Yachats readers donate $58,000 during local fundraising campaign to help sustain local effort and hire a reporter

 

Aug. 16, 2022 fundraising update:

Wow. You are so generous.

Readers of YachatsNews contributed $58,000 between June 3 and July 8 during the online news site’s “help sustain local news” fundraising campaign as part of its transition to a 501(c)3 nonprofit and to hire a full-time reporter. The overall fundraising goal is $70,000 in order to have a full-time reporter on board by the end of the year.

People, organizations and businesses can continue to contribute – see how to do so below — but July 8 was the end of the more visible push to raise money from readers. YachatsNews will now actively pursue grants from local, regional, state and national groups and foundations to raise the $70,000 necessary to hire a reporter. The fundraising total already includes one foundation grant — $5,000 grant from the Roundhouse Foundation of Sisters, Ore.

While readership of the news site the past three years has grown rapidly to more than 100,000 page views a month, it is gratifying to see so many readers – including many from outside south Lincoln County — willing to help the effort financially.

Here is how you can continue to help YachatsNews reach its $70,000 fundraising goal:

• Write a check to YachatsNews’ “fiscal sponsor” Polly Plumb Productions, label it “YachatsNews Fundraising Campaign” and mail it to Polly Plumb Productions, P.O. Box 128, Yachats, Ore. 97498. For tax purposes, you will get a letter acknowledging your donation;
• Use the PayPal feature on the fundraising “thermometer” graphic with this article or via the “Donate” button of this website;
• Use the GoFundMe donation portal on the fundraising “thermometer” with this article, or go to the YachatsNews’ Facebook page.

If you have questions, please email me at YachatsNews@gmail.com or call me at 503-970-3867. I am happy to answer questions and share any nuances of the campaign, the transition, future plans, and operations the past 3½ years.

Thank you. You are so very generous.

    — Quinton Smith/Editor & Manager

 

June 30, 2022 update:

So what happens when there’s no reporter to attend meetings of public agencies? Or report on local events? Or tell the stories of local people doing good – and sometimes not so good?

It’s not always a pretty picture.

It so happens that one of the top journalism schools in the country – the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University – has been following and studying the decline of newspapers since 2018 and just this week released its 2022 report on the “State of Local News.”

Here are the first two paragraphs of its report:

“This is a nation increasingly divided journalistically, between those who live and work in communities where there is an abundance of local news and those who don’t. Invariably, the economically struggling, traditionally underserved communities that need local journalism the most are the very places where it is most difficult to sustain either print or digital news organizations.

“The loss of local journalism has been accompanied by the malignant spread of misinformation and disinformation, political polarization, eroding trust in media, and a yawning digital and economic divide among citizens. In communities without a credible source of local news, voter participation declines, corruption in both government and business increases, and local residents end up paying more in taxes and at checkout.”

Now that sounds a bit dramatic, especially for south Lincoln County. But if you comb through the more than 3,500 stories posted the past 3½ years on the YachatsNews website you can find many examples where local city councils, county commissions, fire district boards, the school district discussed, debated and voted on important issues affecting life on the central Oregon coast. Would you have known about their decisions?

Without a local news source you wouldn’t also read about state parks beach ranger Doug Sestrich of Waldport, the dedication of Yachats resident Joanne Kittel to push for the Amanda Trail and a new suspension bridge, the work of pastor Bob Barrett of Yachats Community Presbyterian Church, community events such as Waldport’s Beachcomber Days, Yachats’ Fourth of July activities, arts and entertainment.

The list can go on and on.

That’s why I started YachatsNews 3½ years ago – to help bring some information to what the Northwestern University researchers call a “news desert.” That’s why YachatsNews is transitioning to a 501(c)3 nonprofit and seeking to raise $70,000 to hire a full-time reporter to do much of what I’m doing now – covering the news and people of south Lincoln County.

The local fundraising response in June was terrific. There were $3,003 in contributions in the past seven days, bringing the local fundraising to $42,410. With a $5,000 grant from the Roundhouse Foundation of Sisters, Ore. the total fundraising is $47,410.

Thank you.

