Street Roots
Street Roots is a Portland-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1999, that publishes a weekly investigative street newspaper sold by ~400 unhoused and low-income vendors annually. It also produces the 200,000-copy Rose City Resource Guide distributed free to 450+ social services partners across three Oregon counties.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersPortland, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Street Roots does
Street Roots is a Portland, Oregon-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1999 that produces an award-winning weekly street newspaper as the anchor of a multi-product social enterprise. Its core offering is the Street Roots Newspaper, an investigative publication covering housing, LGBTQ issues, immigration, and Portland community affairs, sold on public sidewalks by a network of approximately 400 vendors annually (over 100 active weekly), roughly half of whom are unhoused. Vendors purchase papers for $0.25 and sell them for $1.00, keeping the $0.75 margin plus tips, which provides a low-barrier income opportunity requiring no ID and no fixed schedule.
The organization's revenue and program model blends three streams: vendor wholesale paper sales (transaction-fee model), donations and fundraising campaigns (individual donors, corporate matching, stock gifts, vehicle donations, BottleDrop Give, plus a Spring Campaign targeting $40,000), and corporate and government sponsorships underwriting the Rose City Resource Guide. The Rose City Resource Guide is a twice-yearly print directory of homelessness, food, shelter, housing, and healthcare services for Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington counties, with 200,000 copies distributed free each year through 450+ partner organizations including hospitals, county governments, and community nonprofits. Sub-products include the Branching Out bulk subscription service (minimum 20 papers/week at $1 to businesses and housing complexes) and the Ambassador Program (paid vendor outreach roles for public health, surveys, and trainings).
Street Roots is governed by a volunteer board chaired by Nick Bjork and led operationally by Executive Director Jill Geltmaker, with a staff of approximately 16 covering editorial, vendor program, development, operations, and finance. The underlying technology is intentionally minimal: standard Newspack CMS for the website, RSS distribution, and social media channels (Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, Twitter) — no proprietary platform, app, or AI components. The organization is privately held as a nonprofit with no parent company, no venture capital, and no M&A activity, serving the Portland metro area exclusively under a "For those who can't afford free speech" tagline.
Street Roots firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Street Roots
- Legal name
- Street Roots
- Website
- https://streetroots.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Street Roots is a Portland-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1999, that publishes a weekly investigative street newspaper sold by ~400 unhoused and low-income vendors annually. It also produces the 200,000-copy Rose City Resource Guide distributed free to 450+ social services partners across three Oregon counties.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Street Roots industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Nonprofit Social Enterprise Media
- NAICS
- Other Community Housing Services (624229), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB)
Keywords
Where Street Roots is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Portland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Street Roots business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Newspaper Sales: Vendors purchase papers for 25 cents each and sell them for $1, keeping all profits and tips. This low-barrier income opportunity is the core revenue mechanism for vendors.
- Donations and Fundraising: Street Roots relies on donations from supporters including individual donors, corporate matching gift programs, and fundraising campaigns. The organization ran a Spring Campaign raising $40,000. Donations can be made online, by mail, through stock gifts, vehicle donations, and BottleDrop Give program.
- Rose City Resource Guide Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors fund the Rose City Resource Guide distribution. Sponsors include healthcare providers, government agencies, financial institutions, and community organizations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Vendor newspaper purchase - 25 cents per copy |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Rose City Resource Guide - Free distribution |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Street Roots product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Street Roots is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that publishes an award-winning weekly investigative newspaper focused on homelessness, poverty, housing, and social justice in Portland. The newspaper is sold on the street by approximately 400 vendors annually who purchase copies for $0.25 and resell them for $1, retaining the profit and tips as a low-barrier income opportunity. The organization also publishes the Rose City Resource Guide, a free print directory of services for people experiencing homelessness distributed to 450+ organizations.
Product overview
Street Roots is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that operates as a multi-product media and social enterprise. The core offerings include the award-winning weekly Street Roots Newspaper (investigative journalism focused on homelessness and poverty), the Vendor Program (a low-barrier income opportunity where vendors purchase papers for 25 cents and sell for $1), the Rose City Resource Guide (a comprehensive print service directory published twice yearly with 200,000 annual copies), the Branching Out subscription service (bulk newspaper delivery via vendors), and the Ambassador Program (paid outreach and training roles for select vendors). These products work together to create income opportunities, provide vital community resources, and produce impactful journalism.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Rose City Resource: The most comprehensive print list of services for people experiencing homelessness and poverty in Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington counties. 200,000 guides published annually and distributed free of charge.
- Branching Out
Products and services
- Street Roots Newspaper A weekly, award-winning investigative newspaper focused on local journalism, in-depth reporting, and stories that hold powerful institutions accountable, particularly on issues affecting people experiencing homelessness and poverty in Portland. Topics include housing, LGBTQ issues, immigration, and Portland community news.
- Vendor Program A low-barrier work program providing people experiencing homelessness and poverty the opportunity to earn income by purchasing newspapers for $0.25 and selling them for $1, keeping all profits and tips. No ID required, no fixed scheduling, and flexible hours. Approximately 400 vendors participate annually.
- Rose City Resource Guide The most comprehensive print guide of services for people experiencing homelessness and poverty in Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington counties. Published twice yearly with 200,000 guides printed annually and distributed free of charge to over 450 organizations including hospitals, government agencies, and community businesses.
