8 Central Oregon Nonprofits Making a Difference in 2025
June 24, 2025
Central Oregon is home to an impressive network of nonprofits that bring hope and dignity to our neighbors in need and make a positive impact in our community. Whether they’re providing food, shelter, education, or answering other important needs within Central Oregon, or they’re helping to preserve natural resources in our region, these nonprofits are united by a shared commitment to uplifting others and making our community stronger.
Over the past several months, we’ve had the privilege of highlighting several of these inspiring organizations on social media. In this post, we’re revisiting their stories and shining a spotlight on their work behind the scenes. We invite you to learn how these organizations are shaping Central Oregon, plus discover meaningful ways to get involved and help our community year-round.
Bend-Redmond Habitat for Humanity
https://bendredmondhabitat.org/
Since 1989, Bend-Redmond Habitat for Humanity has helped over 225 families in Central Oregon achieve affordable homeownership. Additionally, the organization has revitalized 145 homes. Overall, that’s a positive impact on more than 1,100 lives!
Habitat’s mission? Affordable, sustainable homes that cut costs, reduce waste, and create thriving communities. This is a win-win for families and the environment, and we’re proud to be a partner of this amazing organization.
Recently, E2 Solar installed solar systems on Habitat’s newly built Cedar Townhomes. These dwellings are a sustainability marvel:
- Fully net-zero, with estimated monthly energy costs of just $15
- $950 annual savings for homeowners, compared to a typical new home in Central Oregon
- $28K+ saved over a 30-year mortgage
To help make a difference, we invite you to volunteer, donate, and help us spread the word about Bend-Redmond Habitat for Humanity.
The Giving Plate
https://www.thegivingplate.org/
The Giving Plate is a local nonprofit dedicated to feeding the hungry with compassion and hospitality. This organization helps to restore dignity and hope to many in our Central Oregon community — not just during the holiday season, but all year long. Believing no one should face hunger alone, The Giving Plate’s innovative and inclusive Community Store model allows guests to shop with dignity, ensuring every person feels valued beyond their circumstances.
The Giving Plate:
- Serves 4,800 individuals monthly (with over 65% of those being children)
- Supported 1,987 families in November alone
- Served 60% more families compared to last year
You can help The Giving Plate spread hope throughout the year, by donating food, donating funds, and/or volunteering your time. Want to get more involved? Learn more here.
From the Giving Plate:
“Thank you for being such an important part of our mission: Your compassion and generosity make a significant impact on our neighbors, and your ongoing support will allow us to continue reimagining food relief and serving the growing number of families in need. Together, we can ensure that no one in our community goes hungry.”
Oregon Adaptive Sports
https://oregonadaptivesports.org/
Since 1996, Oregon Adaptive Sports (OAS) has created access to high-quality outdoor recreation for people with disabilities. OAS offers year-round programming for sports like mountain biking, cycling, golf, paddling, skiing, snowboarding, and Nordic skiing. Every winter alpine experience that OAS offers costs roughly $365. However, thanks to contributions, sponsorships, and grants, OAS athletes pay an average of only $33 per experience.
Oregon Adaptive Sports:
- Creates access to over 2,000 high-quality outdoor experiences each year
- Supports 400+ unique individuals annually
From Oregon Adaptive Sports:
“OAS is stoked to welcome more people to our community as we continue to create access from the local mountains to the paths of Pine Nursery Park and beyond. Join us as an athlete, volunteer, or donor to celebrate inclusion and the power of transformative outdoor experiences.”
You can support OAS by volunteering and through donations. Another way to get involved is through OAS’s annual fundraiser, Ski for All at Mt Bachelor. Both long-time members of the OAS community and newcomers are welcome to participate. The day features costumes (individual or as a team), silly mountain challenges to earn points for raffle tickets, and skiing/riding across Mt. Bachelor — all to celebrate accessibility. Tickets to the event include an afterparty where raffle prizes are awarded, honors are presented, and participants come together to close out the Best Day Ever.
Think Wild
Think Wild’s mission is to inspire our high desert community to care for and protect native wildlife through education, conservation, rescue, and rehabilitation. The three areas of their work include: wildlife education (youth and community programs and events), habitat conservation (beaver works and wildlife services programs), and wildlife rehabilitation (wildlife hotline and hospital).
In 2024, Think Wild:
- Treated over 850 wildlife patients
- Fielded 3226 hotline calls
- Hosted 132 youth education programs (3863 students)
- Hosted 155 community education programs (4903 people)
- Planted 5190 native plants
- Performed 192 wildlife habitat installations
From Think Wild:
“A great time of year to utilize our wildlife services program is before wildlife becomes more active and begins nesting and breeding in the spring. Think Wild can help keep wildlife out of areas where you don’t want them, and encourage them in areas where you do! We perform wildlife exclusion installations to prevent nesting and damage from wildlife, as well as nest boxes, hawk perches, and other wildlife habitat improvements to encourage their natural behaviors in appropriate places.”
There are several ways to support Think Wild, such as by donating and/or volunteering, either as an individual or as a group. The organization offers a variety of roles across its programs and provides options for businesses, schools, and other organizations.
Volunteers in Medicine Clinic of the Cascades (VIM)
VIM Cascades is a free health clinic and pharmacy that provides free medical, dental, and behavioral health services for uninsured, hardworking individuals who make our community a vibrant and enjoyable place to live and visit. All healthcare is provided by volunteer healthcare professionals.
From Volunteers In Medicine Clinic of the Cascades:
“VIM patients are the backbone of the industries that keep our community thriving — building custom homes, caring for our children, providing hospitality to tourists, growing our food, and maintaining the beautiful Central Oregon we all enjoy. At VIM, our volunteers and staff are honored to provide medical care to our neighbors in need, who give so much to our community. Together, we’re creating a healthier Central Oregon for everyone. Because when our neighbors thrive, we all thrive.”
By the numbers:
- 1 in 5 adults in Deschutes County struggles to access affordable healthcare.
- VIM has provided over 114,000 patient visits since its inception in 2004, valued at $155.2 million in free healthcare services to low-income, uninsured individuals and families in Central Oregon.
- In 2024, VIM volunteers provided 10,254 medical visits, including primary care, mental health counseling, and prescription medications, to patients who would not otherwise have access to the healthcare and medications they need.
- Last year, VIM’s Nurse Triage Program managed almost 4,000 calls from patients, with 93% of urgent cases diverted from the St. Charles emergency room and into VIM’s care, saving an estimated $941,600 in costs to our local healthcare system.
- Every $1 donated to VIM generates $2.07 in community benefits, thanks to the incredible support of volunteers and community partners.
To support VIM Cascades, a donation goes a long way. Monetary contributions help the organization continue providing life-changing healthcare to low-income, uninsured individuals in Central Oregon.
Seed to Table
https://www.seedtotableoregon.org/
Seed to Table is a nonprofit farm based in Sisters, Oregon, that truly models a sustainable food system.
From Seed to Table:
“From our four-acre, organic education farm, we strive to increase the health and wellness of the Central Oregon community through providing equitable access to locally grown, farm-fresh produce and offering opportunities in farm-based education.”
In 2024, Seed to Table Farm:
- Grew 82,784 pounds of produce using organic practices
- Donated 38,254 pounds of produce (approximately $204,276!) to members of the community
- Partnered with 10 community organizations to distribute donated produce
- Engaged 1,093 students in farm-based learning
- Connected 22,000 visitors with 70 local vendors at the Sisters Farmers Market
Want to help support this wonderful organization? Seed to Table regularly offers hands-on volunteer opportunities, some of which include farm-fresh veggies to thank extra hands for their help.
Upper Deschutes Watershed Council
https://www.upperdeschuteswatershedcouncil.org/
Since 1996, the Upper Deschutes Watershed Council has led cooperative, grassroots efforts to improve watershed conditions, and continues to restore our rivers for the benefit of current and future generations.
From the organization:
“At the Upper Deschutes Watershed Council, we seek to protect and restore the two-million-acre upper Deschutes River watershed through collaborative projects in habitat restoration, long-term monitoring, and watershed education.”
In 2024, the Upper Deschutes Watershed Council:
- Restored .75 miles of stream on Whychus Creek
- Engaged 3,557 students through its K-12 watershed education program
- Planted 21,132 native plants along Central Oregon rivers and streams
- Thinned 580 trees to create wildfire-resilient communities (reused for habitat in local streams)
- Worked with 594 adult community volunteers
There are several ways to support the Watershed Council’s mission, including volunteering and making a financial contribution.
NeighborImpact
https://www.neighborimpact.org/
NeighborImpact has served Central Oregon since 1985, providing food, housing, shelter, heating and cooling, weatherization, clean water, sewer and home rehabilitation, home ownership and financial counseling, bill payment, childcare support and early childhood education/Head Start.
From the organization:
“NeighborImpact’s Mission is to support people and strengthen communities. Whether preparing children for kindergarten, distributing over 6 million pounds of food, or supporting a young couple purchasing their first home, NeighborImpact helps meet the needs of more than 55,000 households each year right here in Central Oregon.”
Last year, NeighborImpact:
- Distributed 3,993,477 pounds of food
- Provided 5,341,044 meals in Central Oregon (with the help of 59 partner agencies)
- Served 609 children via Head Start
- Saved 175 homes and provided $6,405,000 in mortgage assistance
- Helped 85 households obtain housing and 711 households retain housing
Due to the USDA’s recent cuts to two critical food programs, the NeighborImpact team needs the community’s support. You can make an online donation here to help provide food access, housing stability, energy assistance, and early childhood education for thousands of our neighbors.
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All of us at E2 Solar appreciate what these incredible organizations do for our community. They remind us what makes Central Oregon so special: its people, who are compassionate, generous, and resilient. Whether through volunteering, donating, or simply connecting with kindness, each of us can do our part. Because when our community thrives, we all thrive.
As we look ahead, we will continue to celebrate those who create hope and opportunity in our neighborhoods. Know an organization that deserves a shout-out? Drop us a line.
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