History

The vision for Life by Design NW emerged more than five years ago by forward-thinking community leaders who understood that the boomer generation reaching retirement age was not only a challenge to be faced or a problem to be solved; it was also an exciting opportunity to harness the knowledge and experience of boomers for the benefit of our community.

The nine founding partners created a collaborative organization, based at Portland Community College, to connect people age 50+ with programs, services and resources designed to address the needs and leverage the talents of this educated and healthy group of mid-life adults.

NW Natural provided seed funding to support the development of employer workshops targeted at supporting employees as they transitioned from one stage of life to another. Oregon Public Broadcasting produced the organization’s website to promote the initiative. Life by Design NW continued to grow and expand its own capacity to serve people in transition, as well as those needing or wanting to work, and those looking for meaningful engagement in the community.

Civic Ventures, the national leader of the movement to promote the value of older adults’ experience in solving society’s problems, designated Life by Design NW as Oregon’s “Next Chapter.” The Collins Foundation, Oregon Community Foundation, Meyer Memorial Trust and The Atlantic Philanthropies awarded Life by Design NW funding to begin more fully implementing its programs and services. Our unique focus is developing a system for adults in mid-career or life transitions to use their experience, skills and desire to engage in the community and make a difference in the lives of others through paid or unpaid work.

In April 2008, the Oregon Community Foundation and Meyer Memorial Trust made it possible for Marc Freedman, CEO of Civic Ventures and author of Encore: Finding Work That Matters in the Second Half of Life, to come to Portland to headline the inauguration of the organization. Life by Design NW continues to be a national model for innovative community collaboration.