help sustain & grow soft(spaces) for QTBIPOC

soft(spaces) clubhouse needs roof, security, and backyard repairs to stay safe

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$1,195 raised of 

help sustain & grow soft(spaces) for QTBIPOC

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Hello family, friends, sunshines, kin, community & allies! ✨

We are tochi & Lex, co-founders (or, as we like to say, co-dreamers) of soft(spaces), a QTBIPOC-centered collective and ecosystem rooted in The Bronx, NYC. soft(spaces) exists to offer consistent opportunities for our community to gather and ground, with care and intentionality around how space is shared, experienced, and stewarded.


Our home has grown into the soft(spaces) clubhouse, a living, breathing community space that now anchors the majority of our programming. From vogue classes, paint & sips, game nights, and collage jams to comedy shows, tie-dye bbqs, jam sessions, and daily co-working hours, the clubhouse has become a place where connection is practiced, not just imagined.

We hosted our first public event in June of last year, and since then, growth has been exponential ❣️ what began as an idea has quickly become a lighthouse, offering consistent access to space that centers community, creativity, rest and play; and as more people find soft(spaces), our ecosystem continues to abundantly expand.




Up until now, we have personally subsidized soft(spaces) using our savings and paychecks to keep it alive and accessible. We've done this with deep love and commitment, but we’ve reached a point where we can no longer sustain this alone.

Monthly operating costs for the clubhouse range between $12,000 - $15,000, depending on weather, maintenance, and repairs. Membership contributions and events currently cover about 10 - 20% of these costs. The remainder has been carried by us personally, and that gap is no longer something we can hold without support.

The clubhouse itself is ~3,600 SF and was built between 1890 and 1910. Her bones are indeed strong, but after 100+ years of standing tall and decades of patchwork, she needs support. To name a few, the roof is in urgent need of replacing, our monthly Con Edison bill ranges from $1,700 - $2,500 due to little to no insulation, our neighbor’s oak tree is cracking the foundation of our perimeter fence (which is effecting our property line and the fence’s structural integrity), the front pavers are loose and unsafe, the family of squirrels living in the ceiling need to be professionally removed (they’re eating the house’s frame & possibly wiring, too), the boiler needs servicing, and the electrical panels require rerouting. This is alongside everyday wear, tear, and upkeep that comes with stewarding a community space.





Behind the scenes, we have been running the entire back-end of soft(spaces) ourselves. from programming, communications, scheduling, finances and marketing to event coordination, website development, external + internal decks, member care & daily logistics using outdated technology and systems that need updating. Accessing hardware and software that can support automating the systems that are currently being manually handled, will save us a lot of time and give us the capacity to focus on areas that are currently being neglected.

This campaign is about sustainability and setting up foundational elements that will support the longevity of soft(spaces).

Funds raised will go directly toward:
  • Operational costs for February, March & April
  • Updating the clubhouse security system
  • Roof replacement
  • Repairing the cracked backyard fence foundation, replacing the fence, and correcting the property line
  • Professional squirrel removal
  • Updating all shared/ co-working spaces to accommodate more people/ activities at a time
  • Beginning the backyard refurbishment to be ready in time for spring/ summer (community garden!)
  • Part 1 of the basement upgrade: additional space specifically for musicians
  • Co-working supplies/ appliances
  • Dishwasher, fridge & microwave repair
  • Shared tech + backend office tech
  • Windows/ insulation updates
  • Supporting essential backend needs that sustain day-to-day operations
  • Extended front porch furnishing for outdoor seating/ small gatherings/ additional flow space
  • Keeping membership dues accessible

soft(spaces) exists because of, and for, our community. This campaign is an invitation to help sustain what we are collectively building.

If you're unable to give financially, sharing this page with your networks and allies is a powerful form of support. If you are in a position to contribute, we invite you to give whatever you have the capacity to–every dollar helps!

Thank you for believing in what we’re building, for showing up, and for helping carry this forward.

- tochi & lex
your co-dreamers at soft(spaces)




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to learn more about soft(spaces), we welcome you to visit us on instagram or our website <3

Organizer

soft spaces
Organizer
New York, NY
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