The Queer Commons Project is an Oregon non-profit social enterprise proving that world-class hospitality and unapologetic labor justice belong in the exact same room. Through fully paid, debt-free, 3-year vocational residencies earning a guaranteed $35/hour living wage, we are transforming service work from a cycle of survival into a permanent engine for queer economic sovereignty.The Service Industry Is Broken. We’re Building the Infrastructure to Own It.
The Vision: Why We Build
Survival is not an economic strategy.
For generations, queer, trans, BIPOC, and disabled workers have carried the hospitality and nightlife sectors on their backs—only to be met with volatile tipped wages, arbitrary management, zero employer-paid healthcare, and systemic exclusion from ownership.
The Queer Commons Project permanently dismantles that cycle.
We do not offer temporary relief programs, short-term seminars, or unpaid training. We are constructing a self-sustaining social enterprise ecosystem: accredited Related Training Instruction paired with immersive, active commercial training laboratories. Every resident apprentice earns:
$35/Hour Guaranteed Living Wage across every active service shift and classroom hour.
100% Employer-Paid Healthcare (medical, dental, and vision) for all 30+ hour trainees.
Zero Tuition and Zero Debt, with all state licensing and exam fees fully underwritten.
State-Accredited Credentials that unlock lifelong career mobility and operational leadership.
Status Overview
Organizational Status: Oregon Non-Profit Public Benefit Corporation
Tax Status: Operating under 501(c)(3) Fiscal Sponsorship (Direct IRS 501(c)(3) determination pending)
Current Operational Horizon: Phase 1 — Flagship Facility Acquisition & Program Launch
Active Milestone Checklist
[COMPLETED] Entity Formation & Governance
Formal incorporation as an Oregon public benefit non-profit corporation, adoption of comprehensive organizational bylaws, and establishment of our independent Board of Directors.
[IN PROGRESS] Flagship Property Underwriting & Site Control
Executing pre-development, architectural planning, and commercial due diligence for our primary urban training facility in Salem, Oregon.
[IN PROGRESS] State Apprenticeship Standards Registration
Formalizing our 3-year, 6,000-hour vocational hospitality curriculum and Related Training Instruction (RTI) framework in alignment with Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) standards.
[UPCOMING] Facility Buildout & Equipment Procurement
Construction of our multi-station commercial scratch training kitchen, instructional classroom, and integrated public-facing event and service floor.
[UPCOMING] Inaugural Cohort Intake & Program Launch
Mobilizing community-partner referral networks and open-call applications to seat our foundational class of paid resident apprentices.
Power the work
Fuel Living Wages & Debt-Free Education
Generational change begins on the ground. Whether you fund a single $35 hour of accredited classroom instruction or back our apprentices with a recurring monthly pledge, 100% of your tax-deductible contribution directly covers student-worker compensation, licensing fees, and comprehensive healthcare.
Explore the 3-Year Vocational Residency
Discover how our debt-free, state-accredited workforce model creates a permanent pipeline to family-wage careers. Review our 6,000-hour BOLI-aligned training schedule, portable industry certifications (ServSafe, OLCC, Red Cross), objective intake standards, and our non-violent crisis de-escalation framework.
Underwrite Transformative Infrastructure
We partner with mission-aligned foundations, family trusts, and visionary philanthropists seeking quantifiable, generational impact. Our social enterprise model ensures philanthropic seed funding directly builds permanent real estate and vocational assets that permanently reduce underemployment.