Portland Opera?launches “KEEP PORTLAND OPERATIC” SOS campaign to?stabilize current operations and future sustainability.

Portland, Ore. (March 3, 2026) Portland Opera, the legacy Pacific Northwest arts company today announced an unprecedented multi-phase $5 million SOS fundraising campaign. Titled KEEP PORTLAND OPERATIC – Save our song. Secure our future. with a nod to the unofficial motto of the city, it is a 16-month campaign aiming to stabilize operations, protect artistic excellence, and position the company for long-term sustainability.

The campaign is anchored by a transformative $1 million lead gift from the Oregon Community Foundation (OCF), providing critical momentum toward?an initial?milestone of raising $1.5 million by the end of June 2026. With this leadership investment, the company is calling on the community to help meet the goal and secure the financial stability needed to launch its 2026/27 season with confidence.

"The national performing arts crisis is hitting home, but Portland Opera is meeting this moment with a commitment to modeling the future of our art form,” says Alfrelynn Roberts, Portland Opera’s Artistic Director. “We are Oregon’s largest opera company, providing an essential cultural hub and a driver of downtown revitalization.?By focusing on meaningful representation and storytelling, we?aren't?just sustaining a 61-year-old history; we are building a more inclusive future for the arts in the Pacific Northwest. Every dollar of this campaign is an investment in a city that remains creative, diverse, and full of wonder."

Like many performing arts organizations nationwide, Portland Opera continues to navigate the financial aftershocks of the pandemic, rising production?costs?and shifting audience patterns.

Jerry Tischleder, Senior Program Officer, Arts & Culture of OCF says,?“Portland Opera is a key partner in Oregon's statewide arts and culture ecosystem. Oregon Community Foundation’s support is one step in a broader effort to strengthen this sector and Oregon's economic and cultural vitality."

“This campaign reflects both urgency and optimism,”?says?Kregg Arntson, President of Portland Opera’s Board of Directors. “KEEP PORTLAND OPERATIC is about far more than closing a budget gap.?It’s?about?protecting a cultural treasure, sustaining the?livelihoods of?artists and craftspeople, strengthening our local economy, and ensuring future generations can?experience?the transformative power of live performance.”?

Funds raised through?Keep Portland Operatic?will:?

• Close the remaining $500,000 gap to reach an?initial?$1.5 million?goal — a critical?milestone?to?resume programming?for?the 26/27 season?
• Sustain hundreds of artists, musicians,?craftspeople,?and staff who power the Pacific Northwest arts ecosystem?
• Protect and expand vital community programs, including Portland Opera to Go (POGO) — which has reached?nearly?300,000?students?— and Opera a la Cart, the mobile performance program bringing live opera directly into neighborhoods across the region?
• Create capacity for transformation, with a leaner,?nimbler and more transparent?operating model designed to grow earned revenue and secure long-term financial stability?

The next act begins now. Portland Opera invites supporters to?contribute?at all levels?to help the company continue to inspire, educate, and strengthen community in the Pacific Northwest. Donations can?be made at portlandopera.org/donate or by contacting giving@portlandopera.org