Buy Firefly Time
Here's where things stand — full transparency.
While our Light The Way campaign has raised $27,744, a large portion of that is pledged over two years, and the rest has already been spent out. Right now, we are operating month to month with no cushion.
Here's why: in January 2026, federal funding policy changes eliminated an approved expense from our contracted budget — after the contract was signed and a portion of those funds were already spent. We are now being forced to repay $33,600 we spent in good faith, and we've lost access to $230,400 in funding we were counting on to carry us to full financial sustainability.
Firefly's current monthly operating expenses are $11,400 — and to be clear, this is bare bones. Countless volunteer hours keep this place running, and board and community members regularly donate everything from paper to maintenance to keep our costs as low as possible.
What $11,400 covers is truly the minimum: rent, accounting, supplies, maintenance, internet, and insurance. It also includes a salary — currently paid through the same funding source noted above, but unlikely to continue. If that salary disappears, we return to a fully volunteer-staffed model. We've proven we can work that way — we did it for years — but it is not sustainable for a nonprofit organization at this stage of growth. The $11,400 also includes payments on a loan/line of credit used to facilitate our reimbursable grant model and complete the Airbnb buildout, which is already generating income. Some of these costs are temporary. All of them are real right now.
It's worth noting that this does not include the $33,600 repayment — a fight we are still actively pursuing. We were forced to sign the agreement May 1st, but it has yet to be fully executed so we are not done fighting.
Under this same funding source, we submitted a reimbursement request on April 24th and are still waiting on that reimbursement. When questioned, we’re simply told, “it’s with leadership.” Our contract notes a 30-day turnaround on reimbursements.
Through no fault of our own, we are in crisis.
We need help to buy time. Here’s what that looks like:
One month: $11,400
Three months: $34,200
Six months: $68,400
Every month we stay open is a month Alluma's mental health clinic serves our neighbors — people who would otherwise drive an hour or more for care. A month of programming. A month of building toward the sustainability we know we can reach.
Please know that we are continuing to pursue every avenue available to fight the federal policy change that created this crisis (legislators, state attorney's office, and the MN Department of Education with whom the contract is with, to name a few).
HOW YOU CAN HELP:
Donate — every dollar buys us time
Book our Airbnb
Rent our community or maker space
Spread the word about ALL of these options
Every dollar. Every rental. Every booking. Every share. It matters.
DONATE:https://givebutter.com/light-the-way-at-firefly
BOOK AIRBNB:https://fireflylofts.com
One funding shift changed everything. Your gift can too.
