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Family Village

Family Village is a family community and childcare center where parents take care of themselves and grow their Village.

$13,865
pledged of$35,000 goal
93
0Days Left

Project Description

OUR VILLAGE

 

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Most parents these days find themselves overwhelmed, under-resourced, exhausted and desperate for time to relax, recharge and reconnect with our own sense of purpose beyond parenthood.  Without the "village" of the past, a network of friends, neighbors and family who are readily available to help us find some time for self-care, we're left to pay for expensive childcare, forgo taking care of our own needs, struggle to run our small businesses with children underfoot (or defer pursuing our awesome business ideas until the kids are all in school), isolate ourselves, forego critical date nights, lose connection with ourselves and miss out on so much life has to offer beyond our precious babies.

And we don't think this is ok.  Not anymore.  So we're doing something about it.  We designed Family Village as a reimagined modern-day village concept.  We provide workspace to get your work (or bills) done.  We provide yoga and other wellness and fitness classes to get your body feeling stronger.  We provide educational forums and workshops to get your mind excited again.  We provide social events and support groups to help get you connected.  We provide comfortable seating (and pillows and blankets) to let you rest.  We provide a fully stocked coffee and tea bar to help you focus.  We provide date nights to help rekindle those neglected relationships.

All the while, your children are in our nurturing and cooperative childcare space just down the hall.

Thanks to a dedicated group of volunteers, The Family Village Cooperative is very close to becoming a reality. Since we are still in the early stages, member-owners who join now will get the unique opportunity to get involved from the ground up and shape our organization as it grows to fill everyone’s needs.  During this campaign, anyone who contributes as a "Future Member" will be offered a Founding Membership, which includes many benefits, including free childcare hours and access to the center and during our "soft opening" time frame, invitations to our family-friendly Grand Opening Party; and a one-year locked in membership rate, once dues are finalized and membership agreements are signed.  

We believe Family Village is a concept that families all around the country need.  And it is our hope that Family Village in Longmont will be the first of many centers to come.  We ask for your financial support to get this project off the ground so that we can mold and shape this into something bigger so that even if you don't live nearby, someday soon a Family Village can open in your community too!

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OUR STORY

 

Steering_committee_1

We are parents searching for space.  A place to belong. A place to recharge.  A place to relax. Even when our hair is in knots, our kids are disheveled and our houses are a mess.

We are searching for time.  To get that yoga class in. To get those calls made.  To get that business started. To have a deep dark conversation about how hard this parenting thing can be.  To get our creative juices flowing. To be listened to and lifted up.

We are searching for support.  Someone to reach out when we need it.  Someone to give us advice when we ask for it.  Only when we ask. Someone to take our kids off our hands when we’re on the brink.  The brink of losing it. Or, the brink of a breakthrough.

We are searching for community.  A group of people who get it. To be a part of something greater than ourselves.  To remember that we’re not alone. To experience how powerful we are together.

We are done doing this alone.  We reclaim our space. We reclaim our time.  We reclaim our support. We reclaim our community.

We are Family Village.

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OUR MEMBERSHIP
 
 
Table top Counter with Blurred People and Restaurant Shop interior background
We offer membership levels, tiered based on the number of childcare hours per month you'd like.  We also offer a CoSolve co-working membership level for those interested in having a dedicated desk with 24/7 access to the building.
 
Member-owners receive with their monthly fees:
  • unlimited access to the Family Village community center during our open hours
  • childcare hours, (# based on the level of membership) up to 3 hours per day
  • free yoga, meditation, fitness and other classes (some specific classes will be fee-based, but there will always be free classes daily)
  • support groups
  • free coffee, tea and other refreshments
  • access to social events
  • voting rights
  • ownership

Member-owners have the responsibilities of:

  • paying monthly fees on time
  • providing 4 hours of work trade per month (or $50/mo upcharge in member fee.  Also note that work trade hours required may be reduced by contributing a higher-valued task.  For example, teaching an hour fitness class translates to 2 hours of work trade, whereas an hour of childcare assistance or front desk staffing would require the full 4 hours of work trade)
  • voting and attending in membership meetings

