What is The Contingent?
A group of people trained for action.
Where We Started.
The Contingent originated as the Portland Leadership Foundation (PLF). For more than a decade, PLF grew and flourished with a vision of strengthening a just community through the development of multicultural leaders and the transformation of government and service leaders.
Transformation.
The continued success of the Portland Leadership Foundation’s initiatives led to statewide growth and the need for an identity that matches our commitment to all Oregonians. We keep the same dedication and swagger to serve the most marginalized communities while expanding our vision for the state we love.
Today – A National Movement.
The Contingent is a venture non-profit focused on sparking and holding initiatives to empower leaders and mobilize community for the common good. Whether it is through mentoring, education, scholarships, internships, career development, mobilizing volunteers, or raising up foster families, we are witnessing an unprecedented contingent of leaders committed to do hard things.
We do this with a commitment to using smart digital strategies combined with empathetic relationships formed through a commitment to equity. We believe those experiencing the problems are those best to design the solutions—so we listen before we create.
The Contingent will do what it takes with a dedication to accountability. If one of our initiatives doesn’t improve outcomes, we will change. Our country needs leaders to act, and we will take risks to ensure our actions change things for good.
This Movement is diverse. The Movement’s agenda is demonstrating radical hospitality and love. If we are successful in growing exponentially (as we imagine is possible), The Contingent will become an enduring and essential group of people standing in the gap for others in a time where the expected status quo is a divided society.
