We exist to serve others.

We need your support so we can serve you in the future.

Oregon Hospitality Foundation

Oregon's Hospitality and Tourism Industry
We are your favorite neighborhood restaurant, the hotel where you celebrate your anniversary, the ski resort where you teach your kids to ski, the bar where you celebrate your friend’s birthday, the rafting guide who helps you safely explore the wonders of the river. We are fellow citizens in this amazing state filled with beautiful places. We create venues and offer services so that you can enjoy, explore, and relish all that Oregon offers. We love to be your partners in helping you make memories that last a lifetime. 

About the Oregon Hospitality Foundation
Formerly the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association Education Foundation (ORLAEF), the Oregon Hospitality Foundation formed in 1992 as 501c3 nonprofit entity to focus on supporting the restaurant and lodging industry’s education and training needs.

Because of the devastating effects of COVID-19, particularly on those in the hospitality industry, in April 2020 the Foundation expanded its focus to include charitable work, economic relief, and technical assistance for the industry’s employees and businesses. The name was changed to better reflect the diversity of partners represented in addition to the restaurant and lodging segments. The Oregon Hospitality Foundation Board of Directors is comprised of respected industry professionals working in partnership with the Foundation's Executive Director, Wendy Popkin who carries 35+ years of industry experience. 
Your Support is Needed
While the Covid-19 pandemic is affecting everyone, the hospitality industry was the first hit by closures and one that has been most devastated by its impact. 

​By ordering takeout or pickup from your favorite local restaurant, buying gift cards to your cherished getaway hotel or attraction, and by supporting our foundation and its fundraising efforts such as Takeout & A Movie you can help Oregon’s hospitality industry survive the pandemic’s economic devastation so that we are able to re-tool, re-open, re-hire, and welcome you back once again to resume celebrating special moments and making lifetime memories.

Curious to see how the pandemic has effected Oregon’s hospitality industry? 
Hospitality Help Fund
Our industry is resilient, and even as we experience negative impact from Covid-19 that is “9x worse than 9/11”, according to Tourism Economics, many still strive to serve. Funds raised will provide financial relief and technical assistance needed by hospitality-related organizations. Learn more about the #HospitalityHelpFund and the current fundraiser, Takeout & A Movie.
Industry Snapshot:
  • As of February 2020, there were 157,000 people working in Oregon’s restaurants and 24,500 working in lodging facilities. According to 2019 independent research the tourism industry was the state’s 3rd largest, contributing $5.8 billion GDP to Oregon's economy. 
  • As of April 2020, 81% of restaurant employees in Oregon have been laid off or furloughed ​since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak. See Oregon Impact and the national Restaurant Industry Impact Survey.
  • Nearly 1.6 million hotel employees out of work and $2.4 billion in weekly lost wages due to the crisis. See AHLA's Impact on the Hotel Industry.

HOSPITALITY HELP FUND

Established to provide financial relief and technical assistance needed by hospitality-related organizations. Learn more about how you can contribute and participate in fundraising activities that help support the hospitality industry. #HospitalityHelpFund
Training & Events Calendar
Our Workforce
The hospitality sector is one of the most diverse workforces in the country. According to 2019 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, almost 53% are women, and nearly 49% are racial or ethnic minorities. Previous data from the American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates suggests that Oregon’s hospitality workforce is similarly more diverse than other Oregon industries, with 67% identifying as white, while all industries were 77% white. 

Our Partnerships 
Partnerships include workforce boards, the Oregon Department of Education, school districts and their teachers, the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF), the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI)  our state’s tourism department Travel Oregon, Destination Management Organizations, and employers in the state’s tourism industry such as foodservice, accommodations, and other hospitality-focused operators.
Our Programs

HOSPITALITY HELP FUND

Funds raised will help provide financial relief and technical assistance desperately needed by hospitality-related organizations. The intent is to better position them to re-configure, re-hire, and re-open their operations.

WORKFORCE

The hospitality industry offers low barriers to entry and accelerated opportunities to advance. We help train people so that they can get meaningful jobs and support employers who seek to retain and advance their employee’s careers.

GUEST SERVICE TRAINING

Created by the foundation in partnership with AHLEI and Travel Oregon, training features an internationally-accredited certification customized to Oregon. Currently, over 2,500 Oregonians have earned their certificates.

PROSTART

This is a Career and Technical Education (CTE) program focused on culinary and management training for high school students. There are over 150,000 students who participate in the program nationwide. In Oregon, there are 35 schools and over 3,000 students participating.

APPRENTICESHIPS

The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) and the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) were awarded $1.8 million to develop the Hospitality Sector Registered Apprenticeship (HSRA) program specifically for the restaurant, foodservice and hospitality industries.

FREE TRAINING

The American Hotel & Lodging Foundation (AHLA Foundation) and the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation (NRAEF) are both offering complimentary access to several food safety and professional development online courses. Participants must register by May 31 to access.
Foundation Support
​Contact Us
For more information on the Foundation, partnerships or its programs, contact Wendy Popkin, Executive Director, Oregon Hospitality Foundation at 503.682.4422.