees: 65
               Overall score: 437.40


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Medium Organizations: 20 to 49 Oregon employees

1  Oregon Environmental Council — Advances solutions to Oregon’s environmental challenges
          Oregon employees: 23
          Overall score: 522.70

2 Project Access NOW — Community health organization
          Oregon employees: 30
          Overall score: 520.98

3  FolkTime — Services for individuals with mental illness
          Oregon employees: 35
          Overall score: 516.18

4 Portland Homeless Family Solutions — Services provider for homeless families
          Oregon employees: 25
          Overall score: 509.32

5  Oregon Lions Sight & Hearing Foundation — Provides direct service programs related to sight, hearing and health assistance
           Oregon employees: 27
           Overall score: 509.04

6   Sponsors — Prisoner reentry services 
          Oregon employees: 30
          Overall score: 508.32

7   Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership— Habitat restoration, water-quality monitoring and outdoor     education
           Oregon employees: 21
           Overall score: 506.67

8   Rural Development Initiatives — Runs programs to benefit rural people and communities
           Oregon employees: 22
           Overall score: 502.18

9   Jesuit Volunteer Corps Northwest — Recruits, places and supports volunteers in social service agencies, health centers, schools and
           environmental organizations
           Oregon employees: 22
           Overall score: 501.50

10 Saving Grace — Intimate partner and sexual violence intervention and prevention
                 Oregon employees: 25
                 Overall score: 500.01

11  *Oregon’s Health CO-OP — CO-OP health care insurance
            Oregon employees: 39
            Overall score: 499.43
             *Oregon’s Health CO-OP closed in 2016

12  Raphael House of Portland — Emergency domestic violence shelter and services
           Oregon employees: 23
           Overall score: 499.37

13  Ronald McDonald House Charities of Oregon and SW Washington — Provides a home away from home for families with seriously
            ill children
            Oregon employees: 30
            Overall score: 499.23

14  Community Warehouse — Furniture bank that collects donated household goods and furnishings and redistributes them to neighbors in need
           Oregon employees: 25
           Overall score: 497.88

15 College Possible— Coaching and support for low-income students
            Oregon employees: 22
            Overall score: 495.66

16 Portland YouthBuilders — Education, vocational training, leadership development and long-term support for low-income youth
            Oregon employees: 23
            Overall score: 492.84

17 The Rebuilding Center — Offers affordable used building and remodeling materials to promote the use of salvaged and reclaimed materials
            Oregon employees: 27
            Overall score: 492.60

18  SMART (Start Making A Reader Today) — Reading to children one-on-one for at least one hour a week to promote literacy
           Oregon employees: 35
           Overall score: 492.33

19  CASA For Children of Multnomah, Washington and Columbia Counties — Court-appointed special advocates for children in foster care
            Oregon employees: 23
            Overall score: 488.20

20  Dogs for the Deaf — Trains dogs to help deaf individuals
                 Oregon employees: 33
                 Overall score: 487.31

21 Institute for Applied Ecology — Habitat restoration, conservation research, ecological education 
            Oregon employees: 25
            Overall score: 485.64

22 Growing Gardens — Builds organic vegetable gardens at homes, schools and correctional facilities
            Oregon employees: 20
            Overall score: 480.98

23 B’nai B’rith Camp — Summer camp and retreat center
             Oregon employees: 26
             Overall score: 479.02

24  Adelante Mujeres — Education, empowerment and enterprise opportunities for low-income Latina women
            Oregon employees: 35
            Overall score: 478.64

25 Chalkboard Project — Helps promote quality, accountability and stable funding for Oregon’s K-12 public schools
            Oregon employees: 21
            Overall score: 475.26

26  Friends of Trees — Plants and cares for city trees and natural areas
            Oregon employees: 26
            Overall score: 474.97

27Portland Community Reinvestment Initiatives — Develops, owns and manages affordable housing
            Oregon employees: 29
            Overall score: 474.48               

28  Cat Adoption Team — Provides adoption, foster and veterinary service to help homeless cats and kittens
           Oregon employees: 30
           Overall score: 473.74

29 211info — Connects Oregonians with health and social-services programs using a statewide database of 42,000 services
            Oregon employees: 44
            Overall score: 464.52

30   The Wallace Medical Concern — Full-service medical clinic
                  Oregon employees: 46
                  Overall score: 464.35

31  CASA of Oregon — Runs neighborhood facilities and programs to increase families’ financial well-being
          Oregon employees: 25
          Overall score: 464.02

32 Bend Area Habitat for Humanity — Affordable housing provider
            Oregon employees: 21
            Overall score: 463.57

33 Bradley Angle — Service provider for individuals affected by domestic violence
           Oregon employees: 24
           Overall score: 463.42


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Small Organizations: Fewer than 20 Oregon employees

