Annual events + ongoing programs

Black-tie fundraising gala. ~400 attendees. Guest speakers, dinner, auction. Tickets $250-$2,500. Sponsor tables $5,000-$25,000. Most-significant fundraising event of year. Held at Portland Art Museum.

Annual holiday food drive. Coordinated with 70+ partner organizations. ~$1.2M raised + 200,000+ lbs food collected. Especially intensive Thanksgiving + December weeks. Volunteer-heavy.

Spring food drive coordinating with PCC + Mt. Hood Community College + Portland Public Schools. ~$200k raised + 50,000+ lbs food collected. Building habit of giving among younger donors.

Annual volunteer recognition. ~300 volunteers attended. Sponsored dinner. Volunteer Ambassador awards. Recognition of milestone hours (100, 250, 500, 1000+ shifts). Many of our most-loyal volunteers attend.

Annual gathering of our 850 partner organizations. Programming + networking + joint planning. Held at Multnomah County Fairgrounds. Important for partner relationship + alignment.

Annual events + ongoing volunteer opportunities + featured stories + impact updates. Subscribe at /contact#newsletter. ~1-2 emails per month + special event announcements.

Saturday, May 17, 2026. Portland Art Museum. 6pm cocktails + 7pm dinner. ~400 attendees. Black-tie.

Past keynote speakers: Earl Blumenauer (Congressman), Kotchen + Kalin (Reed College), former mayors, recipient + volunteer testimonials. 2026 keynote speaker TBA.

Silent + live auction. Auction items: weekend getaways, sports tickets, restaurant experiences, art + crafts, donor experiences. Auction items tax-deductible (donor side); proceeds to Riverbend.

Individual ticket: $250. VIP table $5k (reserved table for 8). Sponsor tables $10k-$25k (recognition + speaking opportunities). Limited tickets at lower price points for Volunteer Ambassadors + young professionals.

Network with Portland-area philanthropic community. Direct exposure to recipients + volunteers + leadership. Major fundraising event. Year-defining event for our development team. Specific event culture; many donors attend annually.

Buy tickets online (October-November typical). Sponsor table ($5k+) → email development@riverbendfoodbank.org. Donate auction item → email development@riverbendfoodbank.org. Volunteer evening-of (limited slots; sign up early).

Most common. Workplace coordinator + Riverbend coordination. We provide donation bins + materials + pickup logistics. Typical workplace drive collects 500-2,000 lbs food. Best timing: October-December (peak need) + April (lower-need but builds donor habits).

Elementary + middle + high schools. Often combined with educational component (food insecurity, nutrition, community service). Schools typically collect 500-3,000 lbs food. Coordinated with school staff + family liaisons.

Churches + temples + mosques. Many of our most consistent food drives come from religious communities. Often combined with annual giving campaigns. Faith-based drives typically collect 1,000-5,000 lbs food.

Block-club + neighborhood-association drives. Door-to-door collection or central drop-off. Typically 200-1,000 lbs food. Builds neighborhood connection + Riverbend awareness.

Sports teams, clubs, sororities + fraternities, civic groups. Specific to your organization. We provide materials + logistics. Email development@riverbendfoodbank.org for custom drive support.

Most-needed: peanut butter, canned protein (tuna + chicken), pasta + sauce, rice, beans, cereal. Avoid: glass containers, perishables (we’ll handle separately), expired items, opened items. Specific list at /donate#in-kind.

Monthly volunteer evening: warehouse work + pizza dinner together. 5pm-8pm. Limited 30 spots; books up 2 weeks ahead. Especially popular with young professionals + workplace teams.

Quarterly Saturday morning family-friendly volunteer event. Kids 8+ (with adult). Light volunteer work + family activities. ~50 attendees per event. Builds family-friendly volunteering culture.

Quarterly senior-specific volunteer days. Lighter physical work, social component. Many AARP members participate. Strong senior volunteer community emerges.

Workplace teams schedule custom volunteer days. 8-25 person teams. 4-hour blocks typical. Specific projects suited for groups (food drive, warehouse sorting, event setup). Coordinate via volunteer@riverbendfoodbank.org.

Heightened volunteer activity during holiday season. Thanksgiving meal kit packing, Christmas distributions, Hanukkah programs at partner organizations. Many one-time volunteers help during holidays.

Volunteer at Spring Gala (limited slots), Spring Food Drive coordinating, Volunteer Recognition Reception. Different volunteer experience than regular warehouse. Particularly visible community engagement.

Quarterly open house at our Davis Street warehouse. Tour, meet team, see programs in action. ~50 attendees per open house. Particularly useful for prospective donors + partners + curious community.

Monthly speaker series at our Davis Street office. Topics: food insecurity, food systems, community development, nonprofit operations. Speakers from Riverbend leadership + outside experts. Free; refreshments provided.

Recipients (former + current) speak about their experience. Powerful storytelling. Held at community partner locations. Educates donors + volunteers + community on lived experience of food insecurity.

Quarterly press briefings on food insecurity trends, programs, advocacy issues. Local press attendance. Op-eds + local news coverage. Influential in Portland-area media.

Schools + libraries + community centers. Educational programs on food insecurity, food systems, community service. Free. Coordinated through education@riverbendfoodbank.org. Particularly impactful for school-age audiences.

Twitter/X @RiverbendFood · Facebook · Instagram · LinkedIn. Specific updates on programs, volunteer stories, recipient features (with consent). Community engagement throughout the year.