Nonprofit Incubator Launches: Amplify the impact of your non-profit

Starting and sustaining a community-based nonprofit is hard work! According to Forbes, 50% don’t survive beyond five years.

To support emerging community-based organizations, the City has partnered with the Beaverton Area Chamber of Commerce and the Oregon Startup Center to launch the Nonprofit Incubator of Beaverton. The initiative offers technical assistance, resources, and guided mentoring to help nonprofits gain visibility, build sustainable systems, and amplify their impact in order to improve the wellbeing of our most vulnerable populations.

The Nonprofit Incubator is the brainchild of Mayor Lacey Beaty. With her nonprofit background, she saw firsthand the need for organizations to operate with more of a business mindset.

Most charitable nonprofits launch with a heart-forward mission to address compelling community needs. While it does take heart to run a nonprofit, it also takes some fundamental business skills to ensure that it’s sustainable.

The Director of Nonprofit Services at the Beaverton Area Chamber of Commerce, Mark Lewis, was selected to lead the initiative based on his diverse background in nonprofit development, public-private partnerships, education, and entrepreneurship.

“Our charitable nonprofits play a critical role in addressing the needs of our community and improving the lives of individuals and families,” said Lewis. “But they also need systems and strategies to sustain their work over the long term.”

The Nonprofit Incubator is collaborating with the Oregon Startup Center, which has a long history of supporting early stage traded-sector companies.

“The city is deeply committed to supporting both for-profits and nonprofits,” Lewis added. “By sharing space with the Oregon Startup Center, we’re creating a hub of innovation and impact—across sectors, all under one roof.”

The program is geared toward nonprofits with annual revenues under $500,000 and fewer than 25 employees. It will be housed on the third floor of the Beaverton Building in a newly renovated space at the Executive Suites, opening in early June.

Nonprofits can apply at npi-b.org or reach out to Lewis at mark@npi-b.org. For more information, visit Beaverton.org.