Closing Remarks #12

Hello everyone and welcome to the newest subscribers!

The other day, a friend (hi, Oliie!) asked if it was OK to forward me news of organizations closing. Absolutely! I actually started the newsletter because people were already forwarding me and tagging me in such news, and I thought I ought to share.

Not only is it a big help when people spot closures and send them to me, it also confirms that awareness is growing about the ways these endings ripple through so many parts of our lives and worlds.

So, be like my friend Ollie, and feel free to share any endings or discussion of closures with me. You can also just hit reply to say hi!

1) Beloved NYC community space counts down its days
The site of Elizabeth Street Garden has been part of the city's public landscape for over 200 years. The housing department says the land must be turned over to build affordable housing for poor LGBTQ+ seniors. Park advocates say they are proposing alternative sites to the city.

2) Global sharing economy collective consciously shutters
"This composting effort should serve as a liberation of energy, an opening for further emergence, an opening to see where the water will flow."
In a lovingly crafted webpage, the Ouishare team explains why now was the right time to end.

3) Theater's closure represents another crack in Minnesota ecosystem
As mentioned last week in CR #11, Minnesota's NGOs are on the ropes, and this announcement from Minneapolis's HUGE Theater is just another blow. For 19 years, HUGE provided a space for performers to practice and learn improv comedy in the state. The group was already reeling from controversy about its DEI practices, when they were hit with substantial, unexpected heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) challenges in their new space that resulted in the loss of access to their teaching/performance space as well as a debilitating financial burden.

5) Sale of shuttered VT college campus falls through
When Vermont's Goddard College announced its sunset six months ago, several groups approached the trustees with intentions to purchase the campus. Thus far, none of these efforts have borne fruit.

6) Community recycling center winds down
Brighton and Hove Wood Recycling Project's revenue model centered around the re-sale of wood waste. However, the UK wood industry has clearly done too good of a job minimizing waste on the production side such that the project is no longer viable.

7) UK board education initiative reaches the end of the line
Getting On Board was an almost 20 year-old organization dedicated to improving representation and effectiveness on charity boards. Though a lack of funds led to this untimely end, they plan to keep their resources up online in the hope that someone else will be inspired to pick up this important (and critical!) work.

Closing Remarks is brought to you by The Wind Down, a consultancy for exploring, building, designing, and delivering better non-profit endings. If you're enjoying it, please support my work.