Sustaining local news in south Lincoln County

To YachatsNews readers and supporters:

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.

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:

 1) Use this GoFundMe donation portal;

  2) 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;

 3) Use the PayPal feature on the fundraising “thermometer” graphic at YachatsNews  or via the “Donate” button at YachatsNews ;

 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.)
More information about the fundraising campaign and plans for the future are on the www.YachatsNews.com website.
Your donations and support are very much  appreciated. 
 -- Quinton Smith, founder and editor