Fwd: Take Action Now: Save the Neighborhood Program!

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Dave Weaver

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Apr 25, 2025, 5:39:38 PM4/25/25

to KNA Board, KNA

Hello Kerns Neighbors,

I just got off the phone with Nanci Champlin - executive director of SE Uplift.

As you know SE Uplift is our District Coalition that assists 19 neighborhoods in SE Portland as well as running the Small Grants program and Fiscal Sponsorship program.

Kerns recently received a small grant from SE Uplift.

SE Uplift and the Neighborhood Program in Civic Life at the City of Portland are in danger of having our budget reduced by the city because they don't recognize the value of neighborhood associations and district coalitions - and there are louder competing interests.

There are several upcoming town halls - some online and some hybrid - where we can communicate to the city council the importance of funding district coalitions and neighborhood associations.

Furthermore - for the first time there is a chance that the City will establish an office at SE Uplift (3534 SE Main St near Hawthorne and 35th) where our District 3 Councilors will work some of the time and can be available to meet with constituents. If they set this up then it will give us much better access to the councilors AND it will help fund SE Uplift so they can maintain their programming.

So please speak up for the district office plus funding to the Neighborhood Program at Civic Life in general.

Thank you so much!!

Below are links to two upcoming town halls with our councilors

-Dave Weaver, Kerns NA Vice Chair

https://seuplift.org/event/d3-town-hall-virtual/

Click here to register and get the Zoom link

https://seuplift.org/event/budget-town-hall-may10/

RSVP here.

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Nanci Champlin <Na...@seuplift.org>
Date: Wed, Apr 9, 2025 at 9:37 PM
Subject: Take Action Now: Save the Neighborhood Program!
To: Nanci Champlin <Na...@seuplift.org>

Hey community leaders!

Please take action NOW to preserve our funding amidst the City’s budget cuts. If you don’t, who will?

Please use the resources in this email to rally District 3 residents to show up for the Neighborhood Program before it’s too late. We must convince the Mayor and Council to not allow cuts proposed by the City Administrator. THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW.

3 WAYS YOU CAN BE A NEIGHBORHOOD PROGRAM CHAMPION

1: Using the City’s form, tell the Mayor and City Council to not cut $360,000 from the “Neighborhood Program in the Office of Civic Life”. Select “Other” from the dropdown menu of topics. Tell them about the great things your group does for the community that would not be possible without the critical resources we need.

2: Attend an upcoming District 3 Budget Town Hall meeting with our Councilors. Unlike the Listening Sessions that have concluded, these events are just with our D3 Councilors and will be interactive. They start this Sunday, April 13 at Revolution Hall, Virtually on April 28, and in person at Lane Middle School on May 10. Rally your boards and neighbors to show up to these events. Organize a carpool. Make some noise. REGISTER HERE and then show up to ask them if they will stand up for the Neighborhood Program by not cutting $360k from the program. Our neighborhoods should not be on the chopping block.

3. Spread the word! Share the talking points below. Use the graphics provided below to promote the Town Halls to your email list and social media. Replicate or forward our recent e-blast to your list. To those of you that already have: we see you and thank you!

If the Mayor’s proposed budget on May 5^th includes the devastating cuts to the Neighborhood Program that the city administrator has proposed, it will be all the harder to get those cuts restored through Council.

THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW.

BACKGROUND

In February, the City Administrator’s office proposed $488k in cuts to the Office of Civic Life budget that, if not restored in the Mayor’s budget that will be released on May 5th, or by Council later this spring, will severely impact the ability of NAs and District Coalition Offices to function. Based on recommendations from Civic Life, that $488k would come from cutting grants to the Diversity in Civic Leadership program, with the bulk coming from the Neighborhood Program which funds the four District Coalition Offices that support all 94 neighborhood associations in the City.

TALKING POINTS

Proposed Cut: Eliminate funds for the insurance that allows us to do all our activities.

Cost to restore: $80,000 for all four District Coalition Offices (DCOs) and every Neighborhood Association in the city.
The Ask: Please don’t eliminate funds in the Civic Life budget that provide insurance to District Coalition Offices and neighborhoods citywide. Succinctly list the most vital and beloved activities your NA does to make an impact in your neighborhood. Let them know that none of those activities would be possible without the insurance provided through the District Coalition Offices.
How to Pay for It: Urge Council and the Mayor to direct the Office of Community and Civic Life to reallocate funds from a recent staff vacancy to the four District Coalition Offices, and ensure that this ongoing need is no longer considered “one time funds”.

Proposed Cut: Eliminate the Community Small Grants Program

Cost to restore: About $160k for all four District Coalition Offices
The Ask: If you have received a Community Small Grant from SE Uplift, tell Council and the Mayor about the work you did and why it was important to your community. Mention that this program is an extremely cost effective and accessible way for a very small amount of funds to make a big impact in our communities.
How to Pay for It: Eliminate two vacancies in the Office of Community and Civic Life and reallocate the funds to the Community Small Grants Program.

Proposed Cut: Reduce District Coalition Office base funding. “Base funding” provides the dollars we need to provide Neighborhood Association communication funds, reimburse you for your for state filing fees, offer free skill building workshops, and provide a living wage to the staff that run our fiscal sponsorship program, provide neighborhood support services, manage community committees, run the community small grants program, keep the district informed about civic matters, and so much more. This cut will force us to scale back staffing, programs and services that support our communities. Money to NAs wil be scaled back. We may have to cut your Directors and Officer insurance. We took a disproportionate 20% cut last year. This year it would be 25% and this cannot be sustained.

Cost to restore: About $120k for all four districts.
The Ask: Tell the City what SE Uplift’s support means to you.

GRAPHICS YOU CAN USE

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