What we do

Antonio garcia inside abzuya woodworking
Mercy Corps Northwest supports over 2,100 small business owners across the Pacific Northwest each year. We offer small business grants, loans, advising and education.

Mercy Corps Northwest works together with people in Oregon and Washington who are ready to create more productive, secure and satisfying lives for themselves, their families and their communities.

Our programs support up to 2,100 small business owners each year, kickstart successful futures beyond prison, place AmeriCorps VISTA volunteers at 30 local nonprofits, and equip under-resourced communities with disaster preparedness knowledge.

We have offices in Portland, Oregon; Seattle, Washington; and Walla Walla, Washington — where we welcome 2,400+ clients through our doors each year.

Peruvian chef stands in a farmers market booth

Small business services

We support small business owners across the Pacific Northwest with financial opportunities, education and mentoring. Over the past 20 years, we've infused local entrepreneurs with over $11 million in economic support, and hundreds of hours of culturally specific business training.

Woman in in the LIFE class.

Prison and re-entry

We work with justice-involved Oregonians to teach life skills and support a successful re-entry after incarceration. Our program offers a proven model that reduces recidivism rates – helping to lower prison populations and build fulfilling futures.

woman smiles while cleaning white board

AmeriCorps VISTA

As part of the national AmeriCorps VISTA program, Mercy Corps Northwest places a team of paid AmeriCorps members in positions across Oregon and Washington every year to focus on projects that tackle poverty.

woman stands in downtown Portland posing for a headshot

Emergency response

Our Community Resilience team focuses on empowering communities across the Pacific Northwest with resources that allow them to be more resilient in the face of natural and economic crises – including COVID‑19, wildfires and more.


Join our newsletter and get updates sent directly to your inbox.