Help keep the dream alive.
Give to Black arts, education, and cultural memory.
Since 1976, World Arts Foundation, Inc. has brought generations together through music, learning, and community celebration. Your support can help carry that legacy into its next chapter—creating room for young people to learn, artists to share their work, and Black Oregon’s stories to be heard.
Arrange a gift to WAFI →
Contact wafpdx@gmail.com for giving options and payment instructions.
A legacy worth supporting
50 years of arts and community · 1976–2026. Founded by African American educators, WAFI’s work is rooted in Portland’s Albina district and reaches across generations.
Four decades of Keep Alive the Dream. In 2025, WAFI marked 40 consecutive years of its annual Martin Luther King Jr. tribute.
History preserved through performance and community research. From oral history productions to the Alberta Street neighborhood surveys in 1992 and 2015, WAFI has sustained a long commitment to Black cultural life.
What your support can help sustain
Arts education and young people
Help sustain the tradition of learning through music, theater, and creative expression. WAFI’s educational history includes the Cultural Recreation Band, American Music Program, and Urban Wings and Aerospace Leadership Club. Ask our team about current activities and opportunities to support young people.
Keep Alive the Dream
Support the work of bringing artists, musicians, young people, and community leaders together around Dr. King’s call for justice, nonviolence, and shared responsibility. Contact WAFI to discuss the next tribute and available sponsorship opportunities.
Black history and cultural preservation
Help carry forward the stories, performances, and community knowledge that connect Black Oregon’s past with its future. WAFI’s legacy includes oral history productions, neighborhood documentation, and partnerships that keep cultural memory in public view.
The work behind the programs
Strong programs need planning, coordination, and organizational support. A conversation with WAFI can help you understand current priorities and decide whether general support or a specific project is the right fit for your gift.
Ways to give and get involved
Make an individual gift
Whether you are considering a first gift or renewing your support, contact WAFI for payment instructions and gift acknowledgment information.
Ask about an individual gift →
Explore ongoing support
Interested in supporting WAFI throughout the year? Ask our team about arrangements for ongoing giving and how your support can align with current needs.
Sponsor or partner with WAFI
Businesses, foundations, and community organizations can explore program support, event sponsorship, or a broader partnership. Share your interests, timing, and proposed contribution so we can identify a suitable opportunity together.
Explore a sponsorship or partnership →
Offer skills, services, or materials
Contact WAFI to discuss professional skills, event assistance, or materials you would like to contribute and how they could support current needs.
Offer skills or in-kind support →
Questions before you give
How can I make a gift?
Email wafpdx@gmail.com for available payment methods and instructions.
Can I support a particular program?
Tell the team which program or area interests you before making your gift. WAFI can discuss current needs and confirm whether it can accept a gift for your intended purpose.
How do I request an acknowledgment or supporting documents?
Email wafpdx@gmail.com to request gift acknowledgment information or organizational documents for your employer or grantmaker.
Who can help with a fundraising conversation?
Contact WAFI’s team at wafpdx@gmail.com to discuss giving, sponsorship, or a partnership. Meet our board and team →
Nonprofit information
Legal name: World Arts Foundation Inc.
Nonprofit classification: 501(c)(3)
EIN: 93-0830736
Federal tax exemption: August 1983
View our 2023 financial snapshot and public filings →
Sponsor WAFI’s next chapter
Support Black arts, education, and cultural preservation at a level that fits your organization. These suggested sponsorship levels offer a starting point; benefits are confirmed individually with WAFI.
Community Supporter · $500
Suggested recognition: Sponsor name on WAFI’s website for 12 months.
Arts & Education Partner · $1,000
Suggested recognition: Website logo and link for 12 months, plus inclusion in a collective sponsor thank-you.
Program Partner · $2,500
Suggested recognition: Arts & Education Partner benefits, a conversation about program priorities, and one brief update on supported work.
Legacy Partner · $5,000+
A tailored partnership with recognition and reporting agreed around the contribution’s purpose.
A partnership with clear expectations
Event sponsorships are developed around confirmed budgets and schedules. Before a sponsorship is finalized, WAFI and the sponsor agree in writing on its purpose, recognition, timing, and reporting.
Let’s carry the work forward.
Your connection to WAFI can begin with a gift, a question, or a conversation about what comes next.
Contact WAFI about giving →
wafpdx@gmail.com
Mailing address
World Arts Foundation, Inc.
PO Box 12384
Portland, OR 97212-0384
Contact WAFI for gift-by-mail instructions.