This document discusses the potential for creating a physical community space for pagans in Dayton, Ohio. It analyzes the costs and feasibility of renting versus purchasing a property. While a community center could provide benefits, the document concludes that the Dayton pagan community is not yet large or financially supported enough to take on such an undertaking. Further work needs to be done to expand the community and gauge interest before pursuing a physical space. Non-profit status or partnering may help access funding if interest and support increase in the future.

1. Creating Community Space
Physical Pagan Community Center in
Dayton Ohio – Potential or Pipe Dream?

2. Dayton Pagan Alliance
Service in Action to the Greater Dayton Pagan Community

3. The Situation
 The Dayton Metro area has a widely dispersed and
varied community.
 Opportunities for IRL meetings are available, but
limited . Venues are parks or eating places with no
cost meeting rooms.
 Most connections are through virtual communities
(Facebook, My Space, Yahoogroups)
 Interest has been expressed over the years for an
IRL place to meet where the community would
have control over the venue.

4. Exploring the Potential
 Ideal building:
Centralized location

Adequate parking

Attached green space for rituals

Large room for meetings

Kitchen for food preparation

Office and small meeting space

 Buildings to look for:
 Old church building
 Community building (VFW, FOE, etc)
 Restaurant

5. Rent or Own?
 Rental:
 Pros:
 Not tied long term to a building
 Maintenance would be landlord’s responsibility
 Cons:
We could only make minimal modifications

Landlord controls how long we stay in building

Lease could limit building utilization

Rental increases not under our control.


6. Rent or Own?
 Purchase:
 Pros:
 Building would belong to us
 We could make whatever modifications we choose
 We would determine utilization within zoning
considerations
 Mortgage would be a constant cost factor
 Cons:
 Building would be multiyear commitment
 Would have to sell if we decided to move locations
 Maintenance would be our responsibility

7. Market Considerations
 Dayton is a buyer’s market if you are looking for a
home. There are many distressed and foreclosed
properties available for relatively low upfront costs.
Commercial property is more costly, both for rental
and for purchase. Lower cost commercial property
tends to be older and in need of extensive repairs
and/or renovations. With this in mind we will look
at one lower cost purchase property and one rental
property.

8. A Tale of Two Properties
Rental Purchase
 Location: North Dixie @  Location: W Stewart St
Needmore Rd
 Type: Church
 Type: Retail, former
 Space: not indicate, but
restaurant
located on 0.20 acre.
 Space: 4,000 sq ft
 Cost: $41,900
 Cost: $7.50 sq ft per yr
 Additional: Built in 1900,
 Additional: Has Kitchen older building
equipment and furniture

9. Sample Monthly Costs
Rental
 Building:
Rent: $2,500

Electric/gas - $400

Water - $70

Insurance: $150

Subtotal: $3,120

10. Sample Monthly Costs
Rental
 Personnel: (20% added for non-wage costs)
 Center Manager - $2,496
 Paid Officer Worker (part time) - $1,020
Subtotal: $3,516
 Supplies:
 Kitchen (food and disposables) - $400
 Office - $100
 Incidentals and Miscellaneous - $250
Subtotal: $750

11. Sample Cost Rental
Synopsis
 Monthly Costs: $7,586
 Yearly Costs:
 Building: $37,440
 Personnel: $42,192
 Supplies: $9,000
 Total Yearly Costs: $88,632

12. Sample Monthly Costs
Purchase
 Building: (Renovation costs listed separately)
Mortgage - $310

Electric/gas - $600

Water - $70

Property tax - $125 ($1500 made in 2 payments of

$750)
 Maintenance and Repairs - $1,200
 Insurance: $150
Subtotal: $2,455

13. Sample Monthly Costs
Purchase
 Personnel: (20% added for non-wage costs$936
 Center Manager - $2,496
 Paid Officer Worker (part time) - $1,020
Subtotal: $3,516
 Supplies:
 Kitchen (food and disposables) - $400
 Office - $100
 Incidentals and Miscellaneous - $250
Subtotal: $750

14. Sample Costs Purchase
Synopsis
 Monthly Costs: $6,721
 Yearly Costs:
Building: $29,460

Personnel: $42,192

Supplies: $9,000

Renovation: $4,000 (estimated $40k over 10 years)

 Total Yearly Costs: $84,652

15. Cost Comparison
Rental vs Purchase
Rental Purchase
 Monthly Costs: $7,386  Monthly Costs: $6,657
 Yearly Costs:  Yearly Costs:
 Building: $37,440  Building: $29,460
 Personnel: $42,192  Personnel: $42,192
 Supplies: $9,000  Supplies: $9,000
 Renovation: $4,000
 Total Yearly Costs: $88,632 (estimated $40k over 10
years)
 Total Yearly Costs: $84,652

16. Limitations and Solutions
 Community does not have the money to fund this
project alone.
 Grants and loans are available to nonprofit groups for
community related projects.
 DPA is not a nonprofit corporation.
 Apply for nonprofit status with State of Ohio and IRS
 Partner with an existing nonprofit group, such as
DAPN (Dayton Area Pagan Network)

17. How do we get There from
Here?

18. Non Profit Status?
 The costs associated with either rental or purchase
are beyond the financial capacities of the Dayton
Pagan Community at the present time.
 However, there are grants, loans and other financial
programs available to non profits who are focused
on community building.
 DPA needs to consider whether to take the steps to
obtain nonprofit status in the State of Ohio or
partner with another group that has nonprofit status

19. Which Way?
Establish Partner
 Instead of paying fees for
 While it will cost money up
nonprofit status, we can
front to establish a
allocate funds to other
nonprofit, it will be an
projects
essential status to have in
the long run  Could lose control of the
enterprise as a junior
 We maintain control of partner
enterprise
 We will be left without
 We will compete for funding if nonprofit pulls
funding as our own entity out

20. Community Buy In
 It would be fruitless to spend time, effort and
money setting up a community center unless there
is some indication that the community will actually
use it.
 DPA needs to gauge local interest before it takes the
steps necessary to establish a community center.
 This can be done by contacting other groups
directly and indirectly.

21. Reaching Into the Shadows
 Between pagans who are relatively public, pagans still in
the broom closet and pagan friendly/interested people
the potential local community numbers in excess of 500
people.
 Many for them can be contacted via the Internet
Social networking sites such as Facebook and My Space

Message boards such a Yahoogroups and Google Groups

Special interest sites sites such as Witches Voice

Blogging sites like LiveJournal, WordPress and Blogger.

Podcasting via iTunes

Twitter


22. Reaching into the Shadows
 Advertising via Print Media
 Dayton Daily News weekly community update
 Dayton City Paper
 Programming on Dayton Access Television (DATV)
 Partnering with pagan student groups and Sinclair
Community College, Wright State University and
University of Dayton.

23. We are not there - Yet
 Dayton Pagan Alliance has a vision for the future,
but we are not there yet.
 The potential exists in Dayton to have a vibrant,
active, and moreover supportive pagan community.
 While the seeds of this community were planted in
the Fall of 1999, factionalism and cliquism has
severely stunted it’s growth.

24. We are not there - Yet
 DPA needs to encourage the growth of the Dayton
Pagan community in small, but continual steps.
 A physical community center can and should be
viewed as a future project, but at the present time it
is not supportable.

25. For more
information
contact
ZoryaEvenstar,
Steering Committee Coordinater
Dayton Pagan Alliance
Email:
daytonpaganalliance@gmail.com
Website:
www.datytonpaganalliance.org