1  Bonneville Environmental Foundation— Works with utilities, corporations, foundations, schools, educators and the public to solve freshwater
          and renewable energy challenges
          Oregon employees: 16
          Overall score: 530.27

2 Galt Foundation — Professional staffing and services provider
          Oregon employees: 10
          Overall score: 523.36

3   Family Relief Nursery — Runs early childhood child abuse prevention program
          Oregon employees: 15
          Overall score: 518.63

4 Columbia Land Trust— Conserves and cares for the lands, waters and wildlife of the Columbia River region
          Oregon employees: 11
          Overall score: 518.25

5  Willamette West Habitat for Humanity — Builds and sells homes to low-income families
           Oregon employees: 13
           Overall score: 517.55

6  Network for Oregon Affordable Housing — Finances the acquisition and development of affordable housing
           Oregon employees: 10
           Overall score: 512.89

7   Coyote Trails School of Nature— Runs outdoor educational nature programs for all ages
          Oregon employees: 15
          Overall score: 509.31

8  CASA of Lane County — Works to prevent child abuse
           Oregon employees: 14
           Overall score: 503.31

9   Oregon Wild— Protects and restores Oregon’s wildlands, wildlife and waters
          Oregon employees: 16
          Overall score: 501.96

10 Birch Community Services — Provides product redistribution and financial-literacy courses to working families
                 Oregon employees: 11
                 Overall score: 501.48

11  The Northwest Catholic Counseling Center — Provides mental health services to all in need
            Oregon employees: 15
            Overall score: 501.20
             

12   Susan G Komen Oregon & SW Washington — Advocates for breast health and patient rights
           Oregon employees: 11
           Overall score: 500.84

13  Innovative Housing — Develops and operates affordable housing 
            Oregon employees: 12
            Overall score: 499.19

14  Rogue Valley Veterans & Community Outreach — Provides transitional and permanent housing for veterans with intensive case
           management
           Oregon employees: 18
           Overall score: 499.12

15 Centro Latino Americano — Provides social and human services to the Latino community in Lane County
            Oregon employees: 18
            Overall score: 497.09

16 Western Energy Institute— Provides educational programs to members
            Oregon employees: 13
            Overall score: 496.81

17 Cityteam Portland — Provides drug and alcohol recovery services, homeless shelter
            Oregon employees: 7
            Overall score: 495.49

18  Oregon Humanities — Runs public humanities programs
           Oregon employees: 11
           Overall score: 491.21

19  The Dougy Center — Provides peer support groups for grieving children and their families
            Oregon employees: 18
            Overall score: 490.71

20  Rogue Valley Youth for Christ — Connects vulnerable children with adult mentors
                 Oregon employees: 15
                 Overall score: 490.68

21 Ecology in Classrooms and Outdoors— Provides hands-on ecology enrichment programs to elementary school children
            Oregon employees: 6
            Overall score: 489.64

22  Greater Portland Inc. — Provides support and services to companies seeking to relocate or expand in greater Portland
            Oregon employees: 10
            Overall score: 489.10

23 L‘Arche Portland — Create a home for people with and without intellectual disabilities
             Oregon employees: 19
             Overall score: 487.60

24  McKenzie River Trust — Helps people protect and care for lands and rivers in Western Oregon
            Oregon employees: 10
            Overall score: 483.54

25 New Buildings Institute — Promotes energy efficiency in buildings through policy development, research, training programs and the
            development of guidelines and codes
            Oregon employees: 13
            Overall score: 480.84

26  Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon— Advocates for programs and policies to eliminate hunger
            Oregon employees: 12
            Overall score: 480.56

27 Mount Pisgah Arboretum — Offers nature education for children and adults, provides public facilities and 7 miles of trails
            Oregon employees: 12
            Overall score: 480.22              

28  BRING Recycling — Reuse store, education services, consulting service, advocacy
           Oregon employees: 14
           Overall score: 477.49

29 The Climate Trust — Accelerates the pace of carbon mitigation through conservation finance
            Oregon employees: 11
            Overall score: 475.99

30   Community Energy Project — Provides DIY workshops on weatherization and lead-poisoning prevention; repairs and weatherization for
                  seniors and people with disabilities
                  Oregon employees: 9
                  Overall score: 472.87

31  Willamette Heritage Center — Museum of Mid-Willamette Valley history
          Oregon employees: 12
          Overall score: 472.66

32 Jewish Federation of Greater Portland — Central fundraising, planning and convening organization for the greater Portland Jewish
            community
            Oregon employees: 13
            Overall score: 472.53

33 ROSE Community Development — Runs neighborhood improvement programs in outer Southeast Portland
           Oregon employees: 10
           Overall score: 472.23

34 Yamhill Community Care — Provides services that support the health, wellness and education of community members
           Oregon employees: 18
           Overall score: 471.94

 If you’d like more detailed information about the 100 Best Nonprofit Workplaces, download the list here.

Watch our video featuring several of the 100 Best Nonprofit Workplaces: