Building Harmony: Brick By Brick

Capital Campaign for Jazz Night School’s Permanent Home Project

Joining Forces

With a lease ending in 2026 and a goal of permanence and sustainability, Jazz Night School is creating a path to ownership of a new facility that will also create permanent homes for other cultural community members. Founder/executive director Erik Hanson with Jazz Night School volunteer/property development facilitator Ben Rankin formed a coalition with affordable housing developer Southeast Effective Development (SEED) - a 50 year old nonprofit dedicated to housing, economic development, and cultural arts in Rainier Valley - and LEMS Bookstore, a local Black-owned Southeast Seattle cultural institution to achieve the now-shared goal of creating a building on a 21,000 SF property in Seattle’s Columbia City neighborhood that will:

• provide a permanent debt-free home for Jazz Night School.
• provide a permanent debt-free home for LEMS Bookstore.
• create 100+ units of affordable housing to combat displacement of creative and BIPOC communities.
• play a significant role in the cultural and economic growth of the Columbia Hillman Arts & Cultural District and Rainier Valley Creative District.
• create a cultural landmark building in a landmark district. 

Location

5021, 5015 & 5001 RAINIER AVENUE SOUTH SEATTLE, WA 98118

Funding Sources

With a Building Harmony capital campaign goal of $6,000,000, May 2024 is a critical time! 

Institutional donors will be the largest portion of our funding sources but they don't want to be first, our community must lead the way.

We currently need at least $700,000 in “pledges” by June 2024 to qualify for over $1,000,000 from the WA State Department of Commerce.

Donor Impact

Owning an 8,000 SF ground floor commercial condominium debt-free will lay the foundation for permanence and sustainability, and will provide Jazz Night School with greater revenue opportunities and much-needed spaces such as:

• Event Space / Large Ensemble Rehearsal Facility
• 6 Ensemble Rooms
• 4 Practice / Tutoring Rooms
• Multi-Media Production
• Lobby space
• Office Suite - 2 Private Offices & Conference / Work Room
• ...and more!

The overall project will also catalyze growth of the Columbia Hillman Arts & Cultural District, combat cultural and diversity displacement, and empower Black businesses and service organizations by:

• attracting students from across the region, who in turn utilize local businesses.
• employing more professional artists/educators.
• creating a new community space for art-related purposes.
• leveraging a $40+ million construction project to generate significant jobs in labor and trade.
• providing affordable housing for 100+ cultural contributing and/or BIPOC households.
• ensuring LEMS Bookstore continues its legacy of impact.

A Brick For You

We've set three donor levels at amounts that aim to provide everyone with a pledge-target they can reach for, and fulfill over five years:  

• Emerald Brick (Leadership Level): $5,000 x 5 yrs = $25,000
• Gold Brick: $1,000 x 5 yrs = $5,000
• Silver Brick: $200 x 5 yrs = $1,000

You can be a part of building this new permanent Jazz Night School home by choosing a Brick that works for you, and pledging it right now. Please remember that the actual contributions have five years to be fulfilled.

And right now, every pledge received will be matched as much as 2-to-1 with the upcoming WA State Commerce Department grant.

PLUS: If you have employer matches you can use them to help fulfill your pledge too!

Thank you for considering joining this project, and for understanding and valuing the impact Jazz Night School has on so many lives.

Want to join and make a lasting impact but have questions? Fill out the form below and we will reach out as soon as possible. 

Progress To Date