While subject to change until the bylaws and membership agreement are finalized, this is the projected dues and fees schedule for Family Village:

  Basic Standard Plus Premium Platinum CoSolve Co-Working
Price/ Month $35 $60 $100 $160 $300 $550
One-Time Initiation Fee $25 $25 $25 $25 $25 $25
Additional childcare hours $5.25 $5.25 $5.00 $5.00 $4.50 $4.50
Second Adult Family member (at same level) $25 $25 $25 $25 $25 $250
# of Childcare Hours/ Month 4 8 16 28 60 60
Required Work-Trade Hours/ Month (or $50/ mo upcharge) 4 4 4 4 4 4
Unlimited Access to Family Village Space During our Normal Business Hours* Y Y Y Y Y Y
Free Family Village Classes Y Y Y Y Y Y
24/7 Access to building  - - - - - Y
CoSolve Dedicated Desk  - - - - - Y
 
 *SPECIAL NOTES:
Unlimited Access to Family Village Space During our Normal Business Hours* (*unlimited access may become restricted at a later time if traffic patterns force the issue)
Cooperative Membership will only be final and binding once the bylaws of the Cooperative are finalized, the full membership fees are paid, and the membership agreement is signed.
 

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OUR COOPERATIVE MODEL
 
 
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Family Village is a Cooperative (Co-op), which means as a member you don't just utilize our business, you own it.  We all share in the responsibilities, the operations and the outcomes of our business.  And we chose this model because it exemplifies what we're about: community, collectivism, collaboration and connection.  This is not a business with outside investors or a private owner to appease... we operate to serve the membership.  And the membership serves the business by paying their membership fees, providing work-trade hours, participating in annual votes and attending membership meetings.
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OUR SPACE
 
Inspiration for our space
The Family Village community space is located on the first floor of CoSolve, a collaborative co-working space within the old Times Call building. This building is conveniently located in downtown Longmont and also houses Longtucky Spirits; a community focused micro distillery, and the St Vrain Cidery; a hard cider tap house featuring 24 selections on tap from cideries all over Colorado!
 
Within our main community center, we have :
  • modern but cozy sitting and relaxing areas, private rooms for therapy, support groups, massage and other wellness treatments
  • a quiet room for meditation or naps
  • comfortable workspaces,
  • a variety of conference rooms
  • fully equipped restrooms with showers
  • a resource area with books, business cards and flyers to help navigate parenthood and our local area
  • a fully stocked coffee & tea bar
  • a fitness room with Zumba, aerobics and other invigorating classes
 
Inspiration for our childcare space
The childcare area is located in an adjacent dance studio, Moriarty Moffitt School of Irish Dance where the kids are entertained and nurtured by a highly qualified Childcare Director as well as a team of energetic and loving member-parents who designate their work-trade hours towards providing care for our Village kiddos.  The kids' activities include:
  • Storytime with a few Spanish options
  • Art projects
  • Guest performances
  • Dance parties
  • Yoga and meditation classes
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OUR PROGRAMMING
 
our_programming
Because of our business model requiring work-trade, our schedule will include a large variety of  FREE classes, workshops and programs, offered or facilitated by our members.  The offerings currently proposed include:
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As our membership grows, our offerings will continue to evolve and grow.  We look forward to experiencing  and learning from the amazing talents of our diverse members!

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OUR 10% COMMITMENT

 

close up of womans cupped hands showing paper man family

As a community-oriented organization, it is important to us to be of service to each other but also to the greater community. With that, we pledge to use 10% of our membership income to be of service.

We will use this money in several ways:
1.  We will build a scholarship fund to enable local parents who otherwise would not be able to afford a membership to be able to have one
2. We will develop programs to provide support to parents in challenged times.  This could be a meal-train, a gift basket to welcome their new little ones, a personal visit to their home to help adjust post-partum.
3.  We will support other local organizations that focus on helping families with young children.

