protectOURCampaign ReportIndiegogo

.cawww.ourecovillage.org

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Brandy Gallagher Executive Director

Jason GuillleNon Profit Association President

What an incredible close to an incredible year...I have an ‘attitude of gratitude’ for all of what has become very obvious with the Protect OUR ECOVILLAGE Forever Campaign! Clearly—this Campaign has brought out the most amazing truths about community building. Today I heard a statement (and I paraphase) that “community will never truly know unity until we come together in service and in faith of something greater than ourselves”...and my experience in the summer of 2014 has been one to both test and assure my belief in community and certainly for those who stepped up in so very many ways on behalf of working towards believing in OUR ECOVILLAGE as a possibility and modelling for humans to come together in whole new ways.

To have started the Protect OUR ECOVILLAGE Campaign with an Indiegogo Campaign has everything to do with OUR/my good friend and Board President, Jason Guille having the hootzpa to step up and help the whole community to take on this Campaign!! With huge heart, vision, and belief in those who he has met here at OUR ECOVILLAGE, Jason led Dani Tate-Stratton and Casey White as a small three person team to help pull of miracles! Jason, Dani and Casey...Thank You! The three of you have made all the difference by helping all of the others who contributed to OUR Indiegogo make the difference they could make.

I invite each person who contributed to OUR Indiegogo Campaign to contact me personally, come for tea, come dig in the garden with me...AND give feedback of your experience and why you chose to contribute in the ways that you have.

See you throughout 2015 back stronger than ever...and as yOUR new “Education and Outreach Coordinator.”

—Brandy Gallagher

It really takes something to break new ground in the world, and it takes far MORE to keep doing so over decades. I have come to deeply honour these who will take the lead in growing important conversations in the world, and if they can grow great FOOD at the same time—well BONUS! It’s so obvious to me that OUR Ecovillage has been doing just that—exploring, sharing, holding space and creating pathways (in the farm AND in the world!)—and for this reason warrants our deepest care and protection.

When the Village arrived to a dire economic forecast early this year Brandy gathered members of the community to explore solutions. I was in the middle of a fairly sophisticated crowdfunding campaign for Stream of Consciousness at the time and, given the number of people in OUR community, crowdfunding seemed a fairly viable model to smooth the stormy economic tides :)

While Dani, Casey & I didn’t have a big team or limitless hours we really put our hearts behind the crowdfund project—and so did YOU. The community rallied and together we raised almost $40,000. This is a HUGE result and REALLY made the difference this year for the village, positioning OUR Ecovillage to complete a game that’s been on the table for many years—transitioning fully to a co-operative ownership model.

Thank you ALL so much for have been behind Brandy, OUR Ecovillage, and this campaign in particular—your contributions and PRESENCE made our victories here possible. Deepest bows to you…

—Jason Guille

A MESSAGE TO SUPPORTERS AND FUNDERS:

Over the past 7 months, I’ve had the honour of representing supporters from around the world as we’ve come together, in our various roles, to bring OUR Ecovillage to the next phase of viability. Together, we have:

1. Survived. OUR programs still ran, and we reduced our debt

2. Worked together. New people stepped up to leadership, and new ways of communication and decision making were developed that will serve us well in the future.

3. Moved forward. The co-op is poised to finally achieve the long-time goal of taking ownership and running OUR Ecovillage. New board members, new members, outgoing member shares redeemed, mortgage applications under discussion with several financial institutions, and an updated business plan showing our financial and operational viability.

Thank you for your trust and your support. Together, we have not only survived a challenging time, but used it as a bridge to a new era of collective ownership and growth.

—Rick Juliusson

Rick Juliusson Transition Consultant

FUNDING REPORT:

HOW WE DID [SO FAR]

WHERE THE $ WENT

In total, our Indiegogo campaign raised $34,469 of a stated overall goal of $150,000. We are extremely grateful for the support of hundreds of donors so far, and ready to work with OUR wider community to ensure the ongoing success and stability of OUR Ecovillage through several initatives over the coming months.

