This article was published on: 04/21/16 12:00 AM
BEND, Ore. – The Bend community of North Rim, a Brooks Resources development, has made its final donation to The Oregon Community Foundation’s North Rim Deschutes River Fund with the sale of its last developer lot.
When the community was founded, Brooks Resources created the North Rim Fund by donating a percentage of all North Rim homesite sales dollars. The total amount donated to the Fund since its inception in 2004 is $934,000. The OCF North Rim Fund focus is to improve stream flow and water quality in the northern stretch of the Deschutes River Basin.
“Brooks Resources created a thoughtful and innovative way for a portion of its proceeds to strengthen the community, now and in the future. Because the OCF North Rim Fund will be invested in perpetuity with OCF, it will continue to help the quality of the Deschutes River forever. We are fortunate to be able to work with people who care so much about their region,” said Max Williams, President and CEO of The Oregon Community Foundation.
Over the years, approximately $600,000 has been granted to nonprofit organizations that fulfill the fund’s mission, such as the Deschutes River Conservancy. The Conservancy actively works with irrigation districts and other partners to allow more water, which was historically diverted through irrigation canals, to remain instream in the Deschutes River Basin. As a result of their work, this section of the Deschutes River has seen significant increases in streamflow and improvement in river health.
“From the very first stages of envisioning this community, we knew that we wanted to create a formal program to give back,” said Romy Mortensen, the project manager of North Rim and vice president of sales and marketing for Brooks Resources Corporation. “The Deschutes River is vital to Bend and our lifestyle here, so making it the focus of the North Rim Fund with an established, respected agency like OCF made good sense. We are so happy to be able to make a final donation to the program and know that a difference was made, and continues to be made for our river.”
A board of directors, comprised of individuals from the North Rim Homeowners Association, consults and advises on the allocation of monies in the fund in continued partnership with OCF. This model will continue with the remaining fund balance.