Multnomah County, OR’s Preschool for All: A November 2020 Ballot Measure Case StudyIn 2018, two separate campaigns began efforts to create a publicly funded universal preschool program in Multnomah County, OR. One of the campaigns, Preschool for All, was established by Multnomah County Commissioner Jessica Vega Pederson as an extension of a decade of community-led work to expand access to early childhood education. The other campaign, Universal Preschool Now, began as a grassroots movement following the closure of local community centers.1 Both campaigns had the same goal: to secure voter approval for a countywide universal preschool program funded by a tax on high-income earners. Although they initially began and operated separately, the two campaigns coalesced in August 2020 around shared goals and values and merged their efforts to support a single ballot measure. In November 2020, voters approved the measure to create the Multnomah County Preschool for All program funded by a new high-income earners’ tax currently projected to raise $160 million annually by 2026. Download PDF Filed under:Early Childhood, Advocates/Intermediaries, Funders, Policymakers/Agency Leaders, Publication, Voter-Approved Children’s FundsMore Resources Collection Leaders and Champions: Find Your Role in Strategic Public Financing Find out how you can help your community fund programs and services for children and youth in sustainable and equitable ways. Publication Leaders and Champions: The Role of Program Providers in Strategic Public Financing How program providers can help communities fund services for children and youth in sustainable and equitable ways through strategic public financing. Updates and Events News October 14, 2026 Record Number of Dedicated Children’s Funds to Appear on Local Ballots Interview September 29, 2026 Leadership, Advocacy, and 25 Years of Dedicated Funding for Kids in Broward County, FL Insights May 12, 2026 Five Ways to Put Your Fiscal Map into Action Close Share it! Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Click to copy URL Link Copied!
Collection Leaders and Champions: Find Your Role in Strategic Public Financing Find out how you can help your community fund programs and services for children and youth in sustainable and equitable ways.
Publication Leaders and Champions: The Role of Program Providers in Strategic Public Financing How program providers can help communities fund services for children and youth in sustainable and equitable ways through strategic public financing.
Interview September 29, 2026 Leadership, Advocacy, and 25 Years of Dedicated Funding for Kids in Broward County, FL