HASTINGS, Neb. (KSNB) – The Schnase 1906 District is going to invest the money they earned from ‘Give Hastings Day’ into entrepreneurship in the community.
The organization earned $132,940, the most of any nonprofit participating in the event.
The money will go towards the former Stein Building in downtown Hastings, which will be converted into the new home for both the Hastings Community Foundation and the Schnase 1906 District.
The building will also be a one-stop shop for several services entrepreneurs need.
Vice President of the Schnase 1906 District Board, Dan Peters, said the goal of the organization is to help small businesses grow and for start-ups to get off the ground.
”Our goal is to create businesses, get them established and then push them out into the open market,” Peters said. “We don’t want businesses to stay and grow in this facility. Our focus, expertise, and resources are really going to be on those start-ups.”
Peters also said, the idea having entrepreneurial services is not new to the community, but offering a wide variety of services in one building is something that sets this project apart from others in the area.
”What we are trying to do is centralize the resources and the tools available,” Peters said. “A lot of communities have done models like this, but they focused on co-working or they focused on incubator, but we are bringing both of those things under one roof.”
He also said the key to the success of the project will be in the partnerships with community members, schools and other services that specialize in helping businesses get started and expand.
“What we have is so many community partners from the Central Community College Entrepreneurship Center to Hastings Economic Development Corporation and others that will staff and program this facility,” Peters said.
Peters also said the success of the project also depends on the fundraising dollars that are raised within the year.
The amount raised during ‘Give Hastings Day’ put them closer to their goal of $2.5 million, but they still have $900,000 left to raise. Once the money is raised, work on the building itself can begin.
Peters said the amount of money raised from ‘Give Hastings Day’ is telling of the need for entrepreneur services in the community.
”That just shows that they want this to happen,” Peters said. “They know this can’t happen until the dollars are secured, but they bought into the vision, are supportive of the idea and the concept and they’re willing to back that up with their own dollars.”
To donate or learn more about the organizations services and plans for the future, you can visit the Schnase 1906 District website.
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