The Portland Buy Local campaign was launched in July 2006 by Portland business owners and citizens working to counteract the rising influence of national chains through collective marketing, education, and advocacy.
After receiving an enthusiastic response from both businesses and residents, the initial working group incorporated the Portland Independent Business and Community Alliance (PIBCA) as a 501c(6) in September 2006 and formed the organization’s first Board of Directors and Advisory Board.
Mission:
Local, independent businesses are the foundation of a resilient, engaged community. We shape Portland’s business climate to support the needs of local businesses through education, marketing, connection, and advocacy.
Vision:
Portland is a national model, where everyone who lives in, works in, and visits Portland, knows how to buy local, why it matters, and chooses local first.
Values:
Community, independence, economic vitality
Our four focus areas are:
- Advocacy:
- Creating strong relationships with local government and the media to inform local decision-making and give a voice to the locally owned independent business community.
- Education:
- Informing citizens of the values provided by community-based businesses and their importance to the local economy, culture and social fabric.
- Marketing:
- Group branding, promotion and advertising to elevate the collective profile of our community-based businesses and bring to them some of the advantages chains enjoy.
- Connection:
- Building relationships, increasing a sense of community, and providing networking opportunities for local business owners and employees.
To join PIBCA, a business must be locally owned and independent. Here’s how we define these terms. Hundreds of local businesses have joined our movement – displaying Portland Buy Local window decals, posters, countertop thank-you cards, tee-shirts, bumper stickers, and other educational materials in their businesses, as well as incorporating the Buy Local logo in their own marketing and advertising.
PIBCA is an affiliate of the American Independent Business Alliance (AMIBA), a 501c3 organization that helps people start and sustain Independent Business Alliances (IBAs). (PIBCA is one of over 50 IBAs in the U.S.) It also serves as our fiscal sponsor for charitable donations and grants.
Our monthly meeting minutes are available by request. If you’d like to view them, please contact us at info@portlandbuylocal.org.