 

Updates

The Campaign FAQs

    • What exactly is a cooperative?
      • A cooperative is a democratically owned organization wherein the members are part owners and the function of the organization is to serve the mutually beneficial needs of those members. Cooperatives are businesses owned and run by and for their members. Whether the members are the customers, employees or residents they have an equal say in what the business does and a share in the profits.  As businesses driven by values not just profit, cooperatives share internationally agreed principles and act together to build a better world through cooperation. If you’re interested in learning more, we suggest checking out http://www.co-oplaw.org/co-op-basics/.  Family Village’s specific cooperative type is a consumer-cooperative.
    • What if I have more than one child?
      • Your membership fee translates to a certain number of childcare hours.  If you join at the 8 hr/month level, for example, you can use 8 hours of time with one child, 4 hours of time with two children, or a combination.  You should consider that when you are deciding which level to join at, however you may also add a la carte childcare hours if you find that you need more.  Those are purchased at an hourly rate slightly higher than the rate you pay in the fee. Childcare costs per hour decrease the higher the membership level is.  
    • Will my unused hours rollover to the next month?
      • We plan to allow half of your unused childcare hours to rollover into the next month, but we will consider anything beyond that on a case by case basis.
    • What if I want to cancel after only one month?
      • Backing our infundwomen campaign is a one-time fee that will allow you to use the space according to your given membership level for two months. Since this initial funding is essential to our success, refunds of ifundwomen donations will not be given. After the two-month period, regular membership may be cancelled with written 30 days notice.  Before cancelling, we encourage you to speak with a manager to see how we can better meet your needs.
    • Will I be able to upgrade (or downgrade!) my membership level?
      • Yes! After the initial two-month campaign-funded period, you may change your membership level at any time according to your needs. If you need further childcare hours during that time, you may purchase a la carte, per the hourly rate listed for your membership level.
    • How much will the classes cost?
      • We will offer a variety of free classes, mostly taught by members offering their classes via their work-trade obligation.  
    • Are you a non-profit?
      • At this time, we are not.  We are a cooperative corporation, but we are exploring having a non-profit foundation under the Family Village umbrella.  In the meantime, even as a cooperative any profits are either put right back into the business to fund growth, programming and payroll needs or returned to the members.
    • Who can use the space? (Are dads welcome?)
      • Moms and dads as well as guardians and caregivers are welcome to use the space.  
    • Is there an age limit for kids in childcare?
      • At this time we do not have an age limit.  We expect that most of the children will be under age 8 but are open to children slightly older.  
    • Can I leave the premises while using childcare?
      • No.  The reason this business model works so well is because we will be utilizing licensing-exempt status.  This avoids a lot of cost, time and regulatory restrictions that would make our operations very challenging.  Maintaining an except status require parents to remain in the 350 Terry building while their kids are in our childcare area and the children can remain there for a maximum of 3 hours.  Also, similar to most gyms and recreation centers with childcare provided, parents or caregivers must be available to change diapers and attend to their children if they are exhibiting disruptive or inappropriate behavior.  The great news is there are many options of things to do in the Family Village and CoSolve space, in addition to the possibility of having a bit of downtime at St Vrain Cidery or Longtucky Spirits or taking music classes at Mojo’s Music academy, all also located in the 350 Terry building.
    • Is there a kitchen in the space?
      • We have a kitchenette and a coffee and tea bar in the Family Village space.  There are additional kitchen facilities in the 2nd and 3rd floors of CoSolve as well.
    • What if I can’t afford the membership level I need?
      • Once we get through the first few months of operations we should be able to fund our scholarship program as a part of our 10% Commitment.  This will be a fund that can be utilized to assist families in becoming members without the financial means to do so. Additionally, we may have special work-trade projects that these families can work on to subsidize their membership fees.
    • What do you mean by work-trade?
      • Work-trade is the act of providing a service, similar to a job, for the organization in exchange for a discounted membership fee.  Each service provided is assigned a particular pay rate, so depending on the service you provide, one work trade hour may constitute one work-trade hour (valued at $12.50/hr) or two work-trade hours (valued at $25/hr)
    • What does the date night add-on entail? How flexible is it?
      • Date nights (or Date days) are special events we will hold a few times a month where you, the parents, can actually leave the premises to see a movie, go out to dinner, get a couples massage, go grocery shopping...whatever you’d like to do during the 3 hours you can leave your children at Family Village.  We’ll even feed them! You can choose to use your date night add-on for any of our upcoming date events. Just look out for announcements for when these will be occurring and pre-register to hold your child(ren)’s space.
Joy
05/24/2018
Basic Founding Membership
$70
05/24/2018
Basic Founding Membership
$70
05/24/2018
Basic Founding Membership
$70
05/24/2018
Basic Founding Membership
$70
05/24/2018
Basic Founding Membership
$70
05/24/2018
Basic Founding Membership
$70
05/24/2018
Basic Founding Membership
$70
05/24/2018
Basic Founding Membership
$70
05/24/2018
Basic Founding Membership
$70
05/24/2018
Basic Founding Membership
$70
Monetary Contribution With No Reward

