Don't take our word for it.
Portland Civic Lab publishes analysis about the same governments that can hire it. That only works if the rules, the money, and the conflicts are public — so they live on this page, where anyone can check them.
The rules we operate under
These aren't aspirations. They're operating rules — and if you catch us breaking one, we want to hear about it.
One side per matter
We never take money from two parties with opposing interests in the same transaction. If we're advising a public body on a deal, nobody across the table is paying us anything.
We compete for public work
No sole-source awards, and no pricing engineered to slip under procurement thresholds. If a government wants ongoing work from us, it should run a process someone else could win.
Spec-writer or bidder — never both
If we help a public body scope a solicitation, we disclose that in writing and accept that we may be barred from bidding on the result. Understanding the problem is not a license to write our own shopping list.
Conflicts are flagged in the work itself
When a finding or recommendation touches something we sell, the document says so, in place — and recommends independent validation before any procurement. You should never need this page to spot the conflict.
No grading our own homework
We don't evaluate programs whose systems or data pipelines we built unless an outside evaluator of record signs the result.
Written for the public record
We assume every message we send a public official will be read by the public — under Oregon law, it usually can be. We write accordingly, and we'd be comfortable with any of it on a front page.
Every government contract we hold
None.
As of August 2026, Portland Civic Lab holds no contract with any government. When that changes, the contract appears here — client, scope, dollar value, and dates — within a week of signature.
How the Lab is funded today
Portland Civic Lab is a for-profit company, funded today by its founder and by contributions from supporters who want the public tools to stay free. Because we're a company rather than a charity, contributions aren't tax-deductible — we say so everywhere we ask.
If an institution ever sponsors a piece of public research, the sponsor is named on the work itself. Sponsors fund the question, never the answer — and paid work of any kind never buys a conclusion. Every engagement we take preserves our right to publish disagreement.
We use the public records law we tell you about
The Lab files its own Oregon public records requests to fill gaps in the city's data — and tracks every request, and every outcome, in public.
Questions about anything on this page — or something you think belongs on it? Ask us directly