About the Coalition
We're a nonpartisan, community-powered watchdog organization dedicated to bringing transparency and accountability to Humboldt County government.
Our Mission
The Transparent Humboldt Coalition exists to ensure that every resident of Humboldt County has meaningful access to information about how their government operates, how public money is spent, and how decisions that affect their lives are made.
We believe that transparency is not a partisan issue. When government operates in the open, everyone benefits: better decisions, less waste, more trust, and stronger community engagement. When it doesn't, accountability disappears and public trust erodes.
We do the unglamorous work of democracy: filing records requests, sitting through committee meetings, parsing budget documents, and building tools that make public information actually accessible to the public.
Our Principles
Nonpartisan
We don't endorse candidates or take sides in elections. We follow the evidence wherever it leads, regardless of who it implicates.
Evidence-Based
Every claim we make is backed by source documents. We publish our data and methodology so anyone can verify our work.
Open by Default
Our tools, data, and processes are public. Transparency applies to us too. We hold ourselves to the same standard we demand of government.
Community-Powered
We're volunteers and concerned residents. No corporate sponsors, no political donors. Our loyalty is to the public interest.
Our Story
Coalition Founded
A group of Humboldt County residents concerned about government accountability formalized the Transparent Humboldt Coalition.
First Major Investigation
Published our first comprehensive analysis of county contract awards, revealing patterns in no-bid contract allocation.
FOIA Program Launched
Began systematic public records requests across all county departments, building our document archive.
Data Portal Launch
Launched our public data portal, making county records searchable and downloadable for the first time.
Liberation Labs Spin-Off
Spun off our technology arm into Liberation Labs, building AI-powered tools for progressive organizers nationwide.
Get Involved
There are many ways to contribute to government accountability in Humboldt County.
Volunteer
Attend meetings, file records requests, or help analyze data. Every hour counts.
Spread the Word
Share our findings with your community. Transparency works when people pay attention.
Donate
Support FOIA filing costs, data infrastructure, and the tools that make this work possible.
We are a 501(c)(4). Contributions are not tax-deductible as charitable contributions.
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