But given the response in June, I’d like to reach $50,000 in this local campaign before beginning to chase more foundation grants. That’s why YachatsNews is extending its local fundraising campaign another week to July 8. Here’s how you can help reach that $50,000 local goal:

• Write a check to YachatsNews’ “fiscal sponsor” Polly Plumb Productions, label it “YachatsNews Fundraising Campaign” and mail it to Polly Plumb Productions, P.O. Box 128, Yachats, Ore. 97498. For tax purposes, you will get a letter acknowledging your donation;
• Use the PayPal feature on the fundraising “thermometer” graphic with this article or via the “Donate” button of this website;
• Use the GoFundMe donation portal on the fundraising “thermometer” with this article, or go to the YachatsNews’ Facebook page.

If you have questions, please email me at YachatsNews@gmail.com or call me at 503-970-3867. I am happy to answer questions and share any nuances of the campaign, the transition, future plans, and operations the past 3½ years.

    — Quinton Smith/Editor & Manager

June 23, 2022 update

The local fundraising campaign to help hire a reporter to sustain the operation of YachatsNews reached nearly $40,000 this week with the addition of $12,000 more in donations from readers.

The total for the local campaign since it started June 3 is $39,417. With its first outside grant of $5,000 from the Roundhouse Foundation of Sisters, Ore. the total raised so far is $44,417.

The overall goal of the local fundraising and grant campaign is $70,000, which would be used to hire a full-time reporter to continue news coverage of south Lincoln County. YachatsNews is transitioning from a community service project by Quinton Smith, its editor and founder, to a 501(c)3 nonprofit. It expects to receive that designation this fall.

The local fundraising campaign continues through June 30. There are three ways to contribute:

• Write a check to YachatsNews’ “fiscal sponsor” Polly Plumb Productions, label it “YachatsNews Fundraising Campaign” and mail it to Polly Plumb Productions, P.O. Box 128, Yachats, Ore. 97498. For tax purposes, you will get a letter acknowledging your donation;
• Use the PayPal feature on the fundraising “thermometer” graphic with this article or via the “Donate” button of this website;
• Use the GoFundMe donation portal on the fundraising “thermometer” with this article, or go to the YachatsNews’ Facebook page.
• Look for weekly fundraising campaign updates through the end of the month.

If you have questions, please email me at YachatsNews@gmail.com or call me at 503-970-3867. I am happy to answer questions and share any nuances of the campaign, the transition, future plans, and operations the past 3½ years.

    — Quinton Smith/Editor

 

June 17, 2022 update:

The local fundraising campaign to sustain the operation of YachatsNews as it transitions to nonprofit status hit the $25,000 mark this week with the addition of $9,796 in donations.

The goal is $70,000 — with the help of local fundraising and state and national foundation grants — to hire a full-time reporter to continue news coverage of south Lincoln County.

Total donations for the second week of the month-long campaign totaled $9,797 to combine with $5,391 the first week and $10,000 provided in a local “matching” challenge for a total of $25,187.

This week’s donations included $1,000 from the Yachats Lions Club as part of its annual charitable giving. The club distributed more than $30,000 Tuesday for college scholarships, to the Lions sight and hearing program and to 14 Lincoln County organizations.

YachatsNews’ fundraising campaign continues through June 30. (See previous and longer explanation below.)

YachatsNews founder and editor Quinton Smith said he was heartened and encouraged by the first two weeks of giving and urged readers to continue helping the effort to hire a reporter. “Donations of any size are welcome and appreciated and will help sustain this local news operation,” he said.

Several readers who contributed included notes along with their donations.

“Many thanks for creating and continuing your excellent YachatsNews,” wrote Patricia Wallace of Corvallis, who has property in Yachats. “The quality of your news coverage and the efficiency of your production outweighs in every way that of my mid-valley newspaper.”

“I as just introduced to YachatsNews this past winter and think it is terrific,” wrote Sharon Posner of Eugene, who also has property locally. “Thanks.”

There are three ways to contribute:

• Write a check to YachatsNews’ “fiscal sponsor” Polly Plumb Productions, label it “YachatsNews Fundraising Campaign” and mail it to Polly Plumb Productions, P.O. Box 128, Yachats, Ore. 97498. For tax purposes, you will get a letter acknowledging your donation;
• Use the PayPal feature on the fundraising “thermometer” graphic with this article or via the “Donate” button of this website;
• Use the GoFundMe donation portal on the fundraising “thermometer” with this article, or go to the YachatsNews’ Facebook page.

Look for weekly fundraising campaign updates through the end of the month.

If you have questions, please email me at YachatsNews@gmail.com or call me at 503-970-3867. I am happy to answer questions and share any nuances of the campaign, the transition, future plans, and operations the past 3½ years.

