Initiative links building owners with nonprofits - Kansas City Business Journal:

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Carolyn Cantrell, director of the Dallