The nonprofit Blue Sky Fund’s new space at 2900 Q Street. (Photo by Lena Price)
A local nonprofit that’s all about the great outdoors is upgrading its home base.
Blue Sky Fund, which provides outdoor education and recreation for children from the city, will move its headquarters next week to 2900 Q St. in Church Hill.
Executive director Lawson Wijesooriya said the move to the 3,000-square-foot property would give the six-year-old nonprofit more street visibility, which should translate to broader outreach.
“It’s really right in the middle of Church Hill,” Wijesooriya said. “That’s who we serve, so we wanted to have a strategic focus in that area.”
Blue Sky Fund is leasing the space from Ben Adamson, a general contractor who bought and renovated it last year.
The nonprofit offers several programs geared toward getting kids outside, including hiking expeditions, survival skills classes and after-school programs. The group reaches about 1,000 kids a year.
The program primarily serves Richmond Public Schools students who come from low-income homes.
“If we have a physical presence in the neighborhood, people will identify more strongly with what we do,” Wijesooriya said.
Blue Sky Fund is currently housed in a former school building in 1000 Carlisle Ave. in Fulton Hill.
Wijesooriya said Blue Sky Fund has grown steadily since its 2007 launch. The organization brought in about $229,000 in revenue in 2011, according to the most recent data available.
“It started with just me working out of my dining room,” Wijesooriya said. “Now we’re up to five full-time employees.”
Fifty percent of their revenue comes from individual donors, 35 percent comes from grants, and 15 percent comes from fundraising events.
The nonprofit Blue Sky Fund’s new space at 2900 Q Street. (Photo by Lena Price)
A local nonprofit that’s all about the great outdoors is upgrading its home base.
Blue Sky Fund, which provides outdoor education and recreation for children from the city, will move its headquarters next week to 2900 Q St. in Church Hill.
Executive director Lawson Wijesooriya said the move to the 3,000-square-foot property would give the six-year-old nonprofit more street visibility, which should translate to broader outreach.
“It’s really right in the middle of Church Hill,” Wijesooriya said. “That’s who we serve, so we wanted to have a strategic focus in that area.”
Blue Sky Fund is leasing the space from Ben Adamson, a general contractor who bought and renovated it last year.
The nonprofit offers several programs geared toward getting kids outside, including hiking expeditions, survival skills classes and after-school programs. The group reaches about 1,000 kids a year.
The program primarily serves Richmond Public Schools students who come from low-income homes.
“If we have a physical presence in the neighborhood, people will identify more strongly with what we do,” Wijesooriya said.
Blue Sky Fund is currently housed in a former school building in 1000 Carlisle Ave. in Fulton Hill.
Wijesooriya said Blue Sky Fund has grown steadily since its 2007 launch. The organization brought in about $229,000 in revenue in 2011, according to the most recent data available.
“It started with just me working out of my dining room,” Wijesooriya said. “Now we’re up to five full-time employees.”
Fifty percent of their revenue comes from individual donors, 35 percent comes from grants, and 15 percent comes from fundraising events.
Blue Sky is a great example of how people are motivated to improve our community in unique ways. Congrats on the new space! Great looking buses too!
Congratulations on the new space – you are doing wonderful work in the community!
Congratulations on the new space! It looks great!
Lawson is the best! Keep up the great work!!
Congratulations Blue Sky. Welcome to the neighborhood. ChildSavers looks forward to working with Blue Sky Fund.
Robert
Congratulations!