Oregon Community Health Workers Association
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Oregon Community Health Workers Association (ORCHWA) is the statewide professional association for community health workers (CHWs) in Oregon. ORCHWAs mission is to serve as a unified voice to empower and advocate for CHWs and their communities. ORCHWA holds a vision of CHWs being recognized as valued professionals, while working together to advance community health, social justice, and equity.
- Income
- $2.6 million
- Spending
- $3.2 million
- Spent on programs
- 88%
- Reserves
- 3.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 77%
- Employees
- 17
- Volunteers
- 10
- Highest pay
- $123,724, executive dir.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 51 out of 100. Higher than 24% of charities in its peer group (health care, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 3.3 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 26% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 23% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 30% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1588% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 1 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 95 out of 100. Higher than 58% of charities in its peer group (health care, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 258 of 8 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (1)
- $2.8 million spent. For the year ended June 30, 2025, ORCHWA operated the following programs:(i) Community Education Worker (CEW) Program:The CEW Program is a Portland-metro-based collaborative of culturally specific organizations. Within the collaborative ORCHWA serves as the backbone and fiscally responsible organization, and serves to support the CHW workforce and their employees at CEW Partnering organizations, in providing linguistically specific and culturally centered services to communities. The CEW Program strives to decrease inequities in educational outcomes and increase the success of children from infancy to six years of age.(ii) Workforce Development & Training:ORCHWA is a State of Oregon-approved CHW training site, this training site approval allows the provision of state-recognized training for the CHW workforce across the state. Under this program, ORCHWA provides a 90-hour foundational training for Oregon residents to become certified CHWs. Additionally, ORCHWA offers workforce development and educational opportunities for CHWs to complete continuing education units (CEUs) required to maintain CHW state certification. (iii) Policy and Advocacy:ORCHWA has a rich history of engaging in policy and advocacy efforts both in the state and national arena. Policy and advocacy have been foundational in our work and pivotal in amplifying the voice of CHWs, increasing recognition of the workforce, promoting sustainable payment for CHW services, and increasing inclusion of CHWs in workforce-related policy and legislation.(iv) Technical Assistance & Education:ORCHWA offers technical assistance to community-based organizations, health systems, CCOs, and other interested parties to support partnership with and integration of CHWs, and the development of CHW programs. Technical assistance services range from hourly support to contracted and bundled services, CHW program review, and recommendation development. ORCHWA promotes activities, and the development of, programs conducive to the retention of the CHW workforce including livable wages, appropriate and aligned scope of practice, full reimbursement for services, and environments that engage in promising practices to support professional development and decrease workforce burnout. Accordingly, ORCHWA staff serve on various committees and workgroups, are invited to speak on panels, develop educational material, and record webinars.(v) CHW Collaborative Network (2CN):ORCHWA is developing centralized and shared infrastructure to enable Medicaid payment, for community-based CHW services, on behalf of community-based organizations to reduce the administrative burden for small, CHW employing, community-based organizations. The development of 2CN will increase community-based CHW workforce stability through an aligned, developed, infrastructure to enable payment for community-based community health worker service. The 2CN infrastructure will be replicable, scalable, and allow for geographic-specific individualization/customization. As part of a blended funding model, billing under 2CN will increase the sustainability and stability of the workforce, while increasing community access to CHW member/individual-centered services ultimately part of a strategy to support broader health and wellness of Oregonians most impacted by health inequities.(vi) Fiscal Sponsorship:As of July 2022, ORCHWA began providing fiscal sponsorship for the Indigenous Health Equity Institute (IHEI). In the role of fiscal sponsor, ORCHWA administers various back office administrative support including human resources, financial reporting and fiscal oversight.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Worth knowing.
Status was revoked on May 15, 2020 for not filing returns for three years, and reinstated on May 15, 2020.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since February 2021.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.