Behind the Scenes of AMPLIFY PDX: How Open Signal Is Helping Build a New Model for Community Fundraising

In the heat of this year’s political chaos, with funding cuts hitting grassroots organizations hard and federal policies hitting communities even harder, Open Signal is throwing open its doors and closing down the street in the name of movement building. On Saturday, August 9, 2025, AMPLIFY PDX will transform NE Graham Street into a vibrant celebration of community power, hosted by more than 20 of Portland’s most visionary nonprofits. 

As Portland’s community media center, Open Signal has long been a home for storytelling and resistance through art, video, and collective voice. With AMPLIFY PDX, we're stepping into a new role, serving as the coordinating lead for a collaborative, community-led fundraiser. This is not a traditional gala or donor reception. It is a public demonstration of what grassroots abundance and shared leadership can look like.

Register for this special event here!

More Than a Block Party

AMPLIFY PDX is, at first glance, a street festival. There will be food carts, live music, youth art-making, tabling, poetry, and even a live podcast taping. But AMPLIFY PDX is something much more intentional: a collective strategy for resource sharing and mutual support.

This celebration was built on a foundation of trust, transparency, and equal participation. Each organization involved will receive a share of the proceeds and has played a role in shaping the event. Open Signal has been working steadily behind the scenes to support that shared vision, providing critical capacity to make the event successful. This includes coordinating city permits, insurance, and site logistics, designing the site map and access plans, and building the communications and branding tools that hold the event together.

Our team has also supported shared fundraising efforts, developed sponsorship materials, managed the timeline and planning calendar, and convened regular working group meetings with all 20 partner organizations. These tasks are often invisible, but they are essential to building a truly collaborative event.

In a time when frontline organizations are stretched thin, AMPLIFY offers a public demonstration of what is possible when we invest in community-led infrastructure. Open Signal believes that media centers, creative hubs, and local institutions have a unique role to play in connecting art, activism, and economic justice.

Join Us as a Sponsor, Supporter, or Partner

AMPLIFY PDX needs supporters who understand that events like this are not just celebrations. They are models for a new kind of philanthropy that centers collaboration over competition and invests directly in community leadership.

Sponsorship funds will help cover essential event costs such as accessibility services, safety supplies, and outreach materials. After costs are covered, remaining proceeds will be shared. Just as importantly, sponsorship affirms that the community deserves joyful, public space for organizing, celebration, and resource sharing.

If you believe in the work of Portland’s grassroots leaders and want to support a fundraising model rooted in justice rather than charity, we invite you to support AMPLIFY PDX.