How to help the Independent live a long and fruitful life

The Juneau Independent celebrates its first anniversary at Twin Lakes on Saturday, June 20, 2026. (Photo by Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Independent)

(Editor’s note: The one-year anniversary of the Juneau Independent was Saturday, June 20, 2026. This is part of a series of articles focusing on the intent, to-date efforts and future plans of the nonprofit online local newspaper. The first of the series was about the expansion of digital nonprofit news and our memberships. The second detailed the Independent's current fiscal situation and needs.)

By Lori Thomson

One of the first questions we received from a newspaper supporter at the Independent’s first fundraiser in February was, “How can we help the Independent?”

It was a great question and, at that time, we didn’t have much of an answer. But we have been thinking — a lot — about it since and have several answers now. For those of you who would like to see the Independent celebrate its second anniversary, and many more after that, these are ways you can help:

Help us find ad reps: We need several people who believe in the Independent’s mission and have the time to sell ads and sponsorships. A strong advertising base is absolutely vital to the Independent lasting well beyond 2026. A good ad rep is a real people-person — someone who enjoys nurturing long-term relationships with local businesses and organizations, and will help them get their message out to the community. This is a paid position, earning up to 30% commission, depending on sales and experience. We need both part-time and full-time reps. Please spread the word about these much-needed positions. 

Write grant proposals: As independent nonprofit newspapers like ours have sprung up all over the country, grants have become a major source of funding for these start-ups. We are developing a list of potential grantors that can help us keep our doors open, and have applied for some. But our current grant writer is also our business manager and has many other duties on her plate. We would love to have some grant writers who can assist with grant applications.

Volunteer for fundraising events: We need people who are willing to set up for events and clean up afterward. And if you are one of those people who love planning a party, we would also appreciate your help. Let us know what you would like to do in this department and we’ll contact you when fundraisers are planned.

Staff our donations table: You may have seen a Juneau Independent table at the Public Market or other local events. This volunteer job involves answering people’s questions about the Independent, signing them up for our free newsletter, or helping them donate. I volunteered at the Independent’s table at the Maritime Festival and found it to be really fun. I was amazed by all the goodwill festival goers directed at the Juneau Independent and I got to chat with a lot of people I haven’t seen in a long time. Let us know if you’d like to be put on the list of volunteers. 

Help in other ways: If you’d like to volunteer for the Independent, but none of the tasks I’ve mentioned sound like your thing, please let us know that you’d like to be on the list for general volunteers. We might call you to see if you can help move a grill for our next barbecue. And we will likely have a wide array of small jobs that we cannot describe at this point. We appreciate any and all the help you can provide.

One of the most inspiring things I’ve experienced with the Independent is discovering how many people care about independent news in our community and how many people want to help. For all of this, we are very grateful.

Anyone who is interested in any of the jobs above, or would like more information, please email lcthomson18@gmail.com. Lori Thomson is chairman of the Juneau Independent’s Finance Committee, the secretary for the newspaper’s board of directors and former managing editor of the Juneau Empire.