The Human Rights Campaign Foundation and Human Rights Campaign have signed a contract to purchase a building at 1640 Rhode Island Avenue in D.C. The eight-story structure will be renovated and serve as the new national headquarters for the organization.
Last April, HRC announced that it had signed a contract for the option to purchase a vacant lot at 1616 Rhode Island Avenue and would construct a new building. Since that time, several existing buildings came onto the market and presented an even more fiscally prudent option for the organization, HRC stated.
The new site will save the advocacy group millions of dollars it now spends on rental property and serve as a symbol of organizational strength and stability, said HRC.
The purchase price for the new building is $9.8 million. Additional renovation costs of approximately $10-12 million are anticipated. Renovation is scheduled to begin next year. The capital campaign is a separate fundraising effort, completely distinct from the day-to-day operating budget of the Human Rights Campaign and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. Over $15,000,000 toward the campaign goal has been raised from a handful of donors as well as Human Rights Campaign and Human Rights Campaign Foundation Board members.
In other news, the HRC Foundation has released an updated Spanish-language version of its popular pocket guide to coming out. The “Guia de Recursos Para Salir del Closet” has been significantly expanded. See www.hrc.org/ncop.