Intentional Purchasing: the heart of ShopSmallPDX and Portland Means Progress

ShopSmallPDX encourages local consumers to spend their money at small, local businesses. In similar fashion but focusing on business-to-business engagement, Portland Means Progress calls for intentional purchasing as one of its key actions: working with and buying from local BIPOC-owned businesses. This citywide initiative offers businesses a pathway to create and deepen their social impact, by hiring local underrepresented students and young professionals of color, intentionally purchasing goods and services from businesses owned by people of color and creating diverse and vibrant workforce and company cultures.  

In times of crisis like the one we’re currently experiencing, businesses owned by people of color are often disproportionately affected. Challenging times call for additional measures to support local Portland businesses. During these difficult times, we are calling on Portland businesses to double down on their commitment to intentional purchasing. 

Portland Means Progress invites local businesses to:   

• Do business with a growing local business owned by a person of color.  

• Commit to work experience opportunities for underrepresented youth to help create your future employees.  

• Give your employees reasons to grow with your business—a living wage, a social purpose, an inclusive culture.  

• Inspire others like you to take action to do more for your community. 

Interested in learning more? Portland Means Progress has been offering a free Accountability in Racial Equity workshop series to explore how to measure progress on business commitments in racial equity and how to communicate these actions transparently and authentically. Next up: Accountability in Racial Equity: Measuring Intentional Purchasing, Tuesday, January 12, 2021.  Learn more and register here.