News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For More Information Contact:
Jennifer Ruwart
Entrepreneurs Foundation of the Northwest
503-552-3505
jennifer_ruwart@yahoo.com

Jean Armstrong
Armstrong Kendall, Inc.
503-672-4680
jean@akipr.com

ENTREPRENEURS FOUNDATION OF THE NORTHWEST FUNDRAISING EVENT PROVIDES SCHOOL SUPPLIES TO CHILDREN IN NEED IN PORTLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Eighteen EFNW Companies Pitch in to Donate $10,000 in Supplies to Schoolhouse Supplies

Portland, Ore. — October 6, 2005 — The Entrepreneurs Foundation of the Northwest (EFNW) achieved tremendous success with its first annual back to school supply drive. Held in August, the event, sponsored by Miller Nash, collected school supplies for the 2005-2006 school year from 18 EFNW participating companies. The supplies—enough for 100 children for an entire year—were donated to Schoolhouse Supplies, a volunteer-run store providing free supplies to teachers serving classes with children in need.

The organizations participating in the “Back-to-Basics” event were Centrisoft, Concero Group, Daverci, Enuclia, Grabaflyer, iMove, Inc., Oregon Community Foundation, Payless Long-Term Care Pharmacy, Phoseon Technology, Portland Monthly, PricewaterhouseCooper, SmartForest Ventures, Steamers Dumplings, Swan Island Networks, TechTracker, Tripwire, Verinform, and Wellpartner.

“EFNW helps young companies implement a community-giving model in the early stages of their development,” said Nick Viele, executive director of Schoolhouse Supplies (www.schoolhousesupplies.org). “EFNW also provides personal introductions for these companies to nonprofit groups, such as Schoolhouse Supplies. EFNW brought in 18 new school supply drive hosts this year, which shows the dedication of EFNW members to students in Portland-area schools.”

Valued at approximately $10,000, the donated supplies included 4,107 pencils, 475 boxes of crayons, 770 spiral notebooks, 375 glue sticks, 340 glue bottles, 160 rulers, 113 pairs of scissors, and 106 boxes of colored pencils.

According to Schoolhouse Supplies, more than 20,000 children in the Portland Public School District live at or below the Federal poverty line. Most of the families of these children cannot afford school supplies. Consequently, teachers spend an average of $600 out-of-pocket each year to provide supplies for these students. Schoolhouse Supplies works to reduce the personal costs borne by teachers by providing them with supplies and educational materials.

“We are happy to be part of the Entrepreneur Foundation’s support of Oregon education, contributing to the future success of local students,” said Jim B. Johnson, Tripwire CEO. “The success of this initiative represents our employees’ spirit of giving, and dedication to addressing the needs of those in the communities in which we live and work.”

About the Entrepreneurs Foundation of the Northwest

The Entrepreneurs Foundation of the Northwest (EFNW) believes that a stronger community makes stronger companies. To that end, the EFNW engages start-up companies to help them build a culture of community involvement and volunteerism. Recognizing the time and resource constraints of an entrepreneurial company, the EFNW has two strategies. The first is to ask companies to make a small equity contribution to the Foundation, which is held until a liquidity event. When this event occurs, at least 75 percent of the contribution is transferred into a company-directed fund. The second is to assist companies with the implementation of a community involvement program that matches their corporate cultures and philanthropic interests with the many needs in the local community.

The EFNW is a supporting organization of the Oregon Community Foundation and is affiliated with nine other Entrepreneurs Foundations worldwide. The organization has received start-up capital from the Oregon Community Foundation, the Meyer Memorial Trust, SmartForest Ventures, Silicon Valley Bank, Portland General Electric, the Gill Family Foundation, and many members of the local entrepreneurial community. EFNW has 50 member companies. Visit www.efnw.org for more information.

For more information about participating companies, please visit their websites:

Centrisoft, Concero Group, Daverci, Enuclia, Grabaflyer, iMove, Oregon Community Foundation, Payless Long Term Care Pharmacy, Phoseon Technology, Portland Monthly, PricewaterhouseCooper, SmartForest Ventures, Steamers Dumplings, Swan Island Networks, TechTracker, Tripwire, Verinform, and Wellpartner.

All trademarks are property of their respective owners.

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