Friends of Willamette Week

Mission

Willamette Week provides Portlanders (and readers beyond) with an independent understanding of how their worlds work so they can make a difference. In doing so, WW’s mission is to make Portland a better place to live, work, and play. Friends of Willamette Week are readers who make our free, local, and independent journalism sustainable.

Bottom Line

WW uncovers and shares information that holds the powerful accountable, sparks policy changes, and strengthens our city's cultural heartbeat. Our reporting improves the lives of Portlanders by increasing accountability and participation in our city. 

Friends of WW empower WW to do this at a time when free independent local journalism is becoming extinct. Today, about 20% of our operating costs are funded by reader support.

→ Please note: FOWW isn't a nonprofit organization. If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution, you can do so through our relationship with the Tides Foundation. Please email [email protected] to let them know your Tides contribution is for our Give!Guide campaign and whether you would like to receive incentives.

Quote

"Covering education is akin to reporting on the future. My hope is that my coverage points out what isn’t working and guides leaders with the power to make a difference toward crafting better solutions that will help all students succeed. That means writing stories that ask and answer tough questions." -Joanna Hou, WW Education Reporter

Incentives

Give $125 or more and get our crow-tastic 2026 WW tote, featuring an original, in-house illustration!

Be our 50th donor and get two tickets to a Portland Jazz Festival show, courtesy of our friends at PDX Jazz!

Partner(s)

We’re proud to partner with organizations that keep Portland informed, connected, and culturally curious. Our partners include Street Roots and PDX Jazz, and we’re joining forces with fellow independent news organizations, including The Lund Report, Underscore Native News, and Oregon Journalism Project, to help fund the reporting that keeps Oregonians informed.