We’re doubling down for the democracy we deserve
Tens of thousands of protestors showed up for the No Kings Rally & March in June 2025, in Portland and across our region.
Americans are talking about democracy more than ever before. That’s a good thing. We know democracy isn’t just about free and fair elections, though those are critical. It’s also about the right to have our voices heard and express ourselves freely, to be treated fairly under the law, and to pursue health and happiness for ourselves, our families and communities. These freedoms are at the heart of our safety and prosperity, and at the heart of our Constitution.
Our country hasn’t ever fully lived up to these freedoms. But a strong democracy isn’t afraid to admit its faults and do the hard work of being better tomorrow than it is today.
As a country, we find ourselves in a moment of reckoning—a moment that demands we show up for each other and work together to overcome fear and division, to protect and advance our rights. In this moment, Northwest Health Foundation is doubling down (or some may say leveling up) for the democracy we deserve.
Our foundation will give $3 million more than usual over the next three years, investing it directly in existing efforts already underway to keep the promise of a government by and for the people alive.
Each of us has a responsibility to strengthen our democracy, contributing in whatever way we can to hold our governments accountable and push America toward a just future. Right now, showing up in this way can feel risky. After all, there are people who are working every day to intimidate and further divide us to serve their own interests. So we must be brave. Brave like the Oregonians who are organizing a series of Day Without an Immigrant boycotts. Brave like the people across our country who volunteer to bear witness and document unjust actions by federal agents. Brave like knocking on your neighbor’s door for the first time or hosting a conversation. This bravery helps build the kinds of relationships that make us more connected—even across our differences—and more willing to fight for one another.
For philanthropy, being brave means putting aside our fears of being targeted by a weaponized federal agency or spending our endowments too quickly. It means showing up with the resources our communities need to halt the threat of authoritarianism, and to defend and strengthen our democracy.
Our friends at The Collins Foundation remind us that we were built for this.
It will take all of us working together across our differences to achieve the freedoms and prosperity our ancestors dreamed of. It won’t be easy. But Americans have done hard things before, and we can do them again. We believe in us.