Venture Portland recently awarded the Montavilla East Tabor Business Association (METBA) $10,000 to fund a staff position responsible for the organization’s outreach efforts and supporting the district’s growth goals. METBA is a volunteer-led organization responsible for the annual Montavilla Street Fair and activating the neighborhood’s business corridors throughout the year. This METBA-paid position provides consistent engagement to the small businesses in the district while bolstering the efforts of member business owners who donate their time to the organization.
METBA’s District Manager proposal was one of 11 projects funded by Venture Portland’s latest City-wide grant cycle totaling $90,000. “We are grateful for Venture Portland’s support of METBA for more than twenty years,” remarked METBA President Neil Mattson. METBA has contracted with paid support people in prior years, often with grant support. Mattson explained the District Manager position works up to 14 hours per week and reports to the METBA Board’s Executive Committee. The position will lead community engagement efforts on behalf of the organization by increasing membership and supporting community events. Organization leaders expect the manager to spend at least a third of their time in the district, interacting with the public and businesses in person. The role also involves promoting METBA initiatives online.
METBA attributes the grant resources from Venture Portland as critical to funding the district’s staff position. However, recent reporting from Willamette Week indicates that the business district supporting organization could lose City funding in next year’s budget starting July 1st. Although the nonprofit collects membership fees from participating business districts, it also relies on money from Portland’s general fund and other one-time sources. That money supports staff salaries, board training, member marketing, and grants to other organizations like METBA. Due to Portland’s significant budget shortfall, Venture Portland’s funding from the City will likely end with City staff taking over some of their services. This potential reduction in funding resources follows other cuts at Venture Portland brought on by the depletion of American Rescue Plan Act funding allocated during the pandemic and recovery years. Those funds grew the organization substantially after 2020, as COVID recovery funding did for many support organizations. Venture Portland has cut back its spending from its heights, but further Willamette Week reporting indicates losing City support would make the nonprofit unsustainable even at its smaller size. Portland officials are still working on balancing the 2025/2026 budget and have not confirmed specific cuts. Still, Prosper Portland has expressed interest in bringing business district support efforts in-house. Prosper Portland is the City’s economic development agency, currently supporting Venture Portland with City funds.
METBA is currently seeking a person to fill the District Manager position. Interested people can send their resumes and cover letters to executive@metba.org. The grant funds from Venture Portland for this role are secure for the year. Budget decisions by Portland City Council and Prosper Portland will determine where future grant opportunities for this type of business district support come from. People should anticipate seeing the efforts of the METBA District Manager later this year as they begin their weekly efforts to enhance Montavilla.
Disclosure: The author of this article serves on a business association board that is a member organization of Venture Portland.
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