The Nelson & District Women's Centre is coming out of a period of turbulence and grief. Our centre, nestled in a small mountain town in the Kootenays (Sinixt Territory/British Columbia), has held difficult conversations about the future of our feminism and who it needs to serve. Those conversations are finally finding traction and momentum. Our last annual general meeting packed three hundred people into the room. We have a new board of directors ready to take on these conversations: intergenerational, representative of diverse perspectives across our community, bringing a wide range of skills to the table. We have dedicated staff who have worked to hold down the fort through trying times.

We are poised to do so much good work over the next year, to heal our community and build a new vision for the Nelson & District Women's Centre. But in the immediate short term, we are facing a $40,000 budget shortfall. Additional staff positions need to be filled, programs need to be sustained, and our doors need to be kept open. This fundraising campaign is your opportunity to support this work, to help the Nelson & District Women's Centre to ground and heal. We're asking for $15,000 in this online fundraiser, just over a third of the total need.

First opening its doors in 1973, the Nelson & District Women's Centre is the oldest rural women's centre in Canada. Its drop-in offers food, comfort, and community to countless women. Its programs empower those in our community to develop new skills and build networks of solidarity. If we can make up this budget shortfall, as we rebuild capacity, we can continue to do amazing work.

To celebrate and honour your contributions, we've put together a collection of rewards that feature the work of local designers and artists. Check out the Perks panel to claim one for yourself.

A Digital Bundle

 If you select the $10 reward, you'll receive a digital bundle, designed to spark discovery. It includes: a PDF version of The Quiet Year, a storytelling and map-drawing game about community healing and rediscovery, by local game designer Avery Alder; a PDF version of #Feminism, a collection of interactive theatre and roleplaying games reflecting on what it means to be a feminist in today's world; and finally, you'll be added to our centre newsletter.

A Limited-Run Art Postcard

 We've teamed up with local artist Kiala Löytömäki to create a limited-run art postcard to represent the women's centre's journey toward grounding and resiliency. If you select the $20 reward, we'll mail you one of these postcards, complete with a brief handwritten message of gratitude from someone at the centre. You'll also receive the digital bundle mentioned above.

A Pack of Postcards

 If you select the $30 reward, we'll mail you five copies of Kiala's postcard: one bearing a handwritten message of thanks from someone at the centre, and four blank ones for you to send to loved ones.