Chapter Milestones

Over the years since ARCS Oregon was incorporated in 2004, the Chapter has accomplished significant milestones. We credit these milestones to a talented and educated membership, a solid and successful track for supporting scholar awards, and a strong relationship with our university partners that were approved by ARCS National.

2004

• The Portland Chapter was incorporated and applied for 501(c)(3) status in May
• The chapter was chartered with 65 members
• Sharon Hewitt was elected the first chapter president

2005

• The Portland Chapter received its 501(c)(3) status as a non-profit organization
• First Long Range Plan was formed and implemented
• Approved for funding by ARCS National October 2005
  • The School of Medicine at OHSU
  • The School of Nursing at OHSU 
• First scholar awards of $15,000 were granted to 11 PhD students at OHSU and in the Oregon Graduate Institute

2008

• Approved for funding by ARCS National September 2008
  • The College of Engineering at OSU 
• The first annual Celebrate the Scholars event was organized to acknowledge students who completed three years of funding
• First year scholar awards were presented to four (4) OSU PhD students

2009

• The scholar award amount was raised to $18,000

2010

• Approved for funding by ARCS National October 2010
  • The College of Forestry at OSU 
  • The College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences at OSU
• The Chapter reached the $1 million mark of scholar awards committed

2011

• OHSU hosted a lunch for all ARCS Oregon members to celebrate the $1 million mark of scholar awards committed to OHSU
• The Scholar Award Policy Agreement was created and signed with OHSU and OSU
• A member retreat was scheduled in June to create a 5-year Long Range Plan and Implementation Plan

2012

• First membership satisfaction survey was conducted
• Long Range Plan was written and implemented
• The board was restructured to be a committe-driven organization
• The first $200,000 scholar award endowment was established by Caron and Larry Ogg
• Approved for funding by ARCS National June 2012
  • College of Engineering, School of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engingeering at OSU
  • College of Engineering, School of Civil and Construction Engineering at OSU

2013

• The Chapter reached the $2 million mark of scholar awards committed
• The Chapter pledged $1 million to OSU by 2018 and therefore became a member of the Milton Harris Society
• The second $200,000 scholar award endowment was established by Barbara and Philip Silver
• The Portland Chapter hosted the fall ARCS National Board meeting
• Approved for funding by ARCS National October 2013
  • The College of Agricultural Sciences at OSU 

2014

• Approved for funding by ARCS National February 2014
  • The College of Science at OSU
• The third $200,000 scholar award endowment was established by the Fairway Fund
• The 10th Anniversary Scholar Award Fund of $200,000 was established by member and community donations

2015

• Approved for funding by ARCS National January 2015
  • Department of Biology
  • Department of Chemistry at the University of Oregon 
• AFP (Association of Fundraising Professionals) awarded the Portland Chapter the "2015 Outstanding Philanthropic Foundation"
• First year scholar awards were presented to two (2) UO PhD students

2016

• The Chapter reached the $3 million mark of scholar awards committed
• Second member satisfaction survey was conducted
• Approved for funding by ARCS National January 2016
  • The College of Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Sciences at OSU 
  • The College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Department of Geology at OSU 
• The Portland Chapter changed its name to ARCS Foundation Oregon Chapter on May 11, 2016
• University Matched Endowments (UME) were established with OHSU, OSU, and UO

2017

• The Chapter received its first bequest from charter member Mary Martin Rosenberg that will fund students in perpetuity
• Second member retreat was scheduled in January to revise the Long Range Plan and Implementation Plan

2018

• The Chapter received a $1.5 million bequest from member Jill Josselyn to support the scholar award program in perpetuity

2019

• The Oregon Chapter hosted the ARCS All Member Conference in September
• From 2016 - 2019, 15 University Matched Endowments (UME) have been established:
  •   1 University Matched Endowment at UO
  •  4 University Matched Endowments at OHSU
  • 10 University Matched Endowments at OSU

2020

• Approved for funding by ARCS National January 2020
  • The Department of Human Physiology at UO
• Approved for funding by ARCS National June 2020
  • College of Ag Sciences, Department in Horticulture at OSU
  • College of Science, Department in Physics at OSU
  • Graduate School, Program in Water Resources Engineering at OSU
• From 2015-2020, 18 University Matched Endowments have been established:
  • 2 at UO
  • 5 at OHSU
  • 11 at OSU