The Portland Hacker Foundation (PDXHF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering the hacker community in Portland. Our mission is to collect tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations and distribute these funds as grants to people or groups building impactful projects, with a strong emphasis on information security and related fields that embody the hacker ethos. We focus on providing microgrants, typically in the range of $1000, for initiatives where a modest investment can lead to significant advancements. This is what we call "Asymmetric Impact".
Funding
The Portland Hacker Foundation (PDXHF) is committed to transparent and sustainable financial management to support the hacker community in Portland. All tax-deductible donations are invested in a diversified portfolio of low-risk index funds managed by reputable institutions like Vanguard. The treasury is currently mostly in VGT (the ETF form of VITAX), aiming to ensure steady growth and long-term sustainability.
At the start of each year, PDXHF assesses its treasury to determine the annual budget. Up to 5% is allocated for grants, with additional provisions for events and operational expenses as needed. In the initial years, spending on events and salaries is minimized to allow the treasury to grow. Should the need arise to hire full-time employees, salaries will be capped at $100,000, adjusted annually for inflation based on 2025 benchmarks. This approach ensures that PDXHF can sustainably support impactful projects within the hacker community.
Community
PDXHF thrives within Portland's vibrant hacker scene, centered around PDX Hackerspace (also known as CTRL-H) at 7608 N Interstate Ave. We host monthly HACKLUNCH gatherings at the hackerspace, providing a space for members to connect, share ideas, and collaborate on projects. These have been happening at noon on the second Wednesdays of the month.
Our primary mode of communication is a Signal group chat, ensuring secure and real-time discussions among members. You can join the conversation by clicking the "Join our Signal Chat" link above.
Whether you're a seasoned hacker or new to the scene, our community welcomes you to contribute, learn, and grow with us.Sponsor Subscriptions
PDXHF thrives on the support of our community. Your contributions directly fund grants that empower local hackers and technologists to create impactful projects.
We encourage you to become a sponsor today. By clicking the Sponsorship button at the top of the page, you can set up a one-time or recurring monthly donation. Monthly donations provide us with a stable foundation to plan and support more initiatives year-round.
Every donation, no matter the size, makes a difference. Thank you for being a part of our mission to foster innovation within the Portland hacker community.
Values
At PDXHF we strongly value diversity and inclusion to ensure maximum funding impact. We also support human rights for all humans, education, localism, artistic creativity, and the general Portlandian weirdness that keeps Portland a safe space for the type of creative work we need to build and grow as a leader in the global community.