Donor Stories

We are very excited to have recently received a $75,000 grant from the Hearst Foundations in support of our youth education programs, including Stage Door, Visions & Voices, PCS Teen Council, and Teen Academy. Under normal operations, these programs serve 8,500 or more young people each year with free and low-cost performance tickets, plus free residencies, workshops, resource guides, behind-the-scenes tours, and more. With the current COVID-19 protocol, Portland Center Stage is continuing to provide arts learning opportunities through virtual programming and, when possible, small-group, physically distanced activities. Learn more about how PCS serves educators and youth. 

With a giving focus in the areas of culture, education, health, and social service, the Hearst Foundations (comprising the Hearst Foundation, Inc. and the William Randolph Hearst Foundation) aim to identify and fund outstanding nonprofits to ensure that people of all backgrounds in the U.S. have the opportunity to build healthy, productive, and inspiring lives. Since 1946, the Foundations have made over 21,500 grants to nearly 6,000 organizations, totaling more than $1.3 billion in funds awarded.

We are grateful to the Hearst Foundations for supporting PCS and so many other arts organizations doing important work in our community.

Over the years, PCS has partnered with local companies who support our mission by sponsoring our programs. We’re excited to introduce you to one of those sponsors. AHA Inc. is a creative agency that helps bold brands share their purpose with the world. AHA founder Betsy Henning explained their decision to sponsor PCS’s Play Commissioning and Original Works Programs, saying, “We proudly partner with PCS to support their effort to bring to life rich collections of diverse stories and thereby foster a more just and equitable society. New voices reveal truths, open perspectives, and help us make sense of today so that we can create a better tomorrow. We need that more than ever right now.”

Our Play Commissioning Program is made possible by donors like you and by longtime corporate sponsor The Standard, a financial services company founded and headquartered in Portland since 1906. “We are proud to support the creative and diverse storytellers at Portland Center Stage,” said Bob Speltz, senior director of Community Relations at The Standard. “PCS reminds us all of the power of art to entertain, engage, inspire, challenge and — most importantly — ensure a more vibrant community for all.”