What Common Dreams does

Common Dreams is a 501(c)(3) independent, reader-funded nonprofit news organization founded in 1997 by Craig Brown and Lina Newhouser to provide progressive journalism free from corporate advertising and ownership influence. It operates a single core product — the commondreams.org website — publishing daily breaking news, opinion, and editorial coverage across five topic verticals: politics, climate, economy, rights & justice, and war & peace. The site distributes through a free, no-paywall access model paired with a daily email newsletter, an extensive Progressive Newswire aggregating press releases from 200+ partner advocacy organizations, and parallel feeds on Twitter/X, BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, and RSS.

The underlying technology is a conventional web publishing platform with an email newsletter distribution system; the company explicitly does not operate a mobile application, public API, or proprietary AI/ML infrastructure. The Progressive Newswire functions as a network-distributed product layer, allowing partner organizations (Planned Parenthood Action Fund, ACLU Florida, Sunrise Movement, Democratic Socialists of America, and dozens of labor, climate, civil rights, and international groups) to publish press releases directly to the Common Dreams audience. Headcount is reported at 1-10 employees, with a mailing address in Portland, ME.

Revenue is generated entirely through reader donations across an unusually broad funding stack: one-time and monthly online donations via credit cards, PayPal, bank transfers, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Venmo; ActBlue contributions; donor-advised fund gifts; qualified charitable distributions from IRAs; stocks, bonds, and other asset gifts; and legacy bequests included in wills, trusts, or estate plans. The organization explicitly disclaims corporate sponsors, paywalls, and billionaire backers, and the website has indicated ongoing fundraising difficulty. The sole disclosed leadership figure is co-founder Craig Brown; detailed management and headcount structures are not provided in the source data.

Name

Common Dreams

Legal name

Common Dreams, Inc.

Website

https://commondreams.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Common Dreams is a 501(c)(3) independent nonprofit news organization founded in 1997 that publishes progressive breaking news, opinion, and a partner newswire to a global readership through commondreams.org and a daily email newsletter, funded exclusively by individual reader donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital News Media

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (81331)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)

akta.pro primary industry

Alternative/Independent Newsweeklies & Opinion Press (MPAJADAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Nonprofit & Cause Communications (BPAFADAK)

Keywords

• Progressive news
• Independent journalism
• Nonprofit newsroom
• Opinion editorial
• Press release distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Reader Donations: Common Dreams is funded exclusively by reader donations. They accept one-time and monthly online donations, checks, money orders, and various payment methods including credit cards, PayPal, bank transfers, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Venmo. Donations are also accepted through ActBlue.
2. Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) Gifts: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Common Dreams accepts gifts from donor-advised funds through check or electronic transfer.
3. Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCD) from IRA: Individuals aged 70½ or older may donate directly from an IRA through qualified charitable distributions.
4. Stock and Asset Donations: Common Dreams accepts donations of stocks, bonds, or other assets through their Charles Schwab account.
5. Legacy Gifts: Readers can include Common Dreams in their will, trust, or estate plan to support long-term independent journalism.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Common Dreams is a 501(c)(3) reader-funded nonprofit news outlet that publishes free breaking news, in-depth reporting, and opinion pieces from a progressive perspective covering politics, climate, economy, rights & justice, and war & peace. It also operates a Progressive Newswire that aggregates and distributes press releases from partner advocacy organizations. All content is freely accessible with no paywalls, no advertising, and no corporate sponsors.

Product overview

Common Dreams is a progressive nonprofit news organization offering free, independent journalism focused on politics, climate, economy, rights & justice, and war & peace. The organization operates a website featuring breaking news, opinion pieces, and a Progressive Newswire service for partner organizations. Revenue is generated through reader donations, with no corporate sponsors or paywalls. The core offerings include the news platform, opinion section, email newsletter, and donation processing for reader support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Common Dreams News Breaking news and in-depth reporting on politics, climate, economy, rights & justice, and war & peace topics from a progressive perspective, published on the Common Dreams website for free public access.
• Common Dreams Opinion Commentary and editorial pieces from progressive writers, activists, and thought leaders on current events and policy issues, hosted on the Common Dreams website.
• Progressive Newswire A press release distribution and aggregation service that publishes announcements from progressive advocacy organizations and nonprofits such as Earthjustice, Oceana, CODEPINK, Center for Biological Diversity, and the Center for Economic and Policy Research.
• Email Newsletter

