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.
There has recently been some controversy with my former employer Know Your City. The organization is running a campaign stating they are in need of funds because of financial mismanagement under previous leadership. Since this is an attack on my character and leadership, I need to defend myself.
Yesterday, OPB called wanting an interview. Here are my replies to their questions.
What’s your reaction to the crowd funding idea?
Know Your City is a great organization doing important work. People should support it and give to the campaign. I want to see it succeed. I founded the organization and worked tirelessly for more than 6 years as Executive Director. I above all people would love it to have a legacy.
What can you tell us about the financial mismanagement issue?
The messaging of the campaign is not very tactful nor is it factually correct. The question here is a lack of finances not former leadership. Several current board members and the new Executive Director have been involved with organizational finances for more than a year, so pointing fingers is not productive. In addition, this strategy runs contrary to what I know about best practices in nonprofit administration.
Know Your City has never had much money. I know; I have worked for wages far below market rate for more than six years. So this is nothing new. It certainly didn’t happen overnight or suddenly, shortly after I left the organization.
A nonprofit board, by definition, is responsible for the financial health of the organization. They set and approve the budget each year. Like any board, the financials at Know Your City are shared at every board meeting. Board members have been well informed of the organization’s financial challenges over the years, and it is their responsibility to take ownership in meeting these challenges.
This past summer, the organization had a particularly difficult financial period and a closure was eminent. During June and July, the organization was able to secure funding to continue its operations, but in the process, the board was forced to look critically at its finances and consider how it would sustain operations. This led to some challenging questions, and, ultimately, to a restructuring of the organization and staffing. This included a reduction to my salary by more than 20% and the termination of my co-worker Amanda Tillstrom, who served as Programs Coordinator. Faced with the reality of having to fulfill significantly more work (60+ hours a week) for significantly less pay left me with little choice. I left the organization in September to start the next chapter in my life.
Know Your City should now focus on its future at this critical juncture. It should be spending its energy on moving forward and how it will meet its financial challenges. I will not blame individuals or talk about who is right or wrong. I don’t need to talk about “cleaning up my name” as nothing needs cleaning and I have done nothing wrong. Instead, everyone needs to step up. It will take everyone coming together to make this organization a lasting success. I encourage everyone to reach out to the new leadership, tell them what you think and get involved in ensuring this vital organization will be around for years to come.