We Protect Us

The stakes today for civil and human rights are significant, and fundamental freedoms are under threat in Portland, across Oregon, and beyond. In 2025 and every year, the 25 organizations that comprise Willamette Week’s Give!Guide Civil & Human Rights category embrace a powerful truth: We Protect Us.

Our cohort stands on the frontlines to advocate, educate, organize, and deliver services. We advance equity, inclusion, and justice by and for communities that experience marginalization, including Black, Indigenous, Native, Latino/a/é, and other people of color; LGBTQIA2S+ individuals; people with disabilities; immigrants and refugees; survivors of domestic violence; our unhoused neighbors; and vulnerable children and families.

Our collective work includes crisis response, grassroots organizing, legal aid, social services, and storytelling to meet urgent needs while addressing the root causes of systemic economic and racial injustice.

We also understand that advancing civil and human rights is about more than just survival. That’s why our organizations are dedicated to fostering community and cultivating resilience in these challenging times. By creating affirming spaces, celebrating heritage, and amplifying the voices of people facing marginalization, we are working toward making Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington counties a place where everyone belongs and everyone thrives.

Your support today means a safer, more inclusive tomorrow. By donating through Give!Guide, you are ensuring that our organizations can continue to protect, uplift, and empower those most affected by injustice. Thank you for standing with us; we are stronger when we build together.