Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon

What Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon does

Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon (EMO) is a statewide non-profit association of faith partners headquartered at 245 S Bancroft St., Portland, Oregon, founded in 1974 through the merger of the Portland Council of Churches and the Oregon Council of Churches. The organization delivers human services and public policy advocacy across four program pillars: community service (direct programs), advocacy and action, creation justice (environmental and climate work), and education and dialogue. Its direct-service portfolio includes Sponsors Organized to Assist Refugees (SOAR, operating since 1979, one of only four federally licensed refugee resettlement agencies in Oregon); SOAR Immigration Legal Services; the Northeast Emergency Food Program (NEFP, since 1983); HIV Day Center (since 1990); Daily Bread Express meal delivery (since 1992); Slavic Oregon Social Services (since 1994); Second Home, a host-home program for unaccompanied homeless high school students; and Cooling Portland, a heat-relief program. EMO serves Oregonians across multiple beneficiary segments including newly arrived refugees and immigrants (more than 25,000 resettled since 1979), low-income individuals living with HIV/AIDS, food-insecure families, unaccompanied homeless youth, Slavic-speaking communities, and heat-vulnerable residents.

EMO combines upstream policy advocacy with downstream direct service delivery. Its advocacy arm drives Interfaith Advocacy Day, legislative priorities, ballot measure education, and coalition leadership (e.g., Stop NW Gas Expansion Coalition), while its direct programs deliver tangible services including refugee resettlement logistics, immigration legal representation, food distribution, HIV community support, and host-home placements. SOAR Immigration Legal Services provides culturally competent legal representation across Oregon. Partnerships span federal government (refugee resettlement contracts via VolAg framework), state and municipal government (Portland Housing Bureau, Oregon state refugee funding), national nonprofits (American Red Cross for disaster preparedness, IRCO for refugee employment, Church World Service), academic institutions (Concordia University nursing internships), faith congregations statewide (Congregation Beth Israel, Augustana Lutheran Church, First Christian Church), and the PadSplit housing platform (2025 SRO pilot). Marketing channels include the EMO website, the VOICE blog, email newsletters, social media (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn), and public events including the Collins Lecture series (annual since 1967) and Interfaith Advocacy Day.

EMO's revenue model is a diversified mix of individual charitable donations, federal and state government grants and contracts (including the $2 million Oregon state refugee resettlement funding secured through EMO advocacy in 2019), ticketed event fundraising (e.g., Celebrating Hope for Immigrants at $50/ticket), and planned giving through the Presidents' Circle legacy program. The organization does not charge beneficiaries for direct services and has no proprietary technology platforms or commercial pricing tiers. Operations are funded through a community-led go-to-market model relying on volunteer networks, faith partner congregations, and grant-funded programs. EMO is governed by a Board of Directors with no parent company, no venture capital backing, and a headcount reported in the 11-50 range. Current Executive Director Frank So has led the organization since 2021; recent senior additions include Rev. Andrea Omojola (community health oversight, January 2025) and Kristi Baack (Director of Development and Communications).

Name

Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon

Legal name

Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon

Website

https://emoregon.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon is a Portland-based statewide non-profit association of faith partners, founded in 1974, operating direct-service programs in refugee resettlement, immigration legal services, food assistance, HIV support, Slavic community services, and homeless youth housing across Oregon.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Services

NAICS

Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Community Housing Services (62422), Community Food Services (624210)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Integration & Inclusion Services (Housing, Education, Employment) (BPADAHAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Emergency Education / Education in Emergencies (EiE) (BPADADAN)

Keywords

• Refugee resettlement services
• Immigration legal services
• Community social services
• Interfaith advocacy programs
• Social services nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations: Individual donors contribute to support EMO's programs and operations. The organization operates fundraising campaigns, accepts online donations through its website, and engages in planned giving through the Presidents' Circle legacy giving program.
2. Government Grants and Contracts: EMO receives government funding for refugee resettlement services through federal programs, and state funding for various social service programs. The organization successfully advocated for $2 million in Oregon state funding for refugee resettlement agencies.
3. Event Revenue: Some events like 'Celebrating Hope for Immigrants' charge admission ($50 tickets) with proceeds supporting SOAR Legal services.
4. Planned Giving: The Presidents' Circle is a legacy giving program where supporters include EMO in their wills or estate plans.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

EMO is a statewide ecumenical association of faith partners that delivers direct human service programs across Oregon, including refugee resettlement (SOAR), culturally competent immigration legal representation (SOAR Legal), an emergency food pantry (NEFP), community and meal-delivery services for individuals living with HIV/AIDS (HIV Day Center and Daily Bread Express), a host-home program for unaccompanied homeless high school students (Second Home), Slavic-community social services, and heat-relief support (Cooling Portland). Alongside these direct service programs, EMO conducts public policy advocacy, creation/environmental justice initiatives, and ecumenical and interreligious education and dialogue programs.

