Help save aequa Community Centre!
Donation protected
It’s with a heavy heart – but also an optimistic look to the future – that we call on you for help today. The aequa Community Centre in Berlin is in danger of closing.
If you have ever learned something new, made a new friend, overcome an obstacle, organised for a cause you care about, reaffirmed your values, made a life transition or just had a better day because of aequa — or because of a space like this one — we hope you’ll help us keep our doors open for years to come.
Already wondering how you can help? Here’s how.
+ make a donation here on gofundme today
+ become a monthly supporter on Patreon http://www.patreon.com/aequa/
+ book a workshop at aequa
+ rent out the space for your next meeting, workshop or event
+ share this campaign with others – a free way to help.
Here is a guide for sharing this fundraiser – full of images, text, and tips to make the most impact.
It’s true that every little bit counts – every euro raised, every link shared, every positive aequa story told – will help reach our goal to keep the community centre lights on and the doors open. Thank you!
When the dream finally became a reality
When aequa was founded in 2018, we needed a community space in Berlin — a place to gather and heal, to ask hard questions and listen to other perspectives, to empower each other, to share our experiences and to build the world we dream of.
Together with all of you, we brought it into being. The opening of the aequa CC this spring was the culmination of that dream. Finally, we had a space of our own — for workshops, film screenings, community organising, a library, a garden, marketplaces, open mics, late night mixes, early morning conversations and so much more. Dreams come true.
And then a global pandemic happened
We took over an amazing space in Wedding on March 1st. Exerzierstraße 14 is an address that was already well known in our community for the intersectional feminist, decolonial and queer events hosted here in years prior by be’kech.
But COVID-19 had other plans. Rather than reopening on March 16th, we had to close for two months of lockdown. We were devastated.
In mid-May, we reopened the coworking café for business. For three months we tried with all our might to make this adopted model work in these new conditions. Unfortunately, due to slowed traffic in the new corona economy and limited capacity for events, the coworking café business was running at about 25% of what it was previously. Because the old model is no longer financially viable, we made the difficult decision to close the coworking café in September.
Currently, we need funding to cover rent and other essential bills in this transition period. (Read more about our new offerings below.) As a young company, officially founded in early 2020, we are not eligible for most of the government aid available to other firms. Without additional funding, we will have to file for insolvency, which would mean eviction from our current space, including the loss of what we’ve invested here so far. We need a community effort to get us through this rough start!
A team effort helped the community centre open and we hope a team effort can help it stay open.
While many of us have dealt with hardships, we have also experienced the beauty and joy of people coming together to support each other through crises (like the unforeseen Covid-19 global crisis), to build alternatives to systems of inequality and dependency. We have seen the transformation – individual, collective, emotional, political – that comes from working together in solidarity. We have felt the connection, security and dignity that comes from growing something new.
Patreon membership
Become a monthly supporting member on Patreon . If just 150 community members can pledge €7 per month, that would cover half of the rent. Perks include a special discount on space rental, access to our digital Community Resource Center and Slack workspace, and membership to the aequa library! https://www.instagram.com/aequa.library/
Hello, Community Projektraum!
The aequa CC is now a community project space — for mutual support, collective empowerment and collaborative action. Here’s what we have to offer:
1. Workshops and Coaching
Would your collective, company or organisation benefit from a workshop on topics like inclusion and empathy, conscious communication, self-management, purpose and values, leadership or teamwork? We host workshops by experienced facilitators with a diverse range of backgrounds, identities, experiences, and expertise.
Fill in the form at aequa.cc/workshops/ for bookings.
2. Projektraum
Now all of our spaces http://www.aequa.cc/spaces/ are available for rent by neighbours, individuals, companies and organisations in need of Corona-conscious space to gather. We are always on top of the latest measures to keep you as safe as possible in these times. Whether it’s for a birthday celebration, workshop, meeting, coaching or group project, get in touch with [email redacted] for bookings.
Thank you!
In whatever way you can help, we are deeply grateful for your continued support and care.
How this funding will be used
The funds raised by this crowdfunding campaign will be used for the following:
+ Rent for the aequa Community Centre
+ Bills such as our electricity, internet, gas
+ Ongoing costs such as accounting, GEMA, ARD
+ Marketing (mainly printing flyers) to promote the new business
+ Critical supplies and services
+ Payroll costs for two staff, both on reduced hours
+ Paying off the debt of the loan we took on in February to take over the space
This funding would not be used
To pay the salary of Managing Director, Sarj Lynch
In the event that we raise more money than is needed for these costs, we would donate them to the aequa e.V. (registered non-profit association), which is currently in foundation, to be used to fund further community programming.
The managing director has committed to send a finance report to all contributors at the end of this financial quarter to let you know how the money you donated has been allocated so far. If still relevant, we would send a second report at the end of the first financial quarter of 2021.