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Planned Parenthood Action FundcoreOthersPartner organization featured on Common Dreams platform with dedicated organization page.
• Trade Justice Education FundcoreOthersPartner organization featured on Common Dreams platform with dedicated organization page.
• Sunrise MovementcoreOthersProgressive climate organization partner with dedicated page on Common Dreams.
• Democratic Socialists of AmericacoreOthersProgressive political organization partner with dedicated page on Common Dreams.
• Green New Deal NetworkcoreOthersClimate coalition partner with dedicated page on Common Dreams.
• ACLU FloridacoreOthersCivil liberties organization partner with dedicated page on Common Dreams.
• Data for ProgresscoreOthersProgressive research organization partner with dedicated page on Common Dreams.
• Progressive InternationalcoreOthersInternational progressive organization partner with dedicated page on Common Dreams.
• Fridays for FuturecoreOthersClimate youth movement partner with dedicated page on Common Dreams.
• Food Research and Action CenterminorOthersAnti-hunger organization featured on Common Dreams platform.
• Friends of the Earth InternationalminorOthersInternational environmental organization featured on Common Dreams platform.
• EarthjusticeminorOthersEnvironmental law organization that distributes press releases through Common Dreams Progressive NewsWire.
• OceanaminorOthersOcean conservation organization that distributes press releases through Common Dreams Progressive NewsWire.
• CODEPINKminorOthersPeace and social justice organization that distributes press releases through Common Dreams Progressive NewsWire.
• Center for Biological DiversityminorOthersEnvironmental organization that distributes press releases through Common Dreams Progressive NewsWire.
• Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR)minorOthersEconomic policy think tank that distributes press releases through Common Dreams Progressive NewsWire.
• American Federation of TeachersminorOthersTeachers union featured on Common Dreams platform.
• National Education Association (NEA)minorOthersEducation union featured on Common Dreams platform.
• Communications Workers of AmericaminorOthersLabor union featured on Common Dreams platform.
• Our RevolutionminorOthersProgressive political organization featuring Bernie Sanders-affiliated groups.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• ProPublica: ProPublica is the largest and best-funded U.S. nonprofit investigative newsroom, broadly comparable to Common Dreams as a donor-supported independent news organization, but at substantially greater scale, with Pulitzer-winning investigative journalism across a wider topic scope.
• HuffPost: HuffPost is a major digital news outlet with a progressive editorial perspective, covering politics, opinion, and lifestyle. Comparable to Common Dreams in progressive audience overlap and web-first publishing, though substantially larger, ad-supported, and broader in scope.

Direct peers

• Mother Jones: Mother Jones is a nonprofit progressive investigative news magazine covering politics, environment, and social justice. Directly comparable to Common Dreams as a progressive nonprofit news outlet with a donor-supported model, but with a much larger reporting team and stronger investigative brand.
• Truthout: Truthout is a nonprofit news and opinion outlet covering politics, environment, and social justice from a progressive perspective. Closely comparable to Common Dreams in scope, audience, donor-supported model, and editorial positioning, though with a smaller but distinct readership.
• The Nation: The Nation is the oldest continuously published progressive magazine in the U.S. (founded 1865), covering politics, opinion, and investigative journalism from a progressive perspective — directly comparable to Common Dreams' progressive opinion/news positioning, though longer-form magazine format.
• The Intercept: The Intercept is a nonprofit, progressive-leaning investigative news outlet covering national security, civil liberties, politics, and corruption. Directly comparable as a digital-first progressive nonprofit news organization with similar audience and editorial stance, founded by First Look Media.
• Democracy Now!: Democracy Now! is an independent, nonprofit progressive news program covering politics, climate, human rights, and global affairs. Directly comparable to Common Dreams in audience and editorial stance, though delivered as daily video/audio rather than text-based web publishing.
• In These Times: In These Times is a nonprofit progressive magazine covering labor, politics, and social movements. Comparable to Common Dreams as a progressive nonprofit news outlet with a similar ideological positioning and donor-supported business model, though print and digital magazine format.
• The American Prospect: The American Prospect is a progressive policy and politics magazine covering economics, politics, and social justice from a left perspective. Comparable to Common Dreams as a progressive nonprofit news outlet, though more policy-focused and magazine-formatted.

Emerging players

• Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR): FAIR is a progressive media criticism organization that analyzes mainstream media bias and promotes independent journalism. Comparable to Common Dreams as a nonprofit progressive media organization in the same ideological ecosystem, though focused on media criticism rather than news publishing.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/commondreams
• Facebookfacebook.com/commondreams.org
• Instagraminstagram.com/commondreams
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/common-dreams

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Common Dreams