"I'm impressed by how large OCF's investment has grown. I'm also impressed with the programs they support. OCF is clearly fostering long-term community benefits."
Romy Mortensen, Brooks Resources
Coursing through central Oregon like a vital artery, the Deschutes River provides water for drinking, sustaining crops, and preserving animal life. It offers habitat to fish and fowl, as well as a place for recreation and reflection to the people who live nearby. Real estate developer Brooks Resources is committed to helping preserve its natural beauty as it creates sustainable communities around Bend.
With its North Rim project, Brooks wanted to do something specifically for the Deschutes River. In 2004, Brooks established the North Rim Deschutes River Fund in collaboration with The Oregon Community Foundation. The company donates two percent of all North Rim property sales to the fund at OCF. From this advised fund, charitable contributions are made to organizations that protect the health of the Deschutes River Basin.
“Our fund contributed $300,000 to the Deschutes River Conservancy’s Swalley Irrigation Canal Piping project,” said Romy Mortensen, vice president of sales and marketing at Brooks Resources. “And we’ve approved a loan to the Conservancy to help purchase water rights from irrigation districts.”
A board of directors made up of Brooks employees currently advises the fund, but once all North Rim properties are sold, management will move into the hands of the homeowners.
Having access to the expertise of OCF’s staff and scope of the foundation’s investments provides enormous growth opportunities to the North Rim Deschutes River Fund.
“What OCF brings to the table is much greater than what Brooks Resources could ever do on its own,” Mortensen said.