Support OTI
Easy Ways to Support Oregon Tradeswomen!
As a non-profit organization, Oregon Tradeswomen’s work is made possible through the generosity of our supporters. For these gifts we are immensely grateful, but not everyone has the financial flexibility to make a monetary contribution. Luckily, there are other ways to support our work that are quick and easy!
Each of these avenues are incredibly helpful to our organization. If every one of our supporters participated in at least one of these programs, the impact would be undeniable.
Dovetail Affiliate Program
Oregon Tradeswomen is both honored and thrilled to announce that we are the first affiliate partner for Dovetail Workwear, which means ALL of Oregon Tradeswomen’s community – from students, graduates, field instructors, donors, volunteers, staff, and members can receive a 10% discount on purchases simply by using this link to shop: dovtl.me/oretrd!
In addition to your 10% off, Dovetail Workwear also makes a commensurate 10% donation to Oregon Tradeswomen!
Fred Meyer Rewards
What if we told you that your Fred Meyer shopping trips could benefit Oregon Tradeswomen? Every time you shop, Fred Meyer’s Community Rewards program will put aside up to $650,000 each quarter to benefit an organization of your choice! Here is how you can participate:
- Go to fredmeyer.com
- Click on the silhouetted person icon at the top right side of the page to Sign In.
- If you haven’t set up a Fred Meyer rewards account, click “Create an Account”
- After signing in to your account, scroll down to the very bottom of the page and locate the Community section
- Under “Community” you will see and select “Fred Meyer Community Rewards”
- On the page that pops up, there will be a section that says “Are You a Fred Meyer Customer?” and under that there will be a link that reads “Re-enroll or link your Rewards Card now” which you will click
- The page that pops up will list suggested organizations to support, but at the very top of the page you will want to type in “Oregon Tradeswomen” on the search field and search
- Oregon Tradeswomen should be the first listing to pop up, so locate it and press the “Enroll” button
- The website will give you a confirmation page with the information of your enrollment in the program
- Now, whenever you shop at Fred Meyer, swipe or enter in your rewards info and Fred Meyer will donate a percentage of your total to Oregon Tradeswomen!
Amazon Smile
If you are an Amazon user, each purchase you make can help Oregon Tradeswomen through the Amazon Smile program! Amazon Smile is a way for you to direct 0.5% of your Amazon purchases to a non-profit of your choice. To start generating money for Oregon Tradeswomen, follow these simple instructions:
- Go to Amazon Smile’s home page at http://smile.amazon.com
- Log in using your Amazon account
- A page will pop up asking you to select a charitable organization
- There will be some spotlight charities, but below that, there is a search bar to pick your own charitable organization where you can search “Oregon Tradeswomen”
- Oregon Tradeswomen’s profile will show up and you will click the yellow “Select” button to support that organization
- A page will show up with a confirmation of wanting to support the charity, so you will want to check the box and press “Start Shopping”
- Now, every time you shop on Amazon, a percentage of your total will be donated to Oregon Tradeswomen!
Donate Your Car
By donating your vehicle you will save yourself the hassle and expense of selling your vehicle while supporting a cause you are passionate about: helping girls and women explore their opportunities to pursue living wage jobs in the trades. When you donate your car, boat, motor home, or motorcycle, Oregon Tradeswomen will greatly benefit from your donation.
This kind of donation is a substantial gift and will help offset costs in our programs that empower women to learn about working in the trades.
Volunteer
At Oregon Tradeswomen we are always looking for volunteers to take some time out of their day to help us out. There are many ways to volunteer with our organization, the biggest of opportunities being our Annual Career Fair. If you are interested in being contacted about volunteer opportunities, please email our Communications Coordinator at trytten@tradeswomen.net
We thank you for your support this holiday season as you join us in ensuring that the thousands of low-income women and girls will receive the inspiring education, training and mentoring needed to become the next generation of tradeswomen.
Oregon Tradeswomen LOVES Dovetail Workwear
Shop. Save. Support Oregon Tradeswomen!
Oregon Tradeswomen is both honored and thrilled to announce that we are the first affiliate partner for Dovetail Workwear, which means ALL of Oregon Tradeswomen’s community – from students, graduates, field instructors, donors, volunteers, staff, and members can receive a 10% discount on purchases simply by using this link to shop: dovtl.me/oretrd! In addition to your 10% off, Dovetail Workwear also makes a commensurate 10% donation to Oregon Tradeswomen!
Dovetail workwear is more than a manufacturer of top-quality workwear made specifically for women, they’re an important partner in supporting women to succeed in the skilled trades and other traditionally male occupations. They have intentionally developed their entire product line by collecting input and feedback from women working in construction, manufacturing, landscaping, and other physically demanding industries.
