Capital Campaign
See the Campaign Brochure (pdf file)
The Goal
We are well past the halfway point of our $500,000 goal to pay off the purchase 2013 E. Genesee St., pay for the planned elevator, green building work, parking lot upgrade, landscaping and additional interior and exterior improvements. The capital campaign also includes raising $50,000 as a contingency fund for needed repairs in the coming years. Our plan is to pay off the mortgage in three years.
The planned renovations will create a low-maintenance energy efficient facility. Our dream is a building that is ecologically cutting edge and has a minimal impact on the environment.
The operating costs of the building will be covered by rent from participating organizations and donations from community supporters.
Why Razoo? Razoo, a non-profit, channels your donation through "Network for Good,"
the most progressive donation service we know of, and uses their funds to reimburse
us for the processing charge that "Network for Good" charges, so we get 100% of the
amount you choose to donate.
Join me in supporting the new Center for Peace and Social Justice.
A few years ago, I was asked if I would join a group at the Syracuse Peace Council to help with fundraising for a new space. What came out of our collaborative efforts was some new dollars, but more importantly a question.
What would it take to bring together under one roof as many of the groups in Syracuse that shared the peace and social justice agenda?
We were energized by the prospect of a stronger voice and of the collaborative synergies that could grow by putting groups of like mind together. Certainly the whole would be greater than the sum of the parts. It also seemed urgent to maximize the impact of the work. With global violence spiraling out of control, it was pretty clear our side wasn’t winning!
In May 2008, The Center for Peace and Social Justice opened at East Genesee Street and Westcott (of course!). The Peace Council, AFSC, Peace Action, Citizen Action and Sustainable Syracuse were together under one roof and the hard work of group to group collaboration had begun. We had started with a $60,000 goal. On opening day, we announced that $200,000 had been raised . . . truly impressive for a group with only a few lonely capitalists on the list!
But the work is unfinished, and will surely last a lifetime. First, the building needs to be made fully handicap accessible. Funds are also needed to support the collaborative programs that will develop the Center as the destination for all who want to educate and agitate for a saner world. We also need to support the people of the Center so that they can sustain both their families and the work.
I got involved because I count on the people at the Center to keep the campfire burning on the fundamental issues that define our humanity. I can count on their studied activism. I can count on their unswerving outrage. They will give voice to what moves us forward and condemn what diminishes us. And if the campfire needs to be a bonfire, they will make it happen.
“All we are saying is give peace a chance.” While I still sing along, I don’t get the chance to do much. I attend a few meetings a year and I send some money. I hope you will too.
“They might say I’m a dreamer but I still hope the world can live as one.”Sincerely,
Tom Walsh
Executive Vice President for Advancement and External Affairs, Syracuse University
Timeline
The capital campaign to raise the funds necessary to purchase and renovate the building began in October 2006. The building purchase was completed on July 20, 2007. We expect the fundraising work to continue for several years.
Internal renovations for office space have been completed. We hope to begin work on the new lobby and elevator in the fall, as well as finishing work on a mezzanine space for creative projects and storage. A landscaping plan has been approved and work will begin late in the summer.
Syracuse Center for Peace & Social Justice
2013
E. Genesee St., Syracuse, NY 13210
(315) 701-1580
info(at)syracusecenter.org