    — Quinton Smith/Editor & Manager

 

 

June 9, 2022 update

The campaign by YachatsNews to help sustain local journalism is off to a strong start toward its $20,000 local fundraising goal since launching seven days ago.

Individual contributions from YachatsNews readers the first week ranged from $5 to $1,000 and pushed the local fundraising effort for the week to $5,391.

The local fundraising effort is part of a transition plan that is moving YachatsNews to a nonprofit organization. As YachatsNews seeks grants from local, state and national foundations, the effort is intended to show there is strong, local support not only in readership growth but in financial commitment. The goal is to raise $70,000 via a variety of sources by the end of the year to hire a full-time reporter.

As stated in its original announcement (see below) reader contributions are being matched up to $10,000 in an effort to raise $20,000 locally.

Here’s one comment typical of responses to the fundraising request: “…as a 10-year part time resident in Yachats, your Friday post is my main connection to what’s happening in the area. What I didn’t know was that this is a community service project. Your commitment is truly significant, and makes a huge difference. As readers, we are lucky. I hope all appreciate the perspective and background you bring based on your experience and expertise.”

Another reader commented: “With the staggering shuttering of newspapers, few communities have reliable news sources. And a town the size of Yachats rarely, if ever, has this level of professional, quality news reporting.”

There are three ways to contribute:

• Write a check to YachatsNews’ “fiscal sponsor” Polly Plumb Productions, label it “YachatsNews Fundraising Campaign” and mail it to Polly Plumb Productions, P.O. Box 128, Yachats, Ore. 97498. For tax purposes, you will get a letter acknowledging your donation;
• Use the PayPal feature on the fundraising “thermometer” graphic with this article or via the “Donate” button of this website;
• Use the GoFundMe donation portal on the fundraising “thermometer” with this article, or go to the YachatsNews’ Facebook page.

Look for weekly fundraising campaign updates through the end of the month.

If you have questions, please email me at YachatsNews@gmail.com or call me at 503-970-3867. I am happy to answer questions and share any nuances of the campaign, the transition, future plans, and operations the past 3½ years.

    — Quinton Smith/Editor & Manager

 

Original June 3, 2022 announcement

 

To YachatsNews readers:

This is a request for your help.

After 3½ years as my personal community service project, YachatsNews is in the process of transitioning to nonprofit status in order to continue to provide local news to south Lincoln County.

But it will need the financial help of its readers – some of the 60,000+ individuals who visit the news site each month, local organizations and businesses – in order to do that.

To that end, YachatsNews today is launching a month-long campaign to raise some of the $70,000 it needs to hire a full-time reporter to do much of the reporting work that I am now doing.

To kick-start and encourage giving two couples — my wife, Kathi, and I and philanthropists/community activists Nan and Greg Scott of Yachats have agreed to contribute $5,000 each to “match” giving from the community. But we hope to raise more than that $20,000 this month to help show that there is significant local support for the news stories and features that appear on YachatsNews.

YachatsNews is also applying to local and statewide charitable foundations and organizations for grants to help fund the reporting position. Last week the Roundhouse Foundation of Sisters, Ore. awarded $5,000 for the local news campaign.

Until YachatsNews receives its federal 501c3 status – expected in the fall – its foundation applications are being aided by the “fiscal sponsorship” of Polly Plumb Productions, a longtime Yachats nonprofit that organizes and promotes arts and entertainment events. This simply means that Polly Plumb is holding all donations until YachatsNews reaches its fundraising goal or receives its nonprofit status.

There are three ways you can help YachatsNews’ “hire a reporter” campaign:

• Write a check. Make it out to Polly Plumb Productions, label it “YachatsNews Fundraising Campaign” and mail it to Polly Plumb Productions, P.O. Box 128, Yachats, Ore. 97498. For tax purposes, you will get a letter acknowledging your donation;
• Use the PayPal feature on the fundraising “thermometer” graphic with this article or via the “Donate” button of this website;
• Use the GoFundMe donation portal on the fundraising “thermometer” with this article, or go to the YachatsNews’ Facebook page.

The campaign will continue for the month of June; we will let you know each week how it is going. (But, of course, we will take any donations after that.)

If you have questions, please email me at YachatsNews@gmail.com or call me at 503-970-3867. I am happy to answer questions and share any nuances of the campaign, the transition, future plans, and operations the past 3½ years.

