Friends of the Children - Portland

Name

Friends of the Children - Portland

Legal name

Friends of the Children - Portland

Website

https://friendspdx.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Mentoring Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Student Mentoring & Peer Support Programs (EDAJALAL), Peer Support, Mentoring & Student Leadership (SEL) (EDAKAMAO)

Keywords

• Youth mentoring services
• Nonprofit youth programs
• Long-term mentoring
• Community youth support
• Youth education services

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting youth mentoring programs. Includes one-time gifts, monthly recurring donations through Friendship Club, and major gifts.
2. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate sponsorships and matching gift programs from companies engaged in corporate social responsibility initiatives.
3. Foundation Grants: Funding from private foundations including Meyer Memorial Trust, M J Murdock Charitable Trust, and others.
4. Government Funding: Oregon Department of Justice Crime Victim and Survivor Services Division (CVSSD) funds, Victim of Crime Act (VOCA) funds.
5. Planned Giving: Bequests through wills or trusts, multi-year pledges, and legacy capital campaign contributions.
6. Donor-Advised Funds: DAF Direct facilitates grant recommendations from Fidelity Charitable, Schwab Charitable, and BNY Mellon Charitable Gift Fund.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

FriendsPDX provides long-term, paid, professional one-to-one mentoring to youth facing systemic obstacles (poverty, complex trauma) from kindergarten through high school graduation—a 12+ year commitment per child. Each youth is paired with a salaried full-time "Friend" mentor who spends dedicated time weekly with up to 10 youth, supplemented by youth engagement events, summer programming, family engagement support, and future-pathway planning services.

Product overview

Friends of the Children - Portland (FriendsPDX) is a professional mentoring nonprofit organization that provides long-term, one-to-one mentoring services for youth facing systemic obstacles. The organization pairs children (enrolled in kindergarten) with paid professional mentors ('Friends') who commit to walking alongside them for 12+ years through high school graduation. The core offering is the professional mentoring program, supplemented by youth engagement activities, summer programming, and various support initiatives such as school supply drives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Power of One Professional Mentoring Program The flagship 12+ year paid professional one-to-one mentoring program: each enrolled child is paired with a salaried full-time "Friend" mentor who spends dedicated time weekly with up to 10 youth, from kindergarten through high school graduation. Targets youth facing systemic obstacles (poverty, complex trauma) in the Portland metro area.
• School Supply Drive Annual back-to-school fundraising and supply distribution drive for enrolled youth; supporters donate $50 per youth to cover school supplies for the year, with a stated goal of $15,000 to prepare ~390 kids.
• Youth Engagement Events and Activities Year-round programming of 191+ community events annually (approximately 4 per week) including summer programs, field trips, workshops, and celebrations at FriendsPDX program sites and partner venues, designed to complement the core mentoring relationship.
• Alumni Engagement and River Guide Training (with LEAP partnership) Post-graduation alumni support offering wilderness experiences through a nine-year partnership with LEAP, including multi-day Salmon River kayaking trips and a career-pathway river guide training program for FriendsPDX alumni.

Quantifiable outcome

• 92% of youth go on to enroll in post-secondary education, serve our country or enter the workforce
• +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

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Bridge to KidscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit raising funds for organizations serving vulnerable children through charity golf tournament. Selected FriendsPDX as recipient in 2026
• LEAP (Life Expanding Adventure Program)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNine-year partnership providing wilderness experiences including 5-day Salmon River kayaking trips for youth. River guide training program for alumni
• Wacky World CodingsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoding workshop provider for 5-week Roblox coding camps teaching game design and coding skills
• My Voice MusicsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMusic organization offering workshops for songwriting, recording, and song release, currently focused on hip-hop genre
• Portland Audubon Wildlife SanctuarysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerWildlife care facility providing educational experiences about birds and nature for youth
• Adventures Without LimitssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerOutdoor adventure organization providing stand-up paddleboarding experiences for youth
• Camp CollinssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerOvernight camp program providing summer camping experiences for youth
• Trackers EarthsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerOutdoor wilderness camps offering nature-based programming
• Tryon Creek Nature CentersupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNature center providing environmental education and outdoor activities
• Youth Music ProjectsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMusic education organization providing lessons and creative development
• Portland Metro ArtssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerArts organization providing creative programming and artistic opportunities
• Rose City RowingsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerRowing program offering aquatic sports activities
• Get Hooked FishingsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFishing program providing outdoor recreation and mentorship
• Lower Columbia Estuary PartnershipsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental organization providing canoeing experiences and estuary education
• Worlds Beyond VRsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerVirtual reality experiences provider for youth programming

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Janus Youth Programs: Portland-based nonprofit serving at-risk youth through residential, behavioral health, and community programs. Comparable in serving Portland youth facing systemic barriers and overlapping with FriendsPDX on staff (CPO Ciara Wade joined from Janus).
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Portland Metro: Portland-area affiliate of Boys & Girls Clubs of America providing youth development programming for ages 6-18. Comparable as a Portland youth-development nonprofit, though operates a clubhouse model rather than one-to-one mentoring.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters Columbia Northwest: Portland-area chapter of the largest U.S. youth mentoring nonprofit, providing one-to-one mentoring for youth facing adversity. Direct peer in mission, geography, and target population, though uses volunteer mentors rather than salaried professionals.
• Self Enhancement, Inc. (SEI): Portland-based nonprofit providing comprehensive youth development services to African American youth and families, including mentoring, education support, and cultural programming. Directly comparable in target population and Portland geography.
• New Avenues for Youth: Portland nonprofit serving youth experiencing homelessness and barriers through education, employment, and housing programs. Comparable in youth-services focus, Portland geography, and reliance on government and philanthropic funding.
• Albertina Kerr Centers: Portland nonprofit providing mental health, developmental disabilities, and foster care services for children and families. Comparable in youth-services mission and Portland geography; overlapping executive talent (CDO Chris Canter joined from Albertina Kerr).
• Friends of the Children (National): National parent network of FriendsPDX operating the same salaried-mentor model in 12+ chapters across the U.S. Closest functional peer with identical program design and 30+ year evidence base.

Broad incumbents

• MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership: National umbrella organization advancing youth mentoring through advocacy, research, and capacity-building. Comparable in youth-mentoring focus and policy influence, though operates as an intermediary rather than direct service provider.
• Boys Hope Girls Hope: National nonprofit providing long-term residential and mentoring support for youth in need. Comparable in long-term, intensive youth development mission, though uses a residential model rather than community-based mentoring.

Regional players

• Morrison Child & Family Services: Oregon-based nonprofit providing child welfare, mental health, and family services. Comparable in serving at-risk children and families in Oregon, though broader in clinical service mix than FriendsPDX's mentoring focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/friends-of-the-children-pdx

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Friends of the Children - Portland