Donate to Ooligan Press

“The Portland State Publishing program gives the next generation of publishers the essential skills they need to succeed in this ever-evolving, complex industry. The students are some of the hardest working people I have ever met and are incredibly passionate about what they do.”

–Donor Melanie Heath on why she gives to the Ooligan Press Fund

Ways to Support

The Master’s program in Publishing at Portland State University, and its student-staffed publishing house Ooligan Press, are populated by a diverse and passionate group of graduate students who want to take part in an immersive study of the publishing industry.

The Ooligan Press Fund supports our student-operated Ooligan Press, which publishes books steeped in the cultural diversity of the Pacific Northwest. As a donor, you will support these students in the pursuit of their goals through your contributions to any one of our three funds. Our newest fund, the Dennis Stovall First Edition Award, recognizes the work of outstanding students in the Publishing program at the Nina Mae Kellogg Awards ceremony.

Please follow the links below for more information on each fund and consider making a contribution today.

• Ooligan Press General Fund
  The students in the Publishing program have worked tirelessly to build a catalog of quality books in a range of genres from fiction and young adult fiction to nonfiction and poetry, to move our catalog into the digital realm by publishing e-books, as well as to build a publishing conference. And that’s not all. This year alone, two of our titles received special recognition in the Oregon literary community. Ruth Tenzer Feldman’s young adult novel Blue Thread was a recipient of the 2013 Oregon Book Award for Young Adult Literature, and Robin Cody’s Ricochet River was chosen as a Hood River County Library’s Everybody Reads selection. The students in the Publishing program have big goals, not only for their education and careers, but for the future of Ooligan Press.If you’re visiting this page, you probably already know that Ooligan Press is a student-staffed publishing house incorporated into the Master’s program in Publishing at Portland State University. What you may not realize, however, is that Ooligan Press is also a non-profit. We depend not only on the sales of our books to keep the lights on and our titles in print, but also on the generosity of donors to help us with the day-to-day costs of running a publishing house.

  The financial realities of running a publishing house don’t always align with students’ visions for the press. This is where help from donors is needed. Your contributions make it possible to turn students’ ideas into realities. Giving to the Ooligan Press Fund helps cover printing costs, general operations, promoting the press, and educational opportunities for students. If you like our books, our events, or simply our pluck, consider making a tax-deductible gift to Ooligan Press. Get started at the PSU Foundation.

• Funding the Sustainability Initiative
  As part of its commitment to sustainability, Ooligan Press began the OpenBook series in 2009. The OpenBook series, so named because of our commitment to transparency, is a line of books printed using the most sustainable materials and processes available. It represents Ooligan Press’s dedication to creating books that meet the economic, social, and environmental needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations. All books in the OpenBook series have the OpenBook logo on the cover and an OpenBook Audit inside, which calculates the paper and ink used and the overall environmental impact of the printing process. The Green Press Initiative (GPI) recently certified Ooligan Press as an Environmentally Responsible Publisher. GPI publisher certification is given to publishers that take a leadership role in reducing social and environmental impacts. The certification looks at a publisher’s aggregate paper use over the course of a year to ensure that they have eliminated virtually all paper that is sourced from high conservation value forests. Additionally in order to become certified, a publisher must meet required benchmarks for using recycled fiber and paper that is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). This certification was made possible thanks to the hard work of Ooligan Press students.The Ooligan Press Sustainability Initiative was created as part of our effort to promote sustainable publishing practices. All donations to the fund will be used to print our OpenBook series, to send students to workshops and conferences where they can learn about and teach sustainable publishing practices, and to help the press maintain industry standards in sustainability.
• Dennis Stovall First Edition Award
  Honoring the founding director of both the Master’s program in Publishing and its student-staffed publishing house, Ooligan Press, the Dennis Stovall First Edition Award is given once a year to the student who best exemplifies the Publishing program’s mission. In particular, the panel of experts judging student applications for the Dennis Stovall First Edition Award look for evidence that the student has both breadth and depth in his or her publishing education. The award is bestowed in the English Department’s end-of-year, high-profile Nina Mae Kellogg Awards ceremony.This award was initially made possible thanks to the generous donation of an anonymous donor. The generosity of additional donors, such as yourself, will sustain the award for years to come, thereby acknowledging and supporting excellent student work. Please consider contributing to this award and to our students’ success.

  Dennis Stovall First Edition Award Winners

  2015: Stephanie Podmore

  

  I am tremendously honored to be this year’s Dennis Stovall First Edition Award winner. This high achievement, which acknowledges my commitment and hard work, encourages me to continue doing the things I enjoy most. Knowing the immense talent and quality work that comes out of this program makes this award mean that much more to me.

  —Stephanie Podmore

  2014: Sarah Currin-Moles

  

  My time in the Book Publishing program was easily the most rewarding educational experience I’ve ever had. The program’s unique combination of scholarship and practical experience gave me a broad set of publishing skills that allows me to move fluidly between different areas of the industry and create an exciting and multifaceted career for myself. I’m so grateful for my time in Ooligan Press and the lessons I’ve learned from the program’s experienced teachers; their knowledge and dedication form the foundation on which the success of their students is built.

  Having been given this distinguished award is a crowning achievement of my graduate studies. It both acknowledges the quality of my work and helps communicate my abilities and my level of commitment to the professional world. I’m flattered to have my work recognized by the English Department and the university; being a part of the legacy of the book publishing program and of the Kellogg Awards themselves is a great honor.

  —Sarah Currin-Moles

  2013: Olivia Croom

  

  The Publishing program provided a solid platform that allowed me to pursue my goals and develop my individual interests. The classes taught by industry professionals, the experience I gained as project manager for Ooligan Press, and the internships I pursued in Portland’s small press industry gave me both an academic and real-world understanding of marketing, sales, graphic design, editing, and writing—an unusual combination of skills that allowed me to jump into the business world and secure full-time work upon graduation.

  To have my graduate work singled out and recognized for the inaugural Dennis Stovall First Edition Award is a tremendous honor that has allowed me to stay involved in the area of publishing that I love the most: book design for small presses. Recognition of outstanding graduate work has significant practical potential; it tells people outside the academic world about the recipient’s work ethic and dedication. It is a huge step forward for the Publishing program to have such an accolade to give, and I hope to see it continue.

  —Olivia Croom

You can also support student publishing and Ooligan Press while shopping at Bookshop.org using our affiliate link.
“Bookshop is an online bookstore with a mission to financially support local, independent bookstores.” Bookshop is dedicated to anyone who advocates for books through their affiliate program, which pays a 10% commission on every sale, and gives a matching 10% to independent bookstores.
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