If you are familiar with YachatsNews and want to contribute – or contribute again — without knowing much more, thank you. For those seeking more information, please keep reading.

The background

I’ve been a newspaper reporter and editor in Oregon since 1972, working for United Press International, the Albany Democrat-Herald, the Gresham Outlook and as an editor at The Oregonian for the last 25 years of my newspaper career. In 2007 I was the main editor for a team of Oregonian reporters that won the Pulitzer Prize for breaking news.

My wife and I have had family or property in Yachats since 1976. We moved to the coast from the Portland area in 2017.

I launched YachatsNews in January 2019 as a community service project intended to provide local news stories for the Yachats area. Since then, coverage has expanded to many countywide issues but more broadly news in and around south Lincoln County, from Seal Rock to Waldport to Yachats to Tenmile.

Since 2019 there have been more than 3,200 stories posted to the website and 1,350 people have signed up to receive a Friday morning email blast alerting them to stories posted during the week.

At the end of 2019 YachatsNews saw an average of 15,000 “page views” – individuals reading a specific story – a month. At the end of 2020 that had grown to 50,000 and at the end of 2021 reached 110,000 a month.

I believe that shows there is a demand and desire for what YachatsNews is trying to do.

Three active freelancers also help gather and report news and features — Cheryl Romano of Yachats, Dana Tims of Portland, and Jordan Essoe of Waldport. Advertising is handled by Tiffany Sullivan of Blue Sprocket Brokerage of West Linn.

YachatsNews also uses the services of two statewide news services, the nonprofit Oregon Capital Chronicle that covers state government and politics, and stories provided by a collaboration of EO Media and Pamplin newspapers. YachatsNews is also news partner with Oregon ArtsWatch, Oregon Public Broadcasting and other nonprofit news sites.

I spend 30-40 hours a week working on the website – reporting stories, overseeing the writers, handling stories from other services, answering questions from readers, and dealing with the back end of the website. During the coronavirus that was OK because we were all mostly stuck at home.

While I am still energized by news-gathering, I’m 72 and have been doing this professionally for 50 years. To successfully continue this attempt to bring local journalism to what’s called a “news desert”, YachatsNews needs to hire a full-time reporter to do much of the work that I’m doing now.

Once the fundraising goal is reached, YachatsNews plans to advertise for and hire a reporter. I would oversee that reporter’s work, plus that of the freelancers – and then spend more time helping make this news effort more financially sustainable by continuing to pursue grants and stable, long-term funding.

YachatsNews filed its 501c3 application with the Internal Revenue Service in February. It’s expected to be approved by October or November. Once that designation is received, a five-member board will begin its work (with bylaws) to guide overall aspects of the organization.

Finances and goals

Since its start, I have been totally open about YachatsNews’ finances. A quick reminder that I take nothing – no expenses, no salary, no benefits, no nothing – out of the operation. This is my community service project – similar possibly, to serving on a city council or a school board.

In late 2018 and 2019, I funded the site’s startup and operating costs of approximately $5,000.

In 2020 I began asking for contributions and received $3,745. There was also $3,660 in advertising income, for total revenue of $7,405. Expenses for freelancers, web services, subscriptions, fees, licenses, etc. totaled $8,200.

In 2021 I again asked for contributions and received $8,950 – including about $300 a month from 12 individuals who make small ($5 to $40) automatic contributions through PayPal. YachatsNews also had $5,450 in advertising income, bringing total revenue to $14,400. Expenses were $10,300.

So far in 2022 ad revenue is up — as are expenses. On May 31, YachatsNews had $4,500 cash on hand.

This is pretty small potatoes to this first step in hiring a full-time reporter. I estimate that to cost $60,000 to $70,000 a year to hire a professional who can report and write the news and feature stories that south Lincoln County deserves and has appreciated the past 3½ years.

The whole goal here is to continue to cover the people, the local governments, the organizations, businesses, events, the natural environment, and trends in Lincoln County while providing news connections with the rest of Oregon.

I would like to also see more reporting power brought to issues such as affordable housing, schools and education, and have time to develop other features that broaden the scope of YachatsNews. I believe a full-time reporter will help deliver that coverage.

So, if you are inclined, please consider a contribution of any size. Questions? Give me a call (503-970-3867), or send me an email (YachatsNews@gmail.com).

I, and all the others involved in YachatsNews, appreciate your readership and support.

— Quinton Smith/Editor & Manager