InvestigateWest today announced it has received a second $100,000 gift from local philanthropists Lisa Mennet and Paul Joseph Brown, enabling the nonprofit news organization to continue its singular pursuit of change-making investigative journalism for the Pacific Northwest.

The gift follows another $100,000 donation from the couple in 2020.

Lisa Mennet and Paul Joseph Brown


“We firmly believe that nonprofit investigative journalism is vital to public health and to critical issues facing communities across the Northwest. The true value of InvestigateWest is evident in its journalism, in how it seeks to protect the public’s interest and hold government and corporate power accountable,” says Paul Joseph Brown. “Lisa and I are proud to support InvestigateWest’s special brand of in-depth reporting, and we have seen first-hand how the organization leverages every dollar to support its important mission.”

Jacob Fries, InvestigateWest’s newly appointed executive director, says the funds will go directly to bolster its ongoing reporting efforts across the Pacific Northwest. He adds that it’s because of generous donors like Lisa and Paul that the news organization can remain focused on investigative reporting that produces real-life change and, bit by bit, makes the Pacific Northwest a better place.

“We at InvestigateWest are eternally grateful to Lisa and Paul,” Jacob says. “Without their support and the support of generous donors like them, InvestigateWest would not be where it is today. Because of them, reporters are hard at work digging up the next big story.”

For more information about InvestigateWest, or how to donate to the organization’s mission, please call Jacob at (509) 251-4500 or visit INVW.org.