Oregon Tradeswomen is in the Willamette Week Give!Guide
The Willamette Week Give!Guide announced the 150 non-profit organizations that will be featured in this annual campaign, supporting these organizations and encouraging philanthropy among Portlanders age 35 and under. Oregon Tradeswomen is honored to be included this year!
The Give!Guide was started in 2004 as a way to inspire people under the age of 35 to get in the good habit of donating to local organizations that help make our community a better place to live!
The Give!Guide campaign runs through midnight on December 31, 2018.
Big Give Days!
To inspire giving, the Give!Guide offers different Big Give Days throughout the campaign where any donation of $10 or more on that day will guarantee you entry in a drawing for a BIG prize!
Note: Each Big Give Day will have TWO raffles of the same prize: one for everyone who donates and one just for donors 35 years of age or under.
December 20: Big Give Day #6
A specialized FX 1 Commuter Bike from Bike Gallery
December 27: Big Give Day #7
A Cultural Adventure Package Across Oregon from the Oregon Cultural Trust:
The package includes:
A Cultured Evening in Portland: Two vouchers for a pair of premium-level seats to Literary Arts’ presentation of Everybody Reads: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie on Thursday, March 14 and a two nights stay at the Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront.
A Day Trip to Historic Astoria: A gift certificate for tickets to any Liberty Theatre presented event in historic downtown Astoria, with tasty appetizers on the house at a local restaurant.
Outdoor Adventure at Crater Lake: Gift certificate for two at Crater Lake Zip Line and a one night stay at the Running Y Ranch Resort in Klamath Falls.
We hope you join us in this season of giving and support the work we do at Oregon Tradeswomen, and maybe you’ll win big in the process!
Events
Give!Guide is also hosting some shows throughout the campaign which are FREE and open to the public (21+) where you can dance the night away and also donate to your favorite non-profit!
November 2: Give!Guide Magazine Release Party
No Vacancy Lounge, 8 pm – 11 pm
8:00 Party // Listening Man / Dj Le’Mix
9:00 Skidmore Prize Announcements
9:30 Zach Carothers of Portugal. The Man (Dj Set)
November 15: Give!Guide Presents #1
White Owl Social Club, 8 pm – 12 am
8:00 Ezza Rose
8:45 Plastic Cactus
9:30 Honey Bucket
10:30 And And And
December 6: Give!Guide Presents #2
Mississippi Studios, 8 pm – 12 am
Time TBD Blossom
Time TBD Maarquii
Time TBD Amenta Abioto
Time TBD Karma Rivera
The Dropbox Derby Experience
On September 3rd, 2018, 27 teams of four gathered at the Eastbank Esplanade to compete in Lovett Deconstruction‘s Dropbox Derby, a building competition in the style of Iron Chef. Just 24 hours prior to the event, teams were given the theme, “A Seat at the Table,” and an inventory of salvaged materials was delivered. Actual building-time was limited to 4 hours – afterward, these finished products would be judged and then auctioned off, with the proceeds going to support Oregon Tradeswomen.
The morning kicked off with a spirited pep talk by Lovett Deconstruction’s Der Lovett, and at 10:00 a.m. sharp, the teams hurried over to the piles of materials and gathered their share of supplies. The next 4 hours was a flurry of sanding, sawing, staining, drilling, and hammering, as teams were feeling the pressure of 4 hours that felt more like 30 minutes!
Oregon Tradeswomen competed this year, too. The team of 4 was comprised of two board members, Moe Gauthier, and Meghan Moyer, and two staff members, Abby Bandurraga, and Trytten Tehrani. The team’s concept for “A Seat at the Table” was a hexagonal children’s picnic bench where everyone is the head of the table. The table top had a geometric inlay of wood of different colors representing the unity between all the different people who share the planet.
The level of artistry and craftsmanship at the Dropbox Derby was impressive. Many spectators wove through the Eastbank Esplanade observing the teams diligently working together to assemble their unique projects piece by salvaged piece. Once the building portion was complete, judges filed through to talk to each team about their finished products. The judging criteria included Aesthetics, Creative Use of Materials, Craft, and Theme.
There were many different ways in which teams interpreted “A Seat at the Table.”
With an honorable mention, Team OG crafted a tabletop with the image of a woman with outstretched arms which intended to symbolize welcoming everyone to the table.
In 3rd place, Team Feathered Caulk decided to challenge themselves and build the most complex type of table they could imagine: a fully functioning Foosball table!
In 2nd place, Team Neil Kelly, built a beautifully designed bench made up of two seats facing opposite directions, with their arm rests joined together to make a table.