All funds raised through our two Indiegogo campaigns (totalling $34,469) were used for one of three things:

SBrandy’s MEDICAL EXPENSES not covered by MSP (12%).

SThe SALARY OF RICK JULIUSSON, who stepped into Brandy’s executive directorship while she was resting and recovering (70%).

S UTILITY PAYMENTS for the site (18%).

ED SALARY

MEDICALEXPENSES

MORTGAGE/ HYDRO

71%

12%

18%

34.5K

Goal:150K

2K 25K

Ind

ieg

ogo

Sust

aint

ers

Inve

stm

ent

WHO WE ARE:

THE STORY OF 2014:

O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE is a highly-awarded and precedent-setting sustainable learning demonstration site and educational community located in the beautiful Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Our innovative farm is founded by deeply inspired crafters work and Permaculture principles.

We offer learning opportunities for natural building/ecological design, sustainable food production, human growth and leadership, and sustainable well-being and spirit. In addition, we welcome the opportunity to create incredible custom-designed learning programs for schools and organizations.

Daycare to grade 12 (private and public) students are with us each spring and fall and 11 universities and colleges partner with OUR to have an extension classroom on our site.

With the ability to host 100s of people at a time in OUR Zero Mile Meal Eatery (a hand-sculpted earthen and strawbale building), our dorms/eco-B&B, a 2,000 square foot open classroom, and OUR 4,000 square foot circus tent, there are unique offerings from green weddings and funerals to conferences and gatherings, all of which benefit from being situated in this incredible immersive learning environment.

We didn’t see it coming. OUR Ecovillage co-founder & Executive Director, Brandy Gallagher, was suddenly navigating a barrage of taxing treatments and invasive surgery. As a result, OUR Ecovillage community came together to protect HER wellness & legacy, and OUR land & community—we urgently needed your help.

For 25 years Brandy has led the development of what is now one of the most established, productive and developed sustainable community models in North America. About 5 years ago she introduced an ambitious plan to have the education component of the village provide all the economic needs of the village—FOREVER.

The plan is big, but not complicated—if we built a big dorm space, and a huge kitchen capable of feeding hundreds, will our school programs and

education partners start using the village for larger, multi-day programs? They lined up—the answer was a resounding YES.

Among lots of other recent new infrastructure, the dorms, and the new “Zero Mile Eatery” were nearing completion—bringing the village to a whole new place in its sustainability—and then Brandy started to get really sick.

We had a critical need to raise $150,000, creating the space for Brandy to get well, and buying the village the room to bring to completion these major projects.

Detailed information as to the use of funds is found on preceeding pages as well as at www.protectour.ca. Through OUR indiegogo campaign and your help, we have raised about $37,000 and continue to fundraise.

WHAT’S COMING UP NEXT:The Indiegogo campaign maybe over, and the crisis survived, but the work of Protecting OUR Ecovillage is going strong. There are several ways to continue supporting the overall transition to co-operative ownership and management of OUR Ecovillage:

1. Membership—The co-op is only as strong as its members. Buy a share and have a real voice in how we move forward.

2. HearthKeepers—The ownership transition opens the way for long-term partners to become co-owners and join us living in community. There is only space for 10 permanent houses, so now is the time!

3. Monthly donors—Regular donations give us financial stability and predictability to carry on our educational programs. Sadly we can no longer offer tax receipts through CanadaHelps.org, but we can set up a no-fuss, no-muss monthly withdrawal from your bank account.

4. Come!—Take a course, have a B&B night, do some yoga, bring a friend on a tour. OUR Ecovillage is just that—ours. Ours to enjoy and share. You’ve helped keep it alive—now come live it.

OUR Ecovillage1565 Baldy Mountain Road

Shawnigan Lake, BC1.250.743.3067

www.ourecovillage.orginfo@ourecovillage.org