- Branching Out A newspaper subscription and delivery service where vendors deliver bulk newspapers (minimum 20 copies per week at $1 each) to businesses, housing complexes, and organizations, creating a more reliable weekly income for vendors.
- Ambassador Program A program where select Street Roots vendors are paid to perform additional work including public health outreach, surveys, and trainings in the community, extending vendor income opportunities beyond newspaper sales.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 400 vendors earn income annually through the program
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Street Roots
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Street Roots technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Street Roots partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Pride NorthwestcoreStreet Roots partners with Pride Northwest for Portland Pride Festival coverage and community engagement. Street Roots staff cover Pride events and produce content about LGBTQ community celebrations.
- Oregon Black PioneersminorOregon Black Pioneers is referenced as a historical research organization. Street Roots quoted executive director Zachary Stocks in reporting on Oregon's history of slavery.
- HIV AllianceminorStreet Roots covers HIV Alliance services in reporting on HIV prevention and testing in Oregon. CAP and HIV Alliance will have booths at Portland Pride offering free HIV testing.
- Cascade AIDS ProjectminorStreet Roots covers CAP's HIV testing and prevention work. CAP will have a presence at Portland Pride festival Street Roots covers.
- Familias en AcciónminorStreet Roots covers Familias en Acción's sexual health education programs and collaboration with CAP on HIV/STI testing services for Latine communities.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Street Roots competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- The Big Issue: UK-founded international street-paper group operating franchises across multiple countries with a vendor-first employment model. Relevant as the global benchmark for the street-newspaper format Street Roots operates, but at much larger scale and as a multi-country social franchise.
Direct peers
- Street Sense Media: Washington, D.C. nonprofit that publishes a biweekly street newspaper and produces resource guides for people experiencing homelessness. Runs a parallel vendor program and employer-matched workforce development pathways, directly comparable to Street Roots' vendor and Ambassador programs.
- The Contributor: Nashville nonprofit street newspaper sold by people experiencing homelessness and poverty. Mirrors Street Roots' vendor-purchase/resale mechanics and use of newsroom-adjacent income programs to move vendors toward stable employment.
- Real Change News: Seattle-based nonprofit street newspaper sold by vendors experiencing homelessness and poverty. Operates an essentially identical low-barrier vendor income model and investigative journalism mission, making it the closest functional peer to Street Roots in the Pacific Northwest.
- Street Sheet (Coalition on Homelessness): San Francisco street newspaper published by the Coalition on Homelessness, combining vendor income, investigative journalism, and advocacy for people experiencing homelessness. Closely comparable because it fuses street-paper publishing with policy advocacy, as Street Roots does on housing and poverty.
- Spare Change News: Texas-based street newspaper and vendor program serving people experiencing homelessness in Austin/Houston. Shares Street Roots' dual social-enterprise-and-journalism model and operates a similar public-service resource-guide function for its region.
Regional players
- Central City Concern: Portland-based nonprofit providing housing, recovery, and employment services for people experiencing homelessness and poverty. Comparable because it operates in the same metro and overlaps with Street Roots' vendor population on housing, employment, and social-service referrals — and is both a Rose City Resource sponsor and an ecosystem partner.
- JOIN (Portland): Portland nonprofit focused on housing placement and employment pathways for people experiencing homelessness. Comparable in regional service overlap, with an employment-framing mission that intersects directly with Street Roots' vendor income model.
Others
- INSP (International Network of Street Papers): International umbrella organization supporting 120+ member street newspapers worldwide. Comparable to Street Roots as a member of the same trade network and as an enabling/advisory counterpart for replication and best-practice sharing.
- Rose Haven: Portland-based day shelter and resource hub for women and children experiencing homelessness. Adjacent rather than directly comparable — Street Roots does not operate shelter, but its Rose City Resource Guide is a key referral partner and Rose Haven appears in its service listings.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Street Roots social profiles
Digital presenceStreet Roots financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Street Roots leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
Street Roots funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Street Roots M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Street Roots
What does Street Roots do?
Street Roots is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that publishes an award-winning weekly investigative newspaper focused on homelessness, poverty, housing, and social justice in Portland. The newspaper is sold on the street by approximately 400 vendors annually who purchase copies for $0.25 and resell them for $1, retaining the profit and tips as a low-barrier income opportunity. The organization also publishes the Rose City Resource Guide, a free print directory of services for people experiencing homelessness distributed to 450+ organizations.
Is Street Roots a public or private company?
Street Roots is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Street Roots founded?
Street Roots was founded in 1999. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Street Roots based?
Street Roots is headquartered in Portland, United States, in the North America region.
How does Street Roots make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Newspaper Sales are the primary driver. The others are donations and Fundraising and rose City Resource Guide Sponsorships.
Who are Street Roots's main competitors?
The Big Issue is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Street Sense Media, The Contributor, Real Change News, Street Sheet (Coalition on Homelessness) and Spare Change News. Regional players are Central City Concern and JOIN (Portland). Others are INSP (International Network of Street Papers) and Rose Haven.
Does Street Roots have an API?
No public API is recorded for Street Roots.
What industry is Street Roots in?
Street Roots's product category is Nonprofit Social Enterprise Media. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAEAB, Housing Assistance & Homeless Services. Its NAICS code is 624229 and its SIC code is 8300.