Click the image below to read the latest issue.

Support SWNI:

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Southwest Neighborhoods, Inc. (SWNI), is reaching out to you to help us in the transition now underway toward a new form of city government and changes in how our neighborhoods will be supported in the future. You can help by donating here: www.swni.org/donate.

We are at a pivotal time in our city’s history.

The City has announced that Neighbors West/Northwest will be the District Coalition for the 32 neighborhoods that will comprise District 4 – one of the four new voting districts that will be part of our city’s new governance structure.

That means that, whereas SWNI has served 17 neighborhoods in Southwest Portland for more than 40 years, a new Coalition will soon be formed that also encompasses 11 neighborhood associations currently served by Neighbors West/Northwest (NWNW), plus 4 in Southeast Portland that are part of Southeast Uplift.

What does this mean for us in Southwest Portland?

This transition could result in major changes to how neighborhood groups and our communities in general participate in City government affairs. And to be frank, SWNI as we know it today will likely cease to exist by the end of the year.

SWNI is an active participant in the process, working collaboratively with NWNW to ensure that there is a continuity of service and support for Southwest Portland while the future District Coalition is created, funded, staffed and operational – a process that could run well into the 3rd or 4th quarter of 2024.

It will be a transition that will be driven by the affirmative action and participation of the 32 affected neighborhoods, and therefore we encourage that all participate fully. SWNI is simply helping to facilitate a smooth transition that embodies the mission and principles that our community values.

If SWNI is going away, why do you need our support?

In short, for the benefit of our Southwest Portland community, we need to keep our services and operational assets intact until the new Coalition is ready.

While this critical transition unfolds, it is very important that SWNI continue to provide services to our neighborhoods, including support for neighborhood and Committee activities, our monthly newspaper, website and calendar, fiscal sponsorship, record-keeping, corporation filings, etc. Moreover, intangible assets such as our institutional knowledge, community relationships, energetic volunteers, and our community’s values will need to be leveraged by the new Coalition.

SWNI has been operating on community donations for more than three years. Through your generosity, we have been able to maintain an office, equipment, operating systems and services without a dime of public funding.

Over the coming 6-9 months, it will be even more important to preserve these assets while maintaining the continuity of services during the transition period. Please consider a donation to help SWNI continue to fulfill its mission to “empower citizen action and to improve and maintain the livability of Southwest Portland neighborhoods” and help establish an even stronger Coalition and independent and effective voice in.

If you wish to make a donation, please click here (www.swni.org/donate)

or send a check to Southwest
Neighborhoods, Inc., 9220 SW Barbur Blvd. Ste. 119 – Box 341, Portland, OR 97219

We are grateful for the generous support we’ve received from so many community members in the past and we humbly ask you to help us help the community through this transition