Our Mindfulness Budget
Photo Credit: Eco Life – Permaculture
Mindfulness is one of our main core values, and we want to be a part of driving for positive change in topics we care about.
What’s Currently at the Forefront for Us
As part of our core values we have ongoing efforts in various areas, such as inclusivity and safer spaces. In addition, we’re allocating our mindfulness budget to the two topics at the forefront of our thoughts these days: anti-racism and Black inclusivity in the Lindy Hop community, and contributing towards a positive ecological impact.
Our daily discussions and choices are shaped by our desire to make a meaningful impact in areas that matter to us; our values influence what we do and the decisions we make. Also, as our business grows, our goal is to contribute a percentage of the net revenue from our local schools and online programs to initiatives that support anti-racism, Black inclusivity, and environmental sustainability. We keep an open ledger about our projects and contributions, for you to be able to follow along.
Anti-Racism and Black Inclusivity Goals
- Make it more appealing for Black dancers to join our communities
- Support projects that allow our community to better reflect Black jazz culture (ideally this is also supporting Black artists)
- Give back to the Black community in the U.S. for giving us this art form
Environmental Goal
- Donate to projects that have a positive environmental impact
- Currently the primary project we donate to is Click A Tree.
Get Involved!
We would love it for lots of people to get involved in what we’re doing. Perhaps you want to volunteer for a project, or you have your own ideas and want to ask us for support? Please let us know!
Ledger of Past Projects and Contributions
- March 2021: Paid for four members of our team in Karida Griffith’s “R3D” course on anti-racism for dance teachers
- October 2021: Donated to Click A Tree, resulting in 147 trees planted by local workers in Ghana
- November 2021: Co-organised a workshop in Berlin with Hodi Maputo Afro Swing, all profits going to the artists
- January 2022: Donated to Click a Tree, resulting in 269 trees, plus support for local entrepreneurial school in Ghana
- January 2022: Donated to Odysseus Bailer as payment for his valuable document: “The Blueprint: Guidelines for Instructors Teaching Black American Cultural Music and Dance Forms”
- April 2022: Paid for Kris’ enrollment in Karida Griffiths’ ongoing course on anti-racism for dance teachers
- April 2022: (small) Donated for team members’ participation in CVFC events
- April 2022: (small) Donated to a lindy hopper in need
- April 2022: Donated to Click a Tree, resulting in 140 trees planted, plus support for local entrepreneurial school in Ghana
- June 2022: Paid for team training by Odysseus Bailer
- June 2022: Paid for a consultation on cultural responsibility in teacher training
- June 2022: Organised and funded an event with Michaela Dudley in Berlin, including paying the artist
- July 2022: Donated to Click a Tree, resulting in 140 trees planted, plus support for local entrepreneurial school in Ghana
- September 2022: Organised workshops with Hodi Maputo Afro Swing in Berlin and Heidelberg, all profits going to the artists
- September 2022: Paid for an interview session with Hodi Maputo Afro Swing team, for use as a teacher training resource
- At the beginning of 2023: Unfortunately our financial situation was very dire and we had to make severe cutbacks, including closing our Berlin school, and suspending financial support for this budget. As of May 2023: the situation is looking a little better, and we hope we can return to this budget soon, but our business needs to become more stable before we’re confident to do so.