The Department of Public Transformation has launched the Say YES! Creative Capital Campaign to renovate and transform a Main Street building into a multi-use facility for local residents of all ages and backgrounds to gather and connect with each other. The programming and design of the space emerged through a year-long (and ongoing) community engagement process in which local community members collaborated with local and national artists and architects to dream and plan. It’s a creative economic design concept, a celebration of vibrant small-town communities, and an investment in rural futures!

join us in reaching the campaign goal by contributing to the final 12% Today!

Thanks to generous support from individuals and foundations across the country, the Say YES! Creative Capital Campaign is 88% funded!

Read our recent press release here.

But we’re not just building a building; we’re building a movement.

The YES! House is a prototype of imagination; an experiment of transformation that can be adapted and implemented in small towns throughout the nation. As we continue to fundraise and build, we are documenting every step of the way in order to share what we learn with other communities in the future.

We initially intended to publicly launch this campaign in the spring of 2020—on the cusp of the emerging COVID-19 pandemic—and made the difficult decision to postpone amidst uncertainty. We continued moving forward with building infrastructure work and construction projects made possible by restricted grants. In August 2021, we planned to re-launch the campaign both online and in-person; however, with the rise in COVID-19 cases in Minnesota and the valuable feedback of local residents and partners, we again made the decision to postpone until February 2022.

In the meantime, we worked diligently to clarify our financial projections and reports with updated information, respond to community feedback by realigning our overall Capital Campaign budget, and identify strategies for increased community engagement keeping COVID-19 safety protocols in mind.

And, finally, on February 4, 2022 — we publicly launched the Say YES! Creative Capital Campaign with the support of many of our partners, friends, families, and funders.

Now, we’re inviting you to join us on the ground floor of this exciting project.

 

Say YES! Creative Capital Campaign Snapshot

A gift to DoPT’s SAY YES! Creative Capital Campaign is an opportunity to invest in our rural communities for future generations and to be permanently recognized for your support. Each and every gift is meaningful. Become a part of our rural creativity movement and SAY YES!

The YES! House capital campaign goal was increased from $900,000 to $970,000 in December 2023 to account for cost increases in supplies and services since the original budget was set in early 2020. James Arentson from Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership commented, “As the architect working with DoPT, I have been so impressed by their dedication to The YES! House. They work hard to balance complex event and construction schedules and have maintained a visionary yet practical approach to the work.”

About the BIG Number…

Our total goal amount is a big number, but renovating an old building through a community-engaged process and building the capacity to get its programming off the ground is a big task! The projected hard costs of renovation are $600,000, and the remainder of budgeted expenses are intended to support start-up programming costs and explore long-term sustainability. We have worked with capital campaign experts, architects, designers, building contractors, and local community members to arrive at this goal. We’re setting manageable milestones along the way to build momentum, track our progress, and better communicate the more “bite-sized” funding needs of the project!

We have allocated $50,000 for contingency for unanticipated costs such as price increases, surprise renovation needs, and ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. This number may seem low (especially in the case of unpredictable old buildings), but we do our best to learn, plan, and adjust alongside the experts at the Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership every step of the way. We are prepared to continue right-sizing our plans as needed to stay on budget. (Plus, we’re pretty resourceful!)

If you have other questions about this campaign budget, please reach out to us at hello@publictransformation.org

 
 
 

Giving Levels

In addition to the incredible feeling of being “on the ground floor” of this exciting initiative, all giving levels will receive recognition on our donor wall and on our website!

Contributions of $10,000+ will also receive name recognition in an original permanent artwork at the YES! House, VIP event invitations, special recognition at our grand opening, and an (optional) social media donor spotlight.

Contributors of any amount, financial or in-kind, will receive regular newsletter updates.

$100,000 + . . . . . Rural Rockstar

$50,000 + . . . . . Small Town Superstar

$25,000 + . . . . . Imagination Advocate

$10,000 + . . . . . Main Street Maker

$5,000 + . . . . . Spark Supporter

$1,000 + . . . . . Creative Collaborator

Donations up to $999 . . . . . YES! Person

 
 
 
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 Please note: In the past, we have referred to this building as being "vacant" prior to our acceptance. We are in the process of updating this language, as the word "vacant" further perpetuates negative narratives of deficit and decline in rural areas. We’ve learned a lot and we are continuing to learn. This is a work in progress, and we invite you to follow along on the journey. Read more here.