For more than 100 years, the Sellwood Community House has been a cornerstone of civic life in Southeast Portland. Originally established as a YMCA branch in 1910, it has long served as a welcoming space for connection, learning, and belonging.
More than a building, the Sellwood Community House is a shared civic space where community life happens. It hosts classes, cultural events, youth programs, arts activities, and neighborhood gatherings that strengthen social ties and expand access to opportunity.
As one of Portland’s oldest continuously operating community centers, the building holds both historical significance and enduring community value. It is recognized as a Portland Historic Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
For decades, Portland Parks & Recreation operated the facility. In 2019, however, budget constraints and growing maintenance needs led the City to end programming and consider alternative futures for the site.
In response, local residents and volunteers formed a nonprofit to preserve and reopen the building as a community-led center. Their efforts ultimately led to the transfer of ownership from Portland Parks to the nonprofit, ushering in a new era of local stewardship.
Shortly after this transition, a major flood caused extensive damage, disrupting programming and accelerating the need for major repairs. The event exposed vulnerabilities in the aging infrastructure and highlighted the urgency of long-term investment.
In response, the Sellwood Community House launched a capital campaign to fund immediate repairs while building a foundation for long-term resilience and sustainability.
Campaign Priorities Include:
-Structural repairs and flood remediation
-Restoration of historic features and modernization of building systems
-Accessibility and safety upgrades
-Expanded program and community space
-Long-term resilience improvements to address future climate risks
The Service Foundation recognized that the future of the Sellwood Community House depends not only on community dedication, but also on strategic philanthropic partnership. Through leadership giving and collaborative fundraising, the Foundation helped catalyze early momentum for the capital campaign, enabling critical renovation milestones and helping attract additional donor support.