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Trusted

Union Gospel Mission

Portland, OR

Rescue Missions and Homeless

About Union Gospel Mission

In 1927 Dr. Peter McFarlane was visiting Portland. As he arrived at Union Station by train, he ran into Harley Hallgren, a man impacted by the ministry of UGM in St. Paul, MN. The two agreed that a mission should be established in Portland and arranged further meetings. More than 40 churches from a variety of denominations assembled to found the mission (an amazing feat in 1927). They identified Old Town as the place most needing a specialized church for the down and out. The first chapel service was held New Year’s Day 1928.UGM moved into the current Mission on NW 3rd Avenue in 1938. This was the backdoor of the famous Erickson’s Saloon. The street had become Portland’s Skid Row. For a half century the Mission focused on older alcoholic men while providing a traditional soup kitchen and chapel service experience. But drugs and social issues changed the streets in the 1980s and we recognized the need to also support a deeper and more comprehensive recovery experience. By 1990 a change was needed. LifeChange was formed as a Christ-following, resident-run, long-term and goal-oriented recovery community.In 2013 another change was needed because homelessness among women had grown an average of 11% each year for the prior three years. UGM increasingly saw women with children needing help and all existing programs full. So UGM stepped up and opened the LifeChange Center for Women and their Children in Beaverton. This program is modeled on the core ideas of LifeChange where a community of people mutually supports each other in their recovery from addictions, abuse, and trauma. In 2017 we added our latest ministry to the homeless called Search + Rescue. We recognized that homelessness is no longer restricted to the central downtown core. For the first time we are actively going directly to the homeless camps to build relationships with those who don’t come into downtown Portland. Our highest values are to connect and coach people experiencing homelessness to abundant life in Christ through direct life essential assistance and a path to sustainable work, housing, and a God-honoring life.

What “Trusted” Means

Trusted ministries meet our complete baseline framework for faithful Christian operation. This ministry has been verified against eleven of fifteen criteria in The Most Trusted Standard — demonstrating doctrinal clarity, biblical stewardship, independent financial review, faithful handling of donor intent, independent board governance, conflict-of-interest protections, truthful communications, and active mission-aligned programs.

Trusted represents the foundation on which our higher designations are built. Highly Trusted and Most Trusted ministries demonstrate additional levels of public transparency and independent evaluation that go beyond this baseline.

What We've Verified

This ministry has been verified against 11 of 15 criteria in The Most Trusted Standard.

Faith Foundation

  • Christian Statement of Faith Affirms a clear, public statement of faith aligned with historic orthodox Christian doctrine. Verified
  • Biblical Mission and Stewardship Operates with a mission explicitly grounded in Christian principles and biblical stewardship of resources entrusted to it. Verified
  • Christian Accountability Maintains accountability to recognized standards of Christian financial integrity and ministry stewardship. Verified

Financial Integrity

  • Independent Financial Review Undergoes annual independent financial audit, review, or compilation appropriate to organizational size and complexity. Verified
  • Reasonable Compensation Practices Discloses executive compensation and demonstrates compensation practices appropriate to the organization's size, scope, and sector. Verified
  • Donor Intent Honored Honors donor intent on designated and restricted gifts, ensuring contributions are used as donors directed. Verified

Governance and Leadership

  • Independent Governing Board Operates under an independent governing board with a majority of members who are not staff, related to staff, or otherwise compromised in independence. Verified
  • Documented Conflict-of-Interest Policies Maintains and follows documented conflict-of-interest policies to protect the organization and those it serves. Verified
  • No Outstanding Concerns Shows no unresolved regulatory, legal, or accountability concerns that would compromise donor trust. Verified

Transparency and Effectiveness

  • Truthful Communications Communicates truthfully and accurately in fundraising appeals, public communications, and donor reporting. Verified
  • Active Program Activity Consistent with Mission Demonstrates active program activity consistent with the organization's stated mission and purpose. Verified
  • Comprehensive Public Financial Disclosure Makes complete financial records and Form 990 (or applicable equivalent) accessible to the public through recognized third-party platforms. Not verified at this tier
  • Public Governance and Program Reporting Publicly discloses board composition, key leadership, and detailed program information so donors can see how the organization is run and what it does. Not verified at this tier
  • Full Suite of Governance Policies Maintains and discloses a complete framework of governance policies, including whistleblower and document-retention policies in addition to conflict-of-interest protections. Not verified at this tier
  • Independent Performance Evaluation Has undergone independent evaluation of financial efficiency, program spending, and operational performance against rigorous sector benchmarks, with results confirming performance at the highest standard. Not verified at this tier

Union Gospel Mission meets our Trusted tier standards. Highly Trusted and Most Trusted ministries additionally demonstrate broader public transparency and independently evaluated performance.