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Earlier this month, leaders atKnow Your City held an impromptu meeting. They'd learned months before that the group's finances were in trouble. Cameron Whitten, the newly announced executive director of the local nonprofit, was working full time for no pay, and didn't know if he could continue. After six years, it looked like Know Your City—founded in 2009 as the Dill Pickle Club—was about to blink out of existence.

Instead, the group—known for its social-justice-tinged comics and walking tours—has decided to stick it out. While making only cryptic reference to financial misdeeds he's suggesting previous leadership committed, Whitten announced today the group's "faced with closing down" if it doesn't pull together money soon. Know Your City has launched a crowdfunding campaign to that end, aiming to make $12,000 by the end of the year.

"We're not sure about our future," Whitten says. "That's why we had to be transparent."

Know Your City's revenue base has long been focused on grants, Whitten says, something he's hoping to change. The organization now has nearly $600 in recurring donations every month, and hopes to increase that amount to the point it can begin paying staff again. Whitten's also talking about merging the group with a nonprofit he founded last year, the Oregon Center for Human Rights.

It's hard to ignore the fact the group's financial woes come after a leadership change. Co-founder and former Executive Director Marc Moscato left the group this summer. Months later, Whitten says the group figured out its cashflow was in trouble. He won't say to what degree Moscato had a role, saying the problems are "tied to an ongoing personnel issue."

"We are exploring many options, including legal options," Whitten says.

Update: Know Your City explained to the Mercury on December 29 that an accountant's errors led to missed tax payments on behalf of the nonprofit.

Original post: The fact that Know Your City has moved to an all-volunteer effort has allowed it to stay active. Last week, the group hosted a forum on the city's rental crisis. It continues to host tours around town (including one scheduled on Christmas), and is planning events months out.

"We're re-examining everything, including our management structure," Whitten says.