In 1st place, Team Engaging Environments built a table with a seat within it. The seat represents the patriarchal oligarchy in which we live. Half of the table is not seen on the surface, but it functions by holding the rest of it up. This represents workers of all genders and ethnicities who are an essential part of our social systems, but are often unheard. This project was also honored with the People’s Choice Award.
The Dropbox Derby is an experience like no other. Vast imaginations, great skill, and fierce teamwork all came together to create stunning structures with a message. We are so grateful to Lovett Deconstruction for organizing this stupendous event and for honoring Oregon Tradeswomen by naming our nonprofit organization as the beneficiaries of the auction proceeds.
Oregon Tradeswomen is grateful to all 27 teams for their creativity and talent, as well as all those who came out, cheered on, and bid on these handmade masterpieces. We are so lucky to have this community and we cannot wait to see what is in store for next year!
Dropbox Derby 2018
Lovett Deconstruction announced its first ever Dropbox Derby in 2017 and it was a rousing success! Now an annual event, Lovett’s Drobox Derby hosts thirty teams, comprised of 2-4 people, and the teams have four hours with identical packages of salvaged materials to build on a theme. Last year’s concept was “Bridge House” which led to creations such as these:
After the building portion, a panel of three judges come to an agreement as to which finished products win each of the three top design awards! Watch the 2017 Dropbox Derby video.
The concept for Dropbox Derby came from Der Lovett, the owner of Lovett Deconstruction. He wanted to do something with all the salvaged wood that came from old deconstructed Portland buildings as well finding as a way to participate in PDX Rust’s Portland ReUse for Societal Transformation: A Week of Neighborhood ReUse Events. Last year’s event was such a success that they will be hosting the event again during the 2018 Portland ReUse for Societal Transformation.
This event is free and open to the public, featuring excellent food, local ciders, live music, and an opportunity to bid on any of the finished products! It’s like an Iron Chef for builders mixed with a block party! And the best part is that all the proceeds will go to support Oregon Tradeswomen and our mission!
We hope to see you out there on Monday, September 3rd, from 10am-6pm to support Oregon Tradeswomen and your favorite builders at this unique event! Join the event on Facebook!
Milwaukee Tools Lends a Hand to TACC
The power of social media is real. Some may see platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram just as a way to share what you’re doing, what you’re eating, what you’re thinking, but it’s more than that. As an organization, we see social media as a way to share our mission, to inspire others, and to build relationships with not only with our individual followers, but with other organizations and companies. We are here to build a community with those who believe in empowering women, encouraging workforce diversity in the trades, and promoting visibility for apprenticeships among other core values… And build a community, we have.
We are so incredibly grateful for the wide variety of connections we have made through these social media channels. Late in 2017, we saw that little red “1” icon in the top right corner of our Instagram feed, signifying that someone send us a private message. The message read, “Hi! I’d like to get involved with your organization. Can you please point me in the right direction? Thank you!” Touched by the fact that someone went out of their way to reach out to us and express a desire to engage, we connected them to Lisa Palermo, our Development Director. Little did we know that this person worked for Milwaukee Tools, a distinguished power tool manufacturer from Wisconsin known for their innovation and high quality. As it turns out, the president of Milwaukee Tools had seen a post of ours on Instagram and was compelled to learn more about Oregon Tradeswomen and our mission. Wanting to support diversity in the industry as well as invest in the community, he tasked someone to make the connection with us.
In supporting the work we do, Milwaukee Tools made the incredibly generous offer to outfit our pre-apprencticeship program, Trades and Apprenticeship Career Class (TACC), with brand new tools! TACC students have been using the same rusty, second-hand tools for far too long, so this gesture was graciously received. They donated enough tools to replace almost all of our older, dilapidated tools. It is so important that the women in our program have more than adequate equipment so they can really learn how to use tools without frustration due to malfunction or poor quality. We want our tradeswomen to be job-ready and it means the world to us that Milwaukee Tools wants to help our students have the best experience entering the trades possible. 
What started as a simple Instagram message blossomed into a truly special partnership. We are humbled by the fact that a highly reputable company intentionally sought us out to get involved and help us on our mission. We extend our deepest thanks to Milwaukee Tools for donating their high quality equipment to our pre-apprenticeship program, improving the experiences of the women who we are training to enter the workforce!
Waterleaf Architecture’s International Women’s Day Fundraiser for Oregon Tradeswomen
Our generous friends at Waterleaf Architecture are celebrating this year’s International Women’s Day like they did last year; by kicking off a fundraiser for Oregon Tradeswomen! You may have seen some of Waterleaf’s work at Lloyd Center as they were responsible for the much-needed facelift of the mall including the three story spiral staircase that was an homage to the original iconic spiral staircase from the mall’s opening in 1960.