If you have ever learned something new, made a new friend, overcome an obstacle, organised for a cause you care about, reaffirmed your values, made a life transition or just had a better day because of aequa — or because of a space like this one — we hope you’ll help us keep our doors open for years to come.
Already wondering how you can help? Here’s how.
+ make a donation here on gofundme today
+ become a monthly supporter on Patreon http://www.patreon.com/aequa/
+ book a workshop at aequa
+ rent out the space for your next meeting, workshop or event
+ share this campaign with others – a free way to help.
Here is a guide for sharing this fundraiser – full of images, text, and tips to make the most impact.
It’s true that every little bit counts – every euro raised, every link shared, every positive aequa story told – will help reach our goal to keep the community centre lights on and the doors open. Thank you!
When the dream finally became a reality
When aequa was founded in 2018, we needed a community space in Berlin — a place to gather and heal, to ask hard questions and listen to other perspectives, to empower each other, to share our experiences and to build the world we dream of.
Together with all of you, we brought it into being. The opening of the aequa CC this spring was the culmination of that dream. Finally, we had a space of our own — for workshops, film screenings, community organising, a library, a garden, marketplaces, open mics, late night mixes, early morning conversations and so much more. Dreams come true.
And then a global pandemic happened
We took over an amazing space in Wedding on March 1st. Exerzierstraße 14 is an address that was already well known in our community for the intersectional feminist, decolonial and queer events hosted here in years prior by be’kech.
But COVID-19 had other plans. Rather than reopening on March 16th, we had to close for two months of lockdown. We were devastated.
In mid-May, we reopened the coworking café for business. For three months we tried with all our might to make this adopted model work in these new conditions. Unfortunately, due to slowed traffic in the new corona economy and limited capacity for events, the coworking café business was running at about 25% of what it was previously. Because the old model is no longer financially viable, we made the difficult decision to close the coworking café in September.
Currently, we need funding to cover rent and other essential bills in this transition period. (Read more about our new offerings below.) As a young company, officially founded in early 2020, we are not eligible for most of the government aid available to other firms. Without additional funding, we will have to file for insolvency, which would mean eviction from our current space, including the loss of what we’ve invested here so far. We need a community effort to get us through this rough start!
A team effort helped the community centre open and we hope a team effort can help it stay open.
While many of us have dealt with hardships, we have also experienced the beauty and joy of people coming together to support each other through crises (like the unforeseen Covid-19 global crisis), to build alternatives to systems of inequality and dependency. We have seen the transformation – individual, collective, emotional, political – that comes from working together in solidarity. We have felt the connection, security and dignity that comes from growing something new.
Patreon membership
Become a monthly supporting member on Patreon . If just 150 community members can pledge €7 per month, that would cover half of the rent. Perks include a special discount on space rental, access to our digital Community Resource Center and Slack workspace, and membership to the aequa library! https://www.instagram.com/aequa.library/
Hello, Community Projektraum!
The aequa CC is now a community project space — for mutual support, collective empowerment and collaborative action. Here’s what we have to offer:
1. Workshops and Coaching
Would your collective, company or organisation benefit from a workshop on topics like inclusion and empathy, conscious communication, self-management, purpose and values, leadership or teamwork? We host workshops by experienced facilitators with a diverse range of backgrounds, identities, experiences, and expertise.
Fill in the form at aequa.cc/workshops/ for bookings.
2. Projektraum
Now all of our spaces http://www.aequa.cc/spaces/ are available for rent by neighbours, individuals, companies and organisations in need of Corona-conscious space to gather. We are always on top of the latest measures to keep you as safe as possible in these times. Whether it’s for a birthday celebration, workshop, meeting, coaching or group project, get in touch with [email redacted] for bookings.
Thank you!
In whatever way you can help, we are deeply grateful for your continued support and care.
How this funding will be used
The funds raised by this crowdfunding campaign will be used for the following:
+ Rent for the aequa Community Centre
+ Bills such as our electricity, internet, gas
+ Ongoing costs such as accounting, GEMA, ARD
+ Marketing (mainly printing flyers) to promote the new business
+ Critical supplies and services
+ Payroll costs for two staff, both on reduced hours
+ Paying off the debt of the loan we took on in February to take over the space
This funding would not be used
To pay the salary of Managing Director, Sarj Lynch
In the event that we raise more money than is needed for these costs, we would donate them to the aequa e.V. (registered non-profit association), which is currently in foundation, to be used to fund further community programming.
The managing director has committed to send a finance report to all contributors at the end of this financial quarter to let you know how the money you donated has been allocated so far. If still relevant, we would send a second report at the end of the first financial quarter of 2021.
Fundraising team (4)
Elizabeth Thamm
Organizer
Berlin
Sarj Lynch
Beneficiary
Otter Lieffe
Team member
Alisa Sieber
Team member
