Equity is a core value of the Portland Business Alliance, which includes all three affiliate organizations: the Portland Metro Chamber, Downtown Portland Clean & Safe, and Partners in Diversity under the Charitable Institute.
Our Equity Council ensures that each organization and department is represented and commits in their work to equity reflected throughout the organization’s culture, policies, and operational practices. The council will guide the operationalizing of equity and ensure that each department is held accountable to their equity goals. The council will foster and emphasize empathy, care, and recognition of the whole self among all staff members.
Equity and equality are not the same thing. Equality means treating everyone the same, while equity ensures everyone has what they need to be successful. While equality aims to promote fairness, it can only work if everyone starts from the same place and has the same needs and goals.
We support access, opportunity, and advancement for all people, and we recognize unfair bias and historic discrimination and actively work to eliminate barriers.