Product overview

Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon is a statewide association of faith partners providing social services through multiple direct service programs and advocacy initiatives. The organization operates a portfolio of distinct community programs including refugee resettlement (SOAR), immigration legal services (SOAR Legal), food assistance (NEFP), HIV services (HIV Day Center, Daily Bread Express), youth housing (Second Home), and Slavic community services. These programs are complemented by policy advocacy, environmental justice, and interfaith education efforts. The organization does not offer a technology product but provides human services to Oregon communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sponsors Organized to Assist Refugees (SOAR) EMO's flagship refugee resettlement program that welcomes newly arrived refugees at the airport, settles them into furnished homes, and supports language learning, school enrollment, job-skills development, and employment assistance across Oregon. Targets newly arrived refugees and the agencies that refer them.
• SOAR Immigration Legal Services (SOAR Legal) Provides culturally competent immigration-related legal representation and education for refugees and immigrants with limited income throughout Oregon, including "Know Your Rights" resources and counsel on immigrant rights.
• Northeast Emergency Food Program (NEFP) Food pantry providing supplemental food, groceries, and community food distribution to Oregonians experiencing economic hardship and food insecurity.
• HIV Day Center Community day center serving low-income individuals living with HIV/AIDS in the Portland area, providing community, daily meals, conversation, bus passes, and access to other resources for over 35 years.
• Daily Bread Express (DBX) Meal-delivery program that brings food to home-bound individuals living with HIV/AIDS in the Portland area.
• Second Home Host-home program placing unaccompanied high school students experiencing homelessness with screened volunteer host families to provide stable housing, supportive adults, and help completing high school and transitioning to adulthood.
• Slavic Oregon Social Services Provides social services to the Slavic community in Oregon, including culturally and linguistically appropriate support.
• Cooling Portland Provides heat-relief support and resources to heat-vulnerable residents in the Portland area during extreme heat events, with bilingual (English/Spanish) materials.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 25,000 refugees resettled since 1979
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PadSplitcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 March 2026Home-sharing platform partnered with Portland Housing Bureau and EMO for SRO pilot program. PadSplit facilitates room rental matching and payment processing for homeowners renting spare rooms to low-income tenants under Oregon's new SRO legislation. Weekly rent capped at $200 with cash incentives for participating homeowners.
• American Red CrosscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to support faith communities in disaster preparedness. American Red Cross provides training opportunities while EMO helps connect faith organizations to disaster resources. During 2020 wildfires, partnership with Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Medford served over 400 families.
• IRCO (Immigrant & Refugee Community Organization)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for connecting refugees to employment specialists and comprehensive resettlement services. SOAR refers clients to IRCO for employment support as part of the integration process.
• Concordia UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNursing students from Concordia University (Portland campus, with classes in St. Paul, Minn.) intern at HIV Day Center. Students gain practical experience while providing support to clients, including assisting with technology and family connections.
• Stop NW Gas Expansion Coalition (StopGas.org)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEMO is a coalition member working to protect communities in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington from health, safety, and climate threats of methane gas. EMO environment and energy program manager serves as coalition coordinator.
• Church World ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational refugee resettlement agency whose President and CEO Rick Santos has spoken at EMO events. Church World Service is one of the nine national Voluntary Agencies (VolAgs) that partner with the federal government for refugee resettlement.
• Perkins CoieminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLaw firm that generously sponsored the 'Celebrating Hope for Immigrants' fundraising event for SOAR Immigration Legal Services in May 2024.
• First Christian Church (Portland)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHost venue for EMO events including Interfaith Advocacy Day 2021 and Social Justice Forums. Social Justice Team collaborates with EMO on refugee and immigration advocacy events.
• Augustana Lutheran ChurchminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHost venue for 'Preventing Refugee Crises Abroad & Helping Refugees Here at Home' event featuring Rick Santos from Church World Service in March 2024.
• Congregation Beth IsraelminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHost venue for 'United for Peace' event supporting Ukraine in May 2022. EMO organized interfaith gathering at this Portland synagogue.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• International Rescue Committee (IRC): Large international humanitarian organization with refugee resettlement operations across the U.S., including Oregon. Operates in the same refugee resettlement category as EMO's SOAR but at much greater scale.
• Church World Service: National refugee resettlement VolAg that EMO partners with and whose leadership has spoken at EMO events. Operates at broader national scale with overlapping refugee resettlement mission.

Regional players

• Catholic Community Services of Western Washington: Faith-based social services and refugee resettlement agency serving Western Washington. Highly comparable service portfolio but operates in a different (though neighboring) state from EMO.

Direct peers

• Catholic Charities of Oregon: Faith-based social services nonprofit operating in Oregon with refugee resettlement, food assistance and housing programs. Closest geographic and mission peer to EMO.
• Lutheran Community Services Northwest: Faith-affiliated regional nonprofit providing refugee resettlement, behavioral health and aging services across the Pacific Northwest. Directly comparable service portfolio and faith-based model.
• Jewish Family & Child Service of Portland: Faith-affiliated social services agency in Portland offering refugee resettlement, immigration legal aid and family support. Directly comparable faith-based model and refugee/immigrant legal services.
• Raphael House of Portland: Portland nonprofit providing emergency shelter and housing support for families experiencing homelessness. Direct overlap with EMO's Second Home and broader housing stability work in the same metro area.
• Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO): Portland-based refugee and immigrant services nonprofit that is an explicit EMO referral partner for employment services. Operates overlapping refugee resettlement, ESL and job placement programs.
• JOIN (Portland): Portland nonprofit delivering housing-focused services to people experiencing homelessness. Comparable housing-first service model and geographic footprint to EMO's housing programs.
• Salem for Refugees: Faith-grounded refugee resettlement nonprofit in Salem, Oregon. Comparable refugee resettlement and community-integration mission within the same state.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UChX-eg18yhGdPeBb0jXaChg/videos?sub_confirmation=1
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Ecumenical-Ministries-of-Oregon/123458123797
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ecumenical-ministries-of-oregon
• Instagraminstagram.com/ecumenicaloregon
• Xx.com/EcumenicalO

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon