Standing On Business
We Stand on Business, Brick by Brick
A Holistic Wealth Program for Queer Economic Liberation to build a community-rooted, justice-driven economic alliance between Q Center and local businesses that support queer people. This initiative uses a profit-sharing and mutual aid model to reimagine how we fund liberation - one brick at a time.
Standing on Business Program
Building Queer Economic Power, Brick by Brick:
Q Center’s Standing on Business Program is a community-rooted partnership initiative that invites local businesses, entrepreneurs, civic leaders, and values-aligned supporters to invest in queer and trans economic wellbeing across Oregon.
This is more than a sponsorship opportunity. It is a shared commitment to building a stronger, more connected local economy where LGBTQIA2S+ people are not only supported, but centered as workers, business owners, neighbors, artists, leaders, and community builders.
For years, Q Center has served as a space of care, connection, advocacy, mutual aid, and resilience. But like many LGBTQIA2S+ nonprofits, we are often asked to meet urgent community needs while operating within systems of scarcity. The Standing on Business Program helps change that.
Through monthly contributions, profit-sharing, in-kind support, event sponsorships, and collaborative partnerships, businesses can help Q Center build sustainable resources for the people and programs our community depends on.
Together, we stand on business, brick by brick.
Visionary Partners
Frameworker Partners
Foundation Partners
What Is Standing on Business?
Standing on Business is a partnership program designed to create a circular economy of care between Q Center, local businesses, and the LGBTQIA2S+ community.
Participating businesses commit to ongoing support in one or more ways, including:
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Monthly financial contributions
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A percentage of monthly profits
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In-kind goods or professional services
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Event sponsorships
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Matching campaigns
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Co-hosted community programs or mutual aid events
In return, Q Center provides visibility, storytelling, community connection, and meaningful opportunities for businesses to align their brand with LGBTQIA2S+ equity, safety, joy, and economic justice.
This is not charity. It is reciprocity.
When queer and trans people have what they need to live stable, joyful, and self-determined lives, our whole region benefits. People are able to work, create, start businesses, support local shops, build families, participate in civic life, and strengthen the neighborhoods we all share.
Why Business Investment Matters
Local businesses are part of the fabric of our community. They shape culture, create jobs, activate neighborhoods, and help define what kind of city and region we want to be.
By partnering with Q Center, businesses are investing in:
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Emergency support for LGBTQIA2S+ community members
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Queer and trans entrepreneurship
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Skills-based workshops and financial education
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Community healing and wellness programs
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Housing, employment, and stability support
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Q Center’s long-term sustainability as a hub for queer wellbeing
Your investment does not disappear into a one-time campaign. It helps create infrastructure, relationships, visibility, and direct support that can grow over time.
It helps us build something that lasts.
Partnership Opportunities
Businesses can participate at the level that best fits their capacity, values, and goals.
Foundation Partner:
$25–$99/month.
A meaningful entry point for small businesses, individuals, and community supporters who want to help lay the foundation for queer economic power.
Foundation Partners receive recognition through Q Center’s digital channels, inclusion in our queer-affirming business network, and a Standing on Business digital badge and window decal.
Frameworker Partner:
$100–$249/month.
Frameworker Partners help build the structure that holds our shared work together. This level is ideal for businesses ready to deepen their visibility and engagement with Q Center’s community.
Partners receive enhanced newsletter and social media recognition, priority business directory placement, opportunities to participate in Q Center events, and access to community networking opportunities.
Cornerstone Partner:
$250+/month or 3–5% of monthly net profits.
Cornerstone Partners make a deeper investment in Q Center’s mission and help anchor the long-term vision of this program.
Partners receive premium recognition, featured placement on Q Center’s website, co-branded storytelling opportunities, event visibility, and opportunities to collaborate on programming, panels, campaigns, and community initiatives.
Visionary Partner:
$500+/month or 5%+ of monthly net profits.
Visionary Partners are businesses and leaders who want to help shape a different kind of economy, one rooted in equity, shared abundance, and queer liberation.
This level includes the highest visibility, strategic partnership opportunities, co-created programming, custom impact reporting, and opportunities for named support of major Q Center initiatives.
Additional Ways to Partner
Not every partnership has to fit into a monthly tier. Q Center also welcomes support through:
Event Sponsorships:
Businesses can sponsor workshops, community gatherings, Pride-related events, fundraisers, job fairs, healing programs, and other public-facing initiatives.
Emergency Response Partnerships:
Partners can directly support emergency financial aid, crisis response, or urgent mutual aid needs for LGBTQIA2S+ community members.
Skills & Capacity Building:
Businesses and professionals can provide mentorship, internships, training, workshops, consulting, or professional development opportunities for queer and trans community members.
In-Kind Support:
Partners may contribute goods, services, equipment, food, space, printing, marketing support, professional services, or other resources that help Q Center serve the community.
Partnership Benefit: Oregon Pride in Business Membership
Standing on Business partners also receive access to a 12-month Basic “Alder” Membership with Oregon Pride in Business, a $200 value.
This benefit includes networking opportunities, business visibility, professional resources, member discounts, access to a private business community, and, for eligible businesses, free LGBTBE® certification.
This partnership expands the value of joining Standing on Business by connecting businesses not only to Q Center’s community, but also to a broader LGBTQIA2S+ business network across Oregon and Southwest Washington.
Who We’re Looking For
We are seeking partners who believe that community investment should be more than a logo on a flyer.
We are looking for:
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Local businesses that want to visibly support LGBTQIA2S+ communities
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Queer- and trans-owned businesses seeking deeper community connection
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Philanthropic supporters who believe in shifting power and resources
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Civic and regional leaders ready to invest in queer economic justice
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Companies that want to build authentic trust with the communities they serve
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Entrepreneurs, creatives, and professionals who believe in shared prosperity
Whether you are a small business just getting started or an established company ready to make a deeper commitment, there is a place for you in this work.
Partner With Us
Standing on Business is an invitation to build something different.
It is a way for businesses to move beyond performative support and into meaningful relationship. It is a way to keep resources moving through our community. It is a way to strengthen Q Center’s ability to provide care, advocacy, programming, and support for LGBTQIA2S+ people across Oregon.
Most of all, it is a way to say: our community is worth investing in.
We stand on business together, brick by brick.
To learn more or become a partner, contact:
Joelle Kim, Executive Director - HERE
[Download the Full Standing on Business Partnership Packet]