Oregon Business is proud to launch the 100 Best Nonprofits to Work For in Oregon this year to recognize nonprofits as key businesses critical to the economic health of the state, and ones that employ hundreds of thousands of Oregonians.

Being a great place to work is just as important to nonprofit organizations as it is to for-profit companies. Workplace satisfaction helps retain the best employees, cuts turnover costs, boosts productivity and creativity, and gives organizations a competitive edge. In an economy where every dollar and every resource counts, it’s crucial for employers to know how to effectively manage their workforce.

The nonprofit project was based on our 17-year-old widely recognized 100 Best Companies project. More than 6,700 employees from over 200 nonprofits and not-for-profits organizations around the state participated, and there was no cost to enter the survey. Any organization registered with the state as a nonprofit or not-for profit group was eligible as long as it had a minimum of 10 paid (full- or part-time) Oregon employees. Employers ranging from faith-based groups to professional associations to charitable organizations participated in the survey.

The specially designed survey was launched in late April, in partnership with nonprofit support organization TACS, and was comprised of an anonymous 50-question employee survey and an independent assessment of the nonprofit employers’ workplace practices.

Research partner Davis, Hibbitts and Midghall and Oregon Business research editor Brandon Sawyer used these surveys to create the 100 Best ranking.

It isn’t easy being a great workplace, but this year’s inaugural class of Best Nonprofits has set the standards for what it takes.


-THE EDITORS