The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

WALLA WALLA—The Downtown Walla Walla Foundation (DWWF) is eliminating its business memberships beginning in 2021. These memberships, which historically have cost downtown businesses $195 and whose proceeds contribute approximately 1/16th of the Foundation’s annual budget, will be replaced with a Friends of Downtown Walla Walla fundraising model instead.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the DWWF has eliminated paywalls for area businesses to have a listing on their site.

“The Downtown Walla Walla Foundation has considered it our purpose, pleasure, and honor to support downtown businesses, building owners, and our community in the last nine months, during this challenging time,” said Kathryn Witherington, Executive Director of the DWWF. “We’ve decided to eliminate our business membership for several reasons. First, it is our mission to promote the history, culture, and commerce of downtown as a whole, not just those stakeholders who choose to be members. Second, we believe our businesses have enough financial worries without feeling obligated to be members. And finally, our work is about what we all do together. Our services are available to any and all downtown businesses, regardless of their ability or desire to pay a membership fee.”

In place of the business memberships, the Foundation will continue to invite downtown and community stakeholders to become Friends of Downtown Walla Walla. At a lower rate of just $99 annually, the new Friends contributions aim to raise a similar amount to the former business memberships by increasing the total number of donors. Community members interested in becoming Friends of Downtown Walla Walla can visit downtownwallawalla.com to learn more. Those who donate this month through Blue Mountain Community Foundation’s Charitable Gift Guide will have their donation matched through All in WA.

Witherington adds, “downtown Walla Walla is about more than just our downtown merchants. It’s about all of Walla Walla working together to create a vibrant, healthy heart of our community. We can’t wait to work with all of our friends in the new year.”