About Us
North Star Civic Foundation
North Star is a private foundation based in Portland, Oregon. We believe that economic opportunity and an open democracy go hand in hand — and we’re energized to build a future where both are accessible to all. On a day-to-day basis, we create collaborative spaces where civic leaders can develop visionary solutions to complex public interest problems.
Our work on Charter Reform
Since 2020 we’ve been learning about proposed changes to Portland’s Charter and participating in citywide conversations to explore how these changes might help shape a more open, inclusive and effective city government. We’re enthusiastic about the Charter Review Commission’s proposal and look forward to a robust community education process as voters all over the city learn more about it.
We provide this resource to journalists to help ground the public conversation about city government reform in well-researched information and data. We have aimed to create a simple and accessible source of information, carefully cited with reputable sources, that will support your curious and balanced coverage of the campaigns and policy.
We’re not shy about our support for the reforms. Our 501(c)4 sister organization, North Star Action, has contributed to the campaign. But our mission is bigger than any single reform. Supporting data-driven solutions and quality journalism is at the heart of our work. We hope you’ll find that the resources provided here support both.
Our Research Team
Marina Kaminsky, Research Manager. Marina holds a Master’s degree in public administration from the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington and a Bachelor’s degree in economics from Reed College. Prior to joining North Star, Marina spent several years supporting research on international rural and agricultural development, public health, and migration through positions at the Evans School Policy Analysis and Research Group, Innovations for Poverty Action, and the Center for Global Development.
Lilian Nikiforova, IREX Fellow. Lilian is a data visualization and political expert at IPED Institute for Public Environment Development in Sofia, Bulgaria. She is completing a four month Fellowship at North Star Civic Foundation.
Jasmine Gloden, Compass Fellow. Jasmine is a student at Portland State University studying Quantitative Economics.
Nikki Martinez, Compass Fellow. Nikki is a student at Portland State University studying Economics, Japanese, and International Studies.
Riley Phoenix, Compass Fellow. Riley is a student at American University studying International Studies.