AMA PDX Agency Selects ELSO, Outside the Frame, and Rooted School Vancouver for Pro Bono Marketing Support

Portland, Oregon – AMA PDX, the Portland chapter of the American Marketing Association, is proud to announce ELSO Inc., Outside the Frame, and Rooted School Vancouver as this year’s AMA PDX Agency nonprofit partners. Agency is AMA PDX’s flagship program that pairs local nonprofits with a group of marketing professionals for six months of pro bono marketing consulting.

ELSO: a community based environmental education focused nonprofit that uses the natural world to connect children from underrepresented communities to STEAM.

Outside the Frame: trains homeless and marginalized youth to be directors of their own films and lives. 

Rooted School Vancouver: a public tuition free charter school from grades 9-12 that exists to provide students personal pathways to financial freedom. 

Launched in 2007, Agency started as a community outreach program that gives local volunteers the opportunity to grow their skill set and give back to the community. In return, Portland’s nonprofit community has a chance to leverage local marketing talent to develop, sharpen, and evolve their marketing strategies. Every year, each nonprofit’s marketing project is unique, ranging from strategic planning to implementing a digital marketing campaign. To date, AMA PDX remains the only chapter in the country to run a program like Agency, supporting dozens of nonprofits and bringing together hundreds of marketing volunteers for 17 years.

Since 2022, AMA PDX Agency’s strategic priority has aligned with the chapter’s deep commitment to incorporating diversity, equity, and inclusion in every aspect of the organization. Among a small handful of chapters across the country, AMA PDX was one of the authors and organizers of the first ever DEI Pledge, a response to George Floyd’s murder and a rallying cry to support Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) voices across the AMA. AMA PDX’s leadership in weaving DEI throughout its operations and programs continues to come to life through the Agency program's intentional focus on serving community organizations that advance racial justice in Oregon and SW Washington.

"I've been working with AMA PDX Agency since 2021, and I think this is one of the strongest years of applications I've seen, both for community organizations and marketing professionals. It's really exciting to be working with ELSO Inc., Outside the Frame, and Rooted School Vancouver this year because each organization is focused on empowering their communities in distinct and impactful ways. Truly, each of these nonprofits is innovative in their approach to addressing systemic inequalities, and I know that will inspire the work of our volunteer marketing professionals. I can't wait to see what the AMA PDX Agency teams put together over the next six months,” says Corinne Gould, VP of AMA PDX Agency.

About AMA PDX

AMA PDX is an award-winning local chapter of the national American Marketing Association, which serves over 1.2 million marketing and sales professionals. AMA has more than 60 local chapters and 300 collegiate chapters. AMA PDX is a 501(c)3 nonprofit and volunteer-run organization with the mission to connect, support, and empower the Portland-area marketing community through education and networking.