Taking Ownership PDX

What Taking Ownership PDX does

Taking Ownership PDX is a Portland, Oregon-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2020 by Randal Wyatt, a local hip-hop artist and community activist. The organization's stated mission is to renovate and revive Black-owned homes, help Black homeowners age in place, and deter predatory actors and gentrifying forces from displacing Black residents from their communities. It operates two core programs: Home Preservation, which delivers urgent home repairs and energy efficiency upgrades to qualifying Black homeowners in the Portland Metro Area at no cost, and Community Impact, which mobilizes an intergenerational volunteer workforce to execute rapid quality-of-life upgrades. The organization also administers a small business grant stream supporting Black-owned small businesses with repairs and capital.

Name

Taking Ownership PDX

Legal name

Taking Ownership PDX

Website

https://takingownershippdx.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Taking Ownership PDX is a Portland, Oregon-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free home repairs, energy efficiency upgrades, and small business grants to Black homeowners and business owners in the Portland Metro Area through volunteer-driven Home Preservation and Community Impact programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Housing Repair and Reparations Services

SIC

Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

Aviation & Airport K9 Security Services (BPAKAKAF)

Keywords

• Home repair services
• Community housing support
• Energy efficiency upgrades
• Volunteer mobilization
• Small business grants

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Grants and Foundation Funding: Receives grants from foundations and corporate giving programs including Nike ($75,000), Meadow Fund, Seeding Justice ($95,000), and Pacific Power E-mobility grants. These funds support operational costs and direct home repair services.
2. Individual Donations: Accepts financial donations from individuals through their Classy.org donation portal. Community members contribute to fund home repair projects for Black homeowners.
3. Volunteer Labor Donations: Volunteers contribute labor for home repair projects. From 2020-2023, 400 volunteers performed an estimated $170,000 worth of labor.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Taking Ownership PDX is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free home repair, renovation, and energy-efficiency upgrade services for Black homeowners in the Portland Metro Area, delivered through its Home Preservation Program and Community Impact (volunteer) Program, and complemented by small business grants to Black-owned businesses. Services are funded by foundation/corporate grants and individual donations, and executed using a mix of paid staff, a licensed general contractor, and volunteer labor.

Product overview

Taking Ownership PDX is a community-driven, reparations-based nonprofit organization offering two core programs: the Home Preservation Program and the Community Impact Program. The Home Preservation Program provides urgent home repairs and energy efficiency upgrades to Black homeowners in the Portland Metro Area. The Community Impact Program mobilizes a volunteer workforce for rapid quality of life improvements. Additionally, the organization offers small business grants as part of its mission to renovate and restore Black-owned homes and support small businesses. To date, the organization has facilitated over $1.5 million in home improvements and small business grants, helping more than 125 households.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Home Preservation Program The flagship program leveraging organizational resources and partner connections to provide urgent repairs and energy-efficiency upgrades to Black homeowners in the Portland Metro Area, delivered free of charge by combining paid staff, a licensed general contractor (Project Manager Zack Mills), and volunteer labor.
• Community Impact Program A volunteer-driven community program that mobilizes an intergenerational volunteer workforce to deliver rapid quality-of-life upgrades for homeowners, including decluttering, landscaping, yard cleanup, and similar projects.
• Small Business Grants Grants and repair support provided to Black-owned small businesses that have requested assistance, as part of the organization's reparative work to advance economic equity for Black-owned businesses in Portland.

Quantifiable outcome

• 106 homes repaired from 2020-2023
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Portland Parks & RecreationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnered with Portland Parks & Recreation Free Yard Trees program. Taking Ownership received a grant to support neighborhood canopy coverage enhancement and climate action through tree distribution to homeowners.
• Earth AdvantageminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Earth Advantage team volunteers at Taking Ownership declutter projects as part of their retreat activities, demonstrating corporate volunteer engagement.
• 501(c)(3) Nonprofit StatuscoreOthers · 1 February 2024Achieved official 501(c)(3) nonprofit status in February 2024, marking a major milestone enabling expanded grant funding and donations.
• University of Oregon PIE ProgramminorOthers · 1 January 2024Portland Internship Experience (PIE) program connecting University of Oregon students with internships. Anika Schniewind completed Development & Marketing internship through this program.
• Friends of NoiseminorOthers · 1 January 2020Early fiscal sponsor during the organization's initial formation before obtaining 501(c)(3) status. Provided administrative support and financial infrastructure during the grassroots startup phase.
• PDX Housing Solidarity ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Grassroots collaboration helping connect people with resources to Black and Indigenous homebuyers in Portland. Works in conjunction with Taking Ownership to address housing displacement through complementary programs including discounted energy efficiency upgrades.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Habitat for Humanity: Largest U.S. nonprofit focused on affordable homeownership through volunteer-built construction and repairs. Broader scope and global scale, but overlaps directly on volunteer-driven home repair for income-qualified homeowners.
• Enterprise Community Partners: National nonprofit that invests in affordable housing and community development, including home repair/rehab for low-income owners. Larger, broader portfolio, and a likely funding/partner counterparty for organizations like Taking Ownership PDX.
• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): Major U.S. community development financial institution funding affordable housing, neighborhood revitalization, and homeowner stabilization. Operates a Portland program and a potential comparator/funder for Taking Ownership PDX's model.

Others

• Grounded Solutions Network: National membership network supporting community land trusts and shared-equity homeownership programs. Adjacent ecosystem participant; could be a structural partner as Taking Ownership PDX considers long-term anti-displacement strategies.

Regional players

• Proud Ground: Portland-based community land trust providing permanently affordable homeownership opportunities for underserved buyers. Different mechanism (shared-equity CLT) but directly comparable geography and demographic focus.
• CASA of Oregon: Oregon-based nonprofit developing affordable housing and providing homeownership support in underserved communities. Regional peer with overlapping mission and potential partnership/funding overlap in the Portland market.

Direct peers

• Rebuilding Together: National nonprofit providing free critical home repairs and modifications for low-income homeowners, with a strong volunteer model. Operates affiliate offices across the U.S. and is the closest direct functional peer to Taking Ownership PDX's Home Preservation program.
• Habitat for Humanity Portland Region: Regional Habitat affiliate serving the Portland Metro area with home repair, preservation, and new construction programs for low-income homeowners — directly comparable geography and service mix to Taking Ownership PDX.
• NACA (Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America): National nonprofit providing counseling, advocacy, and direct support to help low- and moderate-income — particularly Black — homebuyers and homeowners. Overlaps on the homeownership-stability and anti-displacement mission even though service delivery differs.
• Black Home Initiative: Portland-based initiative focused on increasing Black homeownership and addressing displacement in the Pacific Northwest. Highly comparable on mission, geography, and target demographic, though oriented more toward ownership pathways than home repair.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/takingownershippdx
• Facebookfacebook.com/takingownershippdx
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/taking-ownership-pdx

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Taking Ownership PDX