Columbian Community Funded Journalism Project

Giving feels good, but supporting in depth, hyper local news stories from reporters who live in our community feels even better. 

The Columbian’s Community Funded Journalism program began in 2022 and opened the door for community members to support local journalism in a new way. Through the generosity of donors like you, The Columbian can now report on homelessness, housing, health and the environment. These stories uncover what’s working and what's not, and they bring our community together by sharing the experiences of those we interview. The project allows the entire reporting staff to specialize more in their own categories of coverage and dig deeper under the surface of their stories.

Through our fiscal sponsor, The Local Media Foundation, the Community Funded Journalism Project can accept tax-deductible donations. The Columbian editors will maintain editorial independence over all stories. No donors will know what specific stories the reporters are pursuing, nor will they see stories before they’re published.

With the generous support from our readers, The Columbian has one of the largest newsrooms relative to other U.S. cities of the same size. We are a fourth-generation, family-owned media company that has been reporting the news of Southwest Washington since 1890. 

The Columbian needs your help to support our independent newsroom so we can continue to report on the news that matters most to Southwest Washington residents. 

For any questions, please contact:

Will Campbell, Fourth-Generation Co-Owner of The Columbian and Editor will.campbell@columbian.com

Kate Sacamano, Chief Marketing Officer kate.sacamano@columbian.com

Thank you to our dedicated readers and donors for supporting The Columbian.


The Columbian’s Community Funded Journalism Program is designed to raise awareness for important issues in Clark County, including homelessness, transportation, climate change, and the environment. Donations to Local Media Foundation for this program are tax deductible to the extent of the law. Please consult a tax advisor for details. No goods or services are provided in exchange for donations. This program is administered by Local Media Foundation, tax ID #36-4427750, a Section 501(c)(3) charitable trust affiliated with Local Media Association.