Donate to support our Village even if its not the right Village for you!  We are grateful for any amount of support you choose to contribute.

17 Supporters
Select this reward
70.00 USD
Basic Founding Membership

Prepaid 2 months BASIC membership starting at our Grand Opening(4 hrs childcare/mo), FREE access to center and 2 FREE hrs childcare/wk during soft open, Grand Opening party, Locked-in member rate for 1 year

57 Left
43 Supporters
Select this reward
120.00 USD
Standard Founding Membership

Prepaid 2 months STANDARD membership (8 hrs childcare/mo), FREE access to center and 3 FREE hrs childcare/wk during soft open, Grand Opening party, Locked-in member rate for 1 year

32 Left
18 Supporters
Select this reward
200.00 USD
Plus Founding Membership

Prepaid 2 months PLUS membership (16 hrs childcare/mo), FREE access to center and 4 hrs FREE childcare/wk during soft open, Grand Opening party, Locked-in member rate for 1 year

47 Left
3 Supporters
Select this reward
320.00 USD
Premium Founding Membership

Prepaid 2 months PREMIUM membership (28 hrs childcare/mo), FREE access to center and 6 FREE hrs childcare/wk during soft open, Grand Opening party, Locked-in member rate for 1 year

34 Left
1 Supporter
Select this reward
600.00 USD
Platinum Founding Membership

Prepaid 2 months PLATINUM membership (60 hrs childcare/mo), FREE access to center and 10 FREE hrs childcare/wk during soft open, Grand Opening party, Locked-in member rate for 1 year

35 Left
0 Supporters
Select this reward
1,100.00 USD
Co-Solve Co-Working Membership

Prepaid 2 months CoSolve CO-WORKING membership (60 hrs childcare/mo), FREE access to center and 12 FREE hrs childcare/wk during soft open, Grand Opening party, Locked-in member rate for 1 year

19 Left
1 Supporter
Select this reward
2,500.00 USD
Super Village Backer

Prepaid 2 months CoSolve CO-WORKING membership (60 hrs childcare/mo), FREE access to center and 15 FREE hrs childcare/wk during soft open, Grand Opening party, Postcards, 2 T-Shirts or Onesies, Personalized Donor plaque placed in center, Private BrewHop Trolley Tour with other members, Locked-in member rate for 1 year

9 Left
1 Supporter
Select this reward
20.00 USD
Date Night Add On #1 (add to any Founding membership level)

Date Night (or Day) event includes 3 hours of childcare for 1 child, including dinner for kids and discounts for you!

146 Left
4 Supporters
Select this reward
440.00 USD
Sponsor a Basic Membership for a Year

Sponsor a Basic Membership for a Year!

