FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 8, 2024
Campagna Center Opens Renovated Facility, Moves into a New Phase of Impact After Campaign & Renovation
Community nonprofit looks to build on its legacy and help more children and adults thrive
Alexandria, VA – Campagna Center, Alexandria’s leading nonprofit organization focusing on educational and social development services for children and families, is excited to announce the reopening of their newly renovated facility at 418 S. Washington St. The renovation, completed with funds from a $6.7 million capital campaign, will allow Campagna to meet the increasing demand for educational and social development programs.
To highlight this transformational moment in the organization’s journey, Campagna will host a ribbon cutting ceremony on April 20 at 10:30 a.m., followed by an Open House from 12 to 3 p.m. Remarks will be given on how the renovated space will improve Campagna’s work to transform lives and build brighter futures. Quick tours of the building will also be offered, and each of Campagna’s programs will be present, providing fun, informational, and interactive activities that demonstrate what the organization does for children and families throughout Alexandria.
“Just shy of our 80th year in operation, we’re emerging from the pandemic in an even stronger place than where we found ourselves in 2020. And when it comes to providing preschool education, after-school programs, tutoring and mentoring, college and career planning for youth, and adult English language learning classes, we’re excited for what comes next,” said Tammy Mann, President & CEO.
Just before the arrival of COVID-19, Campagna was poised to kick off a capital campaign focused on aligning its capacity with its mission. The vision included reimaging its historic but significantly aging headquarters, especially in ways that would modernize and improve the delivery of its programs. After years of considering various scenarios, a plan to upgrade its existing resources generated a great deal of excitement. One key reason was that the land on which its building sits has been devoted to education since 1881—a continuity of purpose few other city parcels can claim. Unfortunately, the pandemic upended the launch of the Forward Together campaign, and even left the organization, like so many nonprofits, simply hoping to survive the once-in-a-lifetime challenge.
But the organization resolved to put its plans back on track and successfully did so with the commencement of the campaign in the fall of 2021. Thanks to its large community of supporters, volunteers, and staff, millions were raised to outfit Campagna for the decades to come. The results include classrooms capable of in-person and remote instruction, a children’s library, a terrace to support events, teleconference-enabled meeting rooms, and flexible administrative space, all while maintaining the historic character of the building. The updates will allow more program activities to occur in Campagna’s headquarters.
“The level of support demonstrated by so many people speaks to how deeply our community believes in our mission and the work Campagna does every day,” said Stephanie Wiggins, Campagna’s Board Chair.
The experience of adjusting to and eventually overcoming COVID continues to have a profound effect on the organization, but like with many organizations, it may also have bolstered Campagna. Recently, the nonprofit returned to its pre-pandemic levels of impact, particularly in the number of people served and the results of its programming. 2023 marked a return to reaching over 2,000 children, teens, and adults in Alexandria annually, which was a 27% increase over 2021. 2023 also saw Campagna achieve record increases in the number of children served within grades K-12, especially in middle and high school.
Some other recent results include:
- In Campagna’s Early Childhood Programs, which serve children from birth to five years old and their families, 83% of students met or exceeded developmental expectations.
- Wright to Read, which helps kindergarten and elementary students improve their literacy skills, has cut the number of students considered high-risk to less than half what it was in 2021.
- Building Better Futures, which helps middle and high school students explore and prepare for their post-secondary options, has seen an over 700% increase in participation.
The organization recently engaged Community Wealth Partners to help facilitate a strategy planning process that will explore how it can build on the work it’s long been doing to help youth and adults realize their full potential. The outcomes will guide the nonprofit’s future directions, such as potentially increasing connections with workforce development partners, especially to aid the adults Campagna supports through its Early Childhood and New Neighbors programs, and the youth it helps through Building Better Futures.
To learn more about the Open House and/or Campagna Center, please contact Mike Crifasi, Chief Development Officer, at 703.224.2395 or mcrifasi@campagnacenter.org.
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ABOUT CAMPAGNA CENTER
Campagna Center’s mission is to deliver exceptional educational and social development programs for children, teens, and adults. Since 1945, Campagna has served the Alexandria community by offering a range of programs that foster a dedication to learning to over 2,000 children and families annually. For more information, please visit campagnacenter.org.