Waterleaf has always been so supportive of our mission and wants to make sure that our Trades and Apprenticeship Career Class has the proper equipment for students to hone their skills in preparation for their apprenticeships! To participate in Waterleaf Architecture’s fundraiser, you can donate here! And don’t forget to mention Waterleaf in the “How did you hear about us?” section when making your donation so that they can track their fundraising goal. The fundraiser started on International Women’s Day, March 8th.
We send our deepest gratitude to Waterleaf Architecture for their ongoing support of our mission!
Thank you for Supporting Oregon Tradeswomen in the Willamette Week Give!Guide!
Thank you for helping make Oregon Tradeswomen’s Give!Guide campaign such a success!
We are so grateful to have been included in the Willamette Week Give!Guide again in 2017 – a fantastic opportunity for local non-profits to reach new and long-time supporters alike.
All we can say is WOW and THANK YOU! We are completely blown away by the outpouring of generosity from all of you! Between November 1st and December 31st, we received 177 gifts totaling $19,960 – only $40 short of our goal of $20,000! These gifts will go a long way in the continued effort to increase the visibility of women in the trades and building their economic independence, from supporting the Trades and Apprenticeship Career Class (TACC) to offering career and leadership support as they grow in their Trade
A special thank you and round of high fives to our fabulous Oregon Tradeswomen Alumnae, who contributed an impressive $1,224!
As gifts began to come in, so too did the seriously heartwarming words of appreciation and support. Here are a few of our favorites:
“Thank you Oregon Tradeswomen! I have benefited greatly from your organization and mentorship and I am grateful for all of the work that you do!”
“Happy to support you all in any way I can. Thank you for the positive impact you make for the trades industry and women entering the field!”
“YOU ROCK.”
Thank you again to all of our supporters, whether you made a monetary donation, or donated your time, energy, and love to Oregon Tradeswomen and the work we’re doing together.
Happy New Year and Best Wishes for 2018!
Looking Ahead to 2018!
As we begin 2018, Oregon Tradeswomen would like to thank our industry and community partners and supporters. Each of you contribute to changing the lives of the women we serve, and we are grateful for all that you do.
With your support, we are building our capacity to reach and serve more women each day. In 2017 we provided more than 1,000 women with career education and support to pursue a career in skilled trades in construction and manufacturing.
Because of your commitment, support, and generosity, Oregon Tradeswomen was able to provide 159 women with industry skills training, hundreds of women with job placement, access to registered apprenticeship, career counseling, supportive services, advocacy, and leadership development. Our work – with your support – ensured that women were able to move themselves and their families out of poverty and into prosperity. They have gained skills and confidence and community. They have been able to build a career and a future and a sisterhood. Thank you for making all of these things and more a reality for women in the Portland region and across Oregon.
As we begin this New Year, Oregon Tradeswomen invites you to continue to support our work, and to join us as we think and dream and do – bigger and bolder.
We have big changes underway – including the development of a three-year strategic plan, revamping of our decade old pre-apprenticeship training program, and expanding services. We are raising money to purchase our own building where we will house a training workshop, community space, on-site childcare, and low-income housing. We are building an advocacy platform to ensure positive changes for women and industry at the local, state and national level are realized. We are developing a mentoring program, expanding our services to rural communities and engaging new partners.
We invite you to join us as we build this vision and our future for the women, industry and community we serve.
With gratitude,
Kelly Kupcak, Executive Director
Easy Ways to Support Oregon Tradeswomen
Hard to believe it, but it’s already November, which means Thanksgiving might as well be tomorrow and Christmas the week after that! The holidays probably have you in one of two camps: thrilled at the thought of getting cozy, spending time with family (biological and chosen!), and coming up with the perfect little something for your loved ones OR terrified at the mere thought of being within 100 yards of a Target parking lot.
The cherry on top, or silver lining, depending on which side you’re on, is that this holiday season you can support Oregon Tradeswomen with minimal effort and at no additional cost to you just by shopping on Amazon or at Fred Meyer. That’s right – free money for Oregon Tradeswomen and the revolutionary program that’s changing lives!
How does it work? For Amazon purchases, simply visit tradeswomen.net/donate to access our AmazonSmile portal and connect your account to Oregon Tradeswomen by logging in to your Amazon account. Then, just shop as you normally would. Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible purchases to Oregon Tradeswomen!
To support us through the Fred Meyer Community Rewards program, just link your Freddie’s reward card to Oregon Tradeswomen (instructions can be found at tradeswomen.net/donate) and we’ll receive a quarterly donation. You will still receive 100% of your earned rewards!
At Oregon Tradeswomen even small gifts lead to big impact. Our deepest gratitude goes out to all our supporters who generously donate their time, energy, and financial support to making rewarding, living-wage careers for women in the construction trades a reality.
Thank you for supporting Oregon Tradeswomen!