About Us
Mission
The CareOregon Foundation seeks to address health equity and improve the health of populations in Oregon facing health disparities.
Purpose
The Foundation will invest in organizations aligned with these objectives and whose cultures reflect the values of equity, diversity and inclusion. We will work collaboratively with communities and organizations to remove social and economic barriers to community and individual health.
Values
Listening and Learning
We listen to and follow the leadership of the people we serve. Communities know best what they need to thrive. We’re here to learn from and support them in whatever ways we can.
Embrace Long-term, Intergenerational Perspectives
We don’t just make decisions for today or tomorrow. We consider the impact our decisions will have generations from now. And we look to youth and elders as leaders in this work.
Being a Trustworthy Partner to
Communities
We know that trust must be earned. We aim to build relationships in every corner of our state and demonstrate through our actions that we can be a trustworthy partner to communities.
Strategy
We support leaders, organizations, and coalitions' efforts to help their communities thrive. With a particular emphasis on youth and young people, we work with communities to reimagine pathways to leadership, livelihood, and governance.
Our History
The CareOregon Foundation was created by CareOregon, Inc., a nonprofit organization that provides Medicaid insurance to more than 500,000 Oregonians.
Established in 1994, CareOregon, Inc. was founded by community leaders who saw that our health systems aren’t working for most people. They decided to do something about it, and often that has meant doing something different—trying new approaches, learning from mistakes, and improving along the way.
The CareOregon Foundation was born out of the same drive and, unencumbered by Medicaid requirements, builds on CareOregon, Inc.’s good work. We hired our first staff member and made our first grants in 2025.