13 Left
2 Supporters
Select this reward
125.00 USD
Sponsor a Basic Membership for 3 months

Sponsor a Basic Membership for a 3 months!

0 Supporters
Select this reward
30.00 USD
Custom Logo T-Shirt (add to any Founding membership level)

Choose from 4 different Front Range themed graphic options for your unique custom-designed T-Shirt

149 Left
1 Supporter
Select this reward
30.00 USD
Custom Logo Onesie (add to any Founding membership level)

Choose from 4 different Front Range themed graphic options for your unique custom-designed Onesie

148 Left
2 Supporters
Select this reward

About the Entrepreneur

Longmont, CO
Created 2 Campaigns
Family

Rewards

Monetary Contribution With No Reward

Donate to support our Village even if its not the right Village for you!  We are grateful for any amount of support you choose to contribute.

17 Supporters
Select this reward
70.00 USD
Basic Founding Membership

Prepaid 2 months BASIC membership starting at our Grand Opening(4 hrs childcare/mo), FREE access to center and 2 FREE hrs childcare/wk during soft open, Grand Opening party, Locked-in member rate for 1 year

57 Left
43 Supporters
Select this reward
120.00 USD
Standard Founding Membership

Prepaid 2 months STANDARD membership (8 hrs childcare/mo), FREE access to center and 3 FREE hrs childcare/wk during soft open, Grand Opening party, Locked-in member rate for 1 year

32 Left
18 Supporters
Select this reward
200.00 USD
Plus Founding Membership

Prepaid 2 months PLUS membership (16 hrs childcare/mo), FREE access to center and 4 hrs FREE childcare/wk during soft open, Grand Opening party, Locked-in member rate for 1 year

47 Left
3 Supporters
Select this reward
320.00 USD
Premium Founding Membership

Prepaid 2 months PREMIUM membership (28 hrs childcare/mo), FREE access to center and 6 FREE hrs childcare/wk during soft open, Grand Opening party, Locked-in member rate for 1 year

34 Left
1 Supporter
Select this reward
600.00 USD
Platinum Founding Membership

Prepaid 2 months PLATINUM membership (60 hrs childcare/mo), FREE access to center and 10 FREE hrs childcare/wk during soft open, Grand Opening party, Locked-in member rate for 1 year

35 Left
0 Supporters
Select this reward
1,100.00 USD
Co-Solve Co-Working Membership

Prepaid 2 months CoSolve CO-WORKING membership (60 hrs childcare/mo), FREE access to center and 12 FREE hrs childcare/wk during soft open, Grand Opening party, Locked-in member rate for 1 year

19 Left
1 Supporter
Select this reward
2,500.00 USD
Super Village Backer

Prepaid 2 months CoSolve CO-WORKING membership (60 hrs childcare/mo), FREE access to center and 15 FREE hrs childcare/wk during soft open, Grand Opening party, Postcards, 2 T-Shirts or Onesies, Personalized Donor plaque placed in center, Private BrewHop Trolley Tour with other members, Locked-in member rate for 1 year

9 Left
1 Supporter
Select this reward
20.00 USD
Date Night Add On #1 (add to any Founding membership level)

Date Night (or Day) event includes 3 hours of childcare for 1 child, including dinner for kids and discounts for you!

146 Left
4 Supporters
Select this reward
440.00 USD
Sponsor a Basic Membership for a Year

Sponsor a Basic Membership for a Year!

13 Left
2 Supporters
Select this reward
125.00 USD
Sponsor a Basic Membership for 3 months

Sponsor a Basic Membership for a 3 months!

0 Supporters
Select this reward
30.00 USD
Custom Logo T-Shirt (add to any Founding membership level)

Choose from 4 different Front Range themed graphic options for your unique custom-designed T-Shirt

149 Left
1 Supporter
Select this reward
30.00 USD
Custom Logo Onesie (add to any Founding membership level)

Choose from 4 different Front Range themed graphic options for your unique custom-designed Onesie

148 Left
2 Supporters
Select this reward