Magic moments like this one at Bike Play during Pedalpalooza are possible because of Umbrella. (Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)
When it comes to promoting the creative, vibrant street culture and fabric of events that make Portland, Portland, Umbrella is arguably the most important nonprofit in the city. Why? Because they provide the financial and legal foundation for many of our most beloved traditions.
I’m talking about things like the upcoming Ladds 500, the World Naked Bike Ride, Pedalpalooza, Breakfast on the Bridges, Better Block PDX, Disaster Relief Trials, and more. As a registered 501(c)(3), Umbrella pops up to protect projects and events that would struggle to handle major legal details like event insurance, alcohol permits, tax ID numbers (to accept donations), mailing addresses, and bookkeeping, on their own.
Umbrella is possible thanks to its board members — generous, benevolent folks who understand the value of community-based street culture and want to see it survive and thrive. And now you have an opportunity to become one. That’s right, Umbrella is looking for a few good folks to join their board.
Being on the board requires attendance at meetings (once a month for an hour or two) and a minimum commitment of two years. You can learn all about what it entails here.
And yes, that makes being an Umbrella board member sound pretty boring. “But it doesn’t have to be,” reads the board description. “There’s something really wonderful about attending an event for a project that you have supported, and you look around and go, ‘Wow these folks are doing such cool stuff – I’m so glad we could help make this happen.'”
So maybe this is the next step in your involvement with the great events, rides, projects, and people you’ve met in the Portland transportation scene. If you’re intrigued, check out the application to join and make sure to fill it out by end of day on April 13th.
