By QUINTON SMITH/Lincoln Chronicle

Once again it’s time to thank our readers and supporters.

For the past four Junes we’ve asked readers to support our local newsgathering efforts with tax deductible donations. And once again dozens and dozens of you opened your checkbooks or used your credits cards to help us operate.

During our annual, local fundraising campaign in June readers donated just over $39,000 to help cover our operating expenses and expand our work. And because those donations were being matched by a longtime donor, that will turn into nearly $80,000.

I try to send thank you cards to many of the donors who put checks in the mail and I send emails to all those who contribute via Pay Pal. But I am sure I missed some – so I want to thank all contributors and everyone else publicly. So, once again, thank you. Your financial help is much appreciated. It is an honor and tremendous responsibility to be trusted with your hard-earned money to help us report the news in Lincoln County.

As mentioned in several of our weekly fundraising stories, there are a few steps we are taking this summer and early fall to do, as I like to say, “More and Better” with the help of your donations.

The first order of business is to begin the work necessary upgrade our website to display stories better, to create a new and improved events/entertainment calendar, to better display obituaries, letters to the editor, real estate sales, and standalone photographs – just to start. Once that is finished, we hope to undertake other initiatives to improve and expand our work.

A brief reminder: In 2024, some 64 percent of our $132,000 in revenue was from reader contributions, 24 percent from grants and 12 percent from advertising. Last year our expenses were $109,000. In 2025 our budget is increasing by 35 percent to $150,000, with most of that increase coming from the addition of a second reporter who is covering vital Newport-area news.

Of course we just don’t accept donations in June but any time people are willing to help. If you are reading this for the first time and want to contribute, here once again is how to do that:

Write a check to YachatsNews/Lincoln Chronicle and drop it in the mail to YachatsNews/Lincoln Chronicle, P.O. Box 284, Yachats, Ore. 97498.
Donate electronically — either one time – or join the 112 others who make a small ($5-20) monthly contribution via our (sometimes balky) PayPal account.
We also have a new way to give – the gifting of stock to an account we have set up at Fidelity Investments. If you are interested in learning more about that, contact me via email at YachatsNews@gmail.com or call me at 503-970-3867.
Or, if you own a business or head an organization, you can support us and help yourselves by advertising and getting your message in front of 170,000 readers a month. Our ad director, Tiffany Sullivan of Blue Sprocket Brokerage can be of great help. Here is a link to our advertising rate card and Tiffany’s contact information.

But most of all, thank you for your support of professionally-reported news in Lincoln County. We will do your best to continue to earn your support.