Annual SpringBoard at the Civic Media Center

By Esteban O Sullivan

The SpringBoard dinner will take place on April 9 at the Matheson Museum, 513 E. University Ave. For more information, call the Civic Media Center at (352) 373-0100.

In the summer, nonprofit organizations typically face an uncertain financial dry season. This is especially true in Gainesville, where a student population that normally doesn’t stay in town year-round has a large role in determining levels of economic activity.

For the Civic Media Center, Gainesville’s alternative library and reading room, the uncertainty has meant planning ahead. Enter the SpringBoard fundraiser.

Started in 1999, five years after the CMC was founded, it started the SpringBoard fundraiser as a dinner event. Guests pay between $10 and $20 on a sliding scale and are treated to fare catered by local restaurants and cooked by volunteers.

“It’s got a ‘punny’ name in that it’s our board fundraiser organized in the spring, but it’s also a financial springboard for us to survive the summer,” said Jimmy Schmidt, coordinator at the CMC.
In addition to food, there are raffles, silent auctions of art by local artists and a guest speaker.
Previous years’ guest speakers have included National Public Radio commentator Diane Roberts and the founder of Equality Florida, Nadine Smith.

This year, the CMC welcomes retired U.S. Army Col. Ann Wright as the event’s guest speaker. She is best known for having resigned in opposition to the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq and her involvement in antiwar activism, including acts of civil disobedience.

“She is someone who was very much on the inside of things. She brings to the table a tremendous military background and a real window into the workings of the system,” said Joe Courter, board member with the CMC and head of planning for the SpringBoard fundraiser.

The CMC requires about $1,000 a week to cover operating costs and keep its doors open. A substantial portion the center’s budget is covered by $10 annual memberships, but fundraising events such as the SpringBoard are essential in ensuring the CMC’s continued existence.

“We can raise that money in the spring and fall, as well as throughout most of the winter, but in the summer it’s hit or miss,” Schmidt said. “Especially in tough times like the past few summers.”
The currently unfavorable economic climate presents nonprofit organizations like the CMC with a challenge, as donations to charities and nonprofits are among the first places many people cut back spending, Schmidt said.

“The CMC is a totally independent community sponsored organization,” he said. “Even though we’re a tiny fish in the nonprofit world, it’s a tremendous feat of grassroots organizing to keep this place sustained.”