Meet OGC Mission Fund Recipient: Willamette Riverkeeper

Willamette Riverkeeper (WKR)'s mission is to protect and restore the Willamette River – believing that a river with good water quality and abundant natural habitat that’s safe for fishing and swimming is a basic public right. WRK has been protecting this vital natural resource for close to 30 years.  

Projects in recent years include lobbying on behalf of watersheds in the Willamette River Basin, providing datasets to Oregon government officials demonstrating that trash going into the sediment is an issue, working on cleaning up the area around the St. Johns bridge that’s been deeply affected by pollution, restoring heathy habitats across the entire mainstem and so much more. 

In 2023, OGC gave WRK an unrestricted Mission Fund Grant. They used the funds to support the River Guardians Program, which monitors and cleans up the immense amount of debris found in the river and on its banks. In 2023, volunteer Guardians dedicated close to 4,000 hours of time and removed over 200 cubic yards of garbage. 

“The work that we’re doing has a big impact on the health of the river and people,” shared Michelle Emmons, deputy director of Willamette Riverkeeper. “I’m proud of the work we’ve been able to complete over the past year and, without businesses like yours that have stepped up to help, we wouldn’t have had those wins.” 

OGC’s Mission Fund Grant Program helps protect natural resources by targeting projects that care for the environment, grow the organic agriculture movement, build equity in our regional food system and more. Willamette Riverkeeper is just one of the many organizations the Mission Fund supported in 2023. Find a list of all our recent grant recipients here.