The Oregon Community Foundation
Sonja McKenzie, CVA, possesses extensive experience across various leadership roles in education and community engagement. Currently serving as the Immediate Past President at the Oregon School Boards Association and the Community Engagement Coordinator for Volunteers at The Oregon Community Foundation, McKenzie is dedicated to fostering community involvement and furthering strategic objectives. As the first African American Director #4 of the Parkrose School Board, McKenzie has made significant contributions to the district's history. Previous positions include Treasurer for the National School Boards Action Center and Co-Chair at Dress for Success Oregon, emphasizing commitment to women’s empowerment. With a foundation in education from Portland State University, Sam Houston State University, and the University of St. Thomas (TX), McKenzie brings a diverse skill set to their roles.
The Oregon Community Foundation
The mission of Oregon Community Foundation is to improve lives for all Oregonians through the power of philanthropy. OCF works with individuals, families, businesses and organizations to create charitable funds to support the community causes they care about. Through these funds, in 2020 OCF awarded more than $230 million in grants and scholarships. Thousands of citizens have created a permanent endowment for Oregon through OCF – an endowment that will help Oregonians today and for generations to come. Who We Are: OCF's endowment come from thousands of Oregonians who have invested with us to help our state. OCF manages more than 3,000 individual funds of various sizes. From these funds, grants are distributed to support the critical work that nonprofit organizations are doing around Oregon. OCF is governed by a volunteer board of directors. They provide leadership to the Foundation and have the responsibility to ensure that the endowment is managed in an efficient, thoughtful way. We rely on more than 1,600 local volunteers who give us deep-rooted knowledge of community needs. Our professional staff helps donors realize their charitable goals and nonprofit organizations become stronger. What We Do: The Oregon Community Foundation is committed to improving life and uniting Oregonians through philanthropy. Thanks to thousands of donors and hundreds of individual funds, OCF is the leader in Oregon philanthropy, strengthening communities across the state.