Verde

About Us

Verde’s mission is to serve communities by building environmental wealth through social enterprise, outreach, and advocacy. Verde works with BIPOC, immigrant, and low-income communities to address the environmental, economic, and racial justice challenges they face. We started in Portland’s Cully Neighborhood and then expanded our work statewide. Our work is community-driven, and our practitioners come from the communities we serve. Our Advocacy team addresses root causes and systemic injustices, with a focus on air quality, energy, water, and transportation. Our priorities are driven by community engagement, where we hear directly from individuals about the challenges they face. We work with our participants to help them share their stories and achieve change, while also helping them navigate the complexities of receiving government support. We work in coalitions to expand our reach to broader communities and foster connections across the state. In addition to addressing root causes, we provide immediate relief through our social enterprise, Verde Builds. Through Builds, we assist with the installation of community solar and energy efficient home heating and cooling systems. These programs help reduce utility bills by as much as 40%. Our Outreach programs combine environmental education, connecting with nature, and empowering community leaders. An example is the Urban Habitat program, which improves watershed health while engaging high school students in environmental education and installing naturescapes for homeowners.

https://www.verdenw.org/, https://www.facebook.com/verdenw, https://www.instagram.com/verdepdx/