If you’ve ever driven down Jefferson Avenue between Long Street and Broad Street on the east side of Downtown Columbus, then you may have already discovered the well-maintained block of historic buildings, wrought-iron fencing and a street median park complete with quaint gazebo. What you may not have realized is that the entire block is one big cohesive unit known as The Jefferson Center for Learning and The Arts — a campus of 11 buildings that house nearly two dozen nonprofits including CityMusic, the Thurber House, the Columbus Gay Men’s Chorus and others.
A survey conducted at the Jefferson Center revealed that just one year of activity between the organizations housed there represents over 48,000 clients served by nonprofit services, over 33,000 audience members for performances, over 211,000 volunteer hours donated, over 243 full and part time employees. There’s also a couple of ghosts sightings reported every year.
The members and staff at The Jefferson Center will be celebrating more than just St. Patrick’s Day today, as it also marks the official 40th Anniversary of the organization, and will kick off a season of celebration with new redevelopment projects, infrastructure updates and other special events.
For more information, we recently spoke with Katharine Moore, Executive Director of The Jefferson Center. Our full Q&A can be found below:
Q: For those unfamiliar with the Jefferson Center, what’s the most common misconception, or most common surprise people hear when first learning about it?
A: That the block between Long and Broad is actually a campus. I often hear that people have been to one or another of our properties, but never realized they were connected in any way to other buildings on the street. “Oh, we go to Thurber Picnics… I had no idea!” or “I go to meetings at Action for Children all the time… I had no idea!” We also have a tenant that keeps a low profile as they provide supportive housing to a community of women and children, so seeing school buses, bikes, and families enjoying summer cookouts is an unexpected treat in the center of the city.
Q: How long have you personally been involved there, and how has the organization changed, grown and evolved during your tenure?
A: I have been here 10 years. The Board has gotten very serious about property maintenance in recent years. We were able to hire a full-time General Contractor four years ago and his skills have transformed the physical campus. Everyone knows what a never-ending challenge owning an historic home can be… just imagine having 11 of them to keep up with!
Q: Do you find that the resources provided there are fully utilized by area nonprofits, or are there still needs that go beyond the capabilities of the Jefferson Center?
A: Columbus is a very large city not to have a nonprofit resource center. I think the whole sector would benefit from such a thing. There are all sorts of opportunities, workshops, consultants and volunteer connections, but no one place to turn for information on it all.
As far as shared space goes, there is a real demand. We are at 100% occupancy and have a wait list. Our tenant organizations are wide open to collaboration and seem to find real benefit in having connections with each other… whether it is sharing interns and WiFi, or exchanging funding leads and news over coffee every morning.
Q: Are there similar programs or organizations like The Jefferson Center in other cities, or is what we’re doing here in Columbus in any way unique that you’ve found?
A: I thought we were a one-of-a-kind when I came to work here, but quickly learned of a national membership organization for what is known as “multiple tenant nonprofits” at www.nonprofitcenters.org. The idea of stable, affordable space for nonprofits has become a big trend in philanthropy. I am engaged with the national organization and enjoy almost daily exchanges with other members on the list serve.
We are one of the oldest organizations of this type in the country, and our historic nature is distinct, but there are a couple of hundred groups doing similar work. It’s fun to see how different the cultures are in other regions of the country and throughout Canada. Some of the California groups have vegan-only lunch rooms and mandatory composting. The outfits in New York and Boston can’t believe we allow people to bring their dogs to work.
Q: How has the neighborhood around the Jefferson evolved in the past 40 years?
A: Historically, there were three boulevards just like Jefferson, with the small park in the center of the block, that made up the “East Park Place” neighborhood. When the interstate came through, the middle one (Lexington Avenue) was completely torn out, and we were cut off from Hamilton Avenue by the great pavement divide.
But, we have seen a real renaissance around us in the last five years or so. The Edwards developments on Gay and Long, the spectacular new Long Street Bridge, and of course wonderful things happening for both the Columbus Museum of Art and CCAD’s campus.
Q: What all do you have planned for this year to celebrate the anniversary?
A: Today is our official 40th anniversary and we will have a small reception. Jefferson Avenue will be getting 16 pedestrian lights in early May, which is a huge deal. We are also planning a progressive porch party for some time this summer, and a tenant luncheon in the fall.
The project that am I really excited about this year is our planned renovation for 100 Jefferson Avenue. We bought the vacant structure several years ago and will restore it for occupancy this summer and fall. I am certain I will find a perfect fit of a nonprofit looking for a Downtown location with parking, a strong sense of camaraderie, and just a hop, skip and a jump to the new Columbus Museum of Art café for lunch meetings.
For more information, visit www.thejeffersoncenter.org.
All images and photos provided by The Jefferson Center.
