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August 9, 2024
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You might find it funny how much time I spend looking up and thinking about synonyms for the word "closure" --- wrap-up, wind-up, cessation, conclusion, shutdown, and the list goes on and on in lots of directions. No matter how many turns of phrase I play around with, there still never seem to be enough, and lots of them just don't seem to sit right. Finale feels too theatrical, as does climax and crescendo. Zenith and finish seem too sporty, while arrestment and suspension seem too... indecisive and kinda punitive?
Do we not have great words for organizational ends because we don't talk about these things....or do we not talk about these challenging endings because we lack precise language? I'm not sure, but I am definitely still thinking about it as I scroll back and forth in the thesaurus.
In the meantime, here are a few arresting links from this week.
1) UK leisure center shuttered after generations of service Folkestone Sports Centre was opened with much fanfare in 1972, and served generations of individuals and families in the Kent area. It announced its abrupt end less than a week before it went out business --- giving their large staff and their members a mere days' notice.
The community is petitioning to explore how and whether the facility can be reopened. In the meantime, it might be wise to remove the "Twitter coming soon" notice from the website footer.
2) Rochester Families Lose Valuable Childcare
The August 1st announcement of the impending August 30th spin down of the Minnesota-area Rochester Early Childhood Learning Center has left families in the area scrambling for options. According to news reports, high costs of operation along with staffing shortages prompted the decision.
3) 700 US Hospitals Face Closure
While I encounter news of hospitals shuttering every week, I was not sure if what I was seeing was a huge trend. However, my suspicions were concerned when I stumbled upon this Axios article. It turns out that while many large urban hospital systems are in boom times, many rural hospitals suffered through the pandemic and are now in financial dire straits.
While private equity firms have been circling rural health centers in many areas offering what looks like a financial lifeline, it remains to be seen what this will mean in terms of health outcomes and access.
5) Santa Cruz Ballet Theater Dances Off
Established in 1972 and beloved for its annual Christmas show, the Northern California-based ballet company and studio faced dwindling enrollment and financial woes in recent years. While the loss of the theater will leave a hole in the community, the artistic director will continue to explore ways to foster dance, nurture budding dancers in the area, and cheer on the many generations of successful professionals who launched their careers at Santa Cruz.
6) Venture For America Shuts Down
Founded by former presidential candidate, Andrew Yang, VFA aimed to support young entrepreneurs breaking into tech. The organization's demise comes amid a shifting climate that has seen many tech-focused nonprofits abruptly end.
7) Political Support Fails to Save Planned Parenthood NY Clinics
Despite unwavering political support in the state of New York, Planned Parenthood still intends to close 3 clinics this year. While the state allocated $35 million to keep the organization afloat, it seems to have proven far too little to meet the reproductive health needs of patients from across the state and (likely!) beyond.
8) Professor Sherry Turkle on AI and Death
"I worry about how these things are being marketed because literally, they say, you don't have to say goodbye. And I am very concerned about that."
I'm usually no big fan of Professor Turkle, as I've often found her takes on technology and society to be overly alarmist and essentialist. However, I did enjoy this conversation on a recent TED radio hour, where she speaks about Live Forever Mode and the idea of AI mimicking people that have died.
Part of the work of hospicing organizations entails some amount of archiving, to graciously leave a breadcrumb trail for those who will follow along and pick up the mission once your organization's work is done. What will it mean if instead of simple digital archives for us to parse and use as we see fit, we have AI creating plans and policy based on its algorithmic assessment of how we acted in the past? What would t help? What would it harm?
Yours in the end,
Camille
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Closing Remarks is brought to you by The Wind Down, a consultancy exploring, building, designing, and delivering better non-profit endings.
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