Keep the Red Raven Aloft!

The Ravens have asked that I share this message on their behalf:

"The Red Raven is an anarchist coffee shop, community, art and music venue, and sober third space. We are queer, BIPOC, first gen American, veteran, neurodivergent, worker-owned and -operated.

We are a safe space for those who are marginalized by society and don’t have a safe space in the community. There are a handful of spaces that are queer-friendly in the FM area; we are one of the few openly queer businesses on the Moorhead side and we were openly welcomed here. We don’t require people to spend money to exist and we encourage loitering.

We lost our home in Fargo in 2022, but after many months of preparation and delays, we finally reopened in Moorhead in March 2024. We have had several longstanding Ravens move on to other projects and several new Ravens enter the space, and the resulting transitional period has been difficult to navigate, especially financially.

We serve a population that may not always have $3 to spend on a chai latte, so we offer pay-when-you-can tabs and choose-your-price meals, which we think is incredibly important. But it puts us in a tricky situation when it comes to rent. As much as we dislike operating in this capitalist hellscape, in order to provide this safe space for our community (whether they are customers or not) we need to have funds. We do not take any compensation for our volunteered time and work: even our tip jar usually goes back into keeping the lights and wifi on in the Raven.

We are seeking $20,000 to help offset operating costs as we continue to find our footing in a new state. We plan to use these funds to pay immediate bills like utilities and rent as well as invest in our own self-sufficiency.

One important aspect of the previous location was its music venue. While we do currently have a venue space and we are putting on shows (with significant limitations), we need funds to soundproof in order to be conscientious neighbors to the other businesses in our building. We also need funds for additional equipment necessary to host more musical artists so we can appropriately address their needs when they book with us. Funds would also be used to finalize the venue space for use by our monthly artist renters, which will bring in additional revenue.

Something any visitor to the Raven knows: we do not have a fully functional espresso machine. Funds would be used to either repair our existing behemoth machine or purchase a working machine to replace it.

Some unfamiliar with the Red Raven might be asking, “If they don’t have espresso or regular music shows yet, what DO they have?” We have coffee (french press and cold brew); we make our chai, lemonade, and syrups from scratch; we partner with a local, woman-owned bakery for baked goods like croissants and bagels; we have house-made vegan meal options (including authentic Palestinian hummus and flatbread); we host activism events and workshops, local artist markets, themed dances, drag shows, engagement parties (they said yes!!), solidarity events (like free meals and clothing swaps), and most importantly we have a diverse community of people we desperately want to stay open for.

Your support would not only help us pay rent, it would maintain a safe, inclusive space for the people who need a third place (a perch that's neither work nor home) in our community and enable us to continue providing what we feel is a necessary resource."

Any amount will be gratefully received. If you aren't able to donate, please share and send good thoughts!