Auburn Marie | Development Director
auburn@basicrights.org
She/Her
Auburn Marie joined Basic Rights Oregon as the Development Director in September 2024. A Northern California native, Auburn moved to Portland in early 2021 after spending a decade and a half living in the high desert of Reno, Nevada. There, she worked as a local television broadcast journalist before she got her start in philanthropic work, raising funds for a variety of nonprofit organizations offering services ranging from basic needs support for houseless folks to public school dropout-prevention services. Auburn brings over 14 years of experience in nonprofit development and communications and has raised millions of dollars in her career for causes she genuinely cares about.
Auburn’s most rewarding work experience has been right here in Portland, where she started her own consulting firm and served a niche group of nonprofit organizations focusing on historically underserved communities, including BIPOC, LGBTQ2SIA+, and other groups working to eliminate health and social justice disparities. Most of her clients were small, startup charities funded through the landmark Measure 110 decriminalization law which supports marginalized populations most impacted by the war on drugs.
Auburn has a bachelor's degree in mass communication + journalism and a master's degree in writing from the University of Nevada, Reno. She also received invaluable real-world experience during the five years she spent traveling the world as a journalist in the US Navy, which she joined on a whim when she was 19.
Auburn is a proud lesbian who joined the party late in life and could not be more grateful to be living as her true self and working for an organization that builds inclusivity for all. A mom of three incredible young humans (and a dog mom of one), Auburn spends much of her free time making snacks and cheering at local youth sports. The simple things in life that make her happiest include reading memoirs, propagating house plants, running to a good podcast, and sewing her own clothing.