The Thoreau Center for Sustainability is a community of 63 nonprofit organizations that focus on social, cultural and environmental sustainability issues; the center occupies 12 historic buildings in the beautiful Presidio National Park.
Once part of the Letterman Hospital surgical ward which served thousands of military personnel, the 12 clustered buildings – totaling 150,000 square feet – comprise a nonprofit Mecca today.
“It’s a collegiate environment,” said Tatiana Tilley of the Pachamama Alliance. Pachamama works hard to preserve the rainforest in Ecuador. They came to the center in 1998 and rented a small space. Today, they occupy almost an entire floor sprawling across several rooms which are painted with a rainforest motif. “I feel very fortunate to be part of this community,” Tilley added.
The concept of a nonprofit community is the brainchild of Tides – a philanthropic organization made up of Tides Center, Tides Foundation and Tides Shared Spaces. Similar to an intertidal community in the coastal ecosystem which thrives harmoniously as a community, Tides brings together nonprofits, donors and knowledge resulting in the proliferation of activism and social justice.
It is fitting that the center is named after Henry David Thoreau, the mid-nineteenth century American writer, poet and philosopher who is well known for his book on civil disobedience.
One of Thoreau’s many cherished quotes graces the entrance to building 1016: “Though I do not believe that a plant will spring up where no seed has been, I do have great faith in a seed. Convince me that you have a seed there, and I am prepared to expect wonders.”
The center serves as a garden which nurtures the 63 seeds of like-minded activist organizations. There are two art galleries, an organic café, shuttle services, and a library on sustainability.
Bruce DeMartini, the Thoreau Center program coordinator, said that the library was seeded financially by Whole Earth Access, who also donated the first 500 books. There are 3000 books in the library today. “Not just any books either,” said DeMartini.
DeMartini is a gracious host to visitors and members, and a defacto expert on the center, as he lucidly explained the history of Thoreau. The Presidio came under the management of the Presidio Trust, a Federal Government Corporation in 1996. At the time, Tides came up with the idea to use the 12 buildings which were empty.
Tides originally intended to build a global sustainable park, but the project evolved and blossomed into a nonprofit community, which became the official identity and focused in 2005 upon a nonprofit center for tenants.
DeMartini also coordinates programs at the center, including workshops and exhibits to bring the public and nonprofits together for visibility. “Get it out there and network,” he said.
DeMartini explained that the rehabilitation of the buildings was rigorous, as the Tides worked closely with a historical committee which required them to keep as much of the building’s original integrity as possible. Each building has its own character and history.
The buildings and their history draw visitors throughout the year too. People who were patients at the hospital or who worked at the hospital come back later to visit. The buildings are immaculate, and a serious attention to detail is evident. From the ornate tin ceiling tiles to the preserved wood paneling on the walls and the tile along the hallways, most of the architecture is original.
The three-story buildings contain an abundance of windows that let the sunshine in through thick-paned glass. The stairs creak with history underfoot, and there is a sense of past that permeates the place.
In the beginning, some of the tenants complained of strange occurrences – ghosts. A group of Ohlone Indians was brought in to perform a smudging ceremony. DeMartini said that things have been fine since then. He is not convinced that the ghosts are gone, but that they are nice now. People seem to get along with them.
Founder and Executive Director Josefa Vaughan of Art Seed – a nonprofit arts education program that aims to foster lifelong love of learning, teaching, and working creatively – loves being in the building and being able to bring pupils from underprivileged communities to the green and tranquil setting.
In addition to many original details, the building is green, too. It was green before green was trendy. The entrance has a large atrium skylight laminated with 24 solar panels that admits light and produces enough electricity to power 64 energy-efficient light fixtures. The carpet throughout is repurposed into other products by the manufacturer after it wears out.
Consultants from around the country are interested in replicating the center in other communities, and it has become a model for success. The center brings all the nonprofits together for one stop shopping, in a symbiotic relationship.
The Presidio Trust now manages most of the park in partnership with the National Park Service, and they have an initiative to achieve financial self-sufficiency by 2013. Thanks to the hard work and creativity of Tides and the dedicated folks that make up the 63 nonprofits at Thoreau Center, the initiative for financial autonomy is well under way.
“It’s a beautiful place to work,” said DeMartini. “It would be a lot more stressful downtown.”
More information about the Thoreau Center for Sustainability can be found at http://www.thoreau.org/.
