In the teeth of a volatile philanthropic landscape, a nationally known Portland group that serves grieving children and families has collected nearly $1.5 million for a major new facility.
Dougy Center leaders said this month they're set to collect $1.475 million in philanthropic support from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, Marcia H. Randall Foundation and the Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation. The gifts will go toward the construction of Malcolm’s House, the group's future home in Beaverton.
The spot will "help expand access to grief support services for children, teens, young adults and families before and after the death of someone close.
The Murdock group contributed $600,000, the Randall group contributed$500,000 and the Lamfrom group contributed $375,000.
"At the Marcia H. Randall Foundation, we believe every child deserves compassionate support during life's most difficult moments," said Marcia H. Randall, founder of the Marcia H. Randall Foundation, in a release. "Dougy Center has provided hope and healing to grieving children and families
for decades, and we're honored to help expand that mission by supporting Dougy Center West. We hope this gift helps ensure that more children in our community have access to the care, connection and resources they need to navigate grief with strength, understanding and hope."
Malcolm’s House is named in honor of a transformational lead gift from the estate of Dr. Malcolm Marquis. The spot is located at 15985 N.W. Schendel Ave. in Beaverton.
The renovated 14,000-square-foot building could begin serving children and families in 2027's first quarter. It will help alleviate a long waiting list (213 children and adults) for Dougy Center’s no-cost, peer-based grief support groups. The waits are currently up to a year.
Malcolm’s House will allow Dougy Center to double the number of children and families it serves, to 5,000 annually.
The Fundraising Effectiveness Project recently reported that fundraising dollars were up 4.5% between 2025's first quarter and 2026's first quarter, but that that growth was less than the 5.4% increase from 2025 to 2026. The number of overall donors also dropped by nearly 1% during that time frame.
The 2026 Childhood Bereavement Estimation Model estimates that 1 in 12 children in Oregon will experience the death of a parent or sibling by age 18. That number is as much as 1 in 8 in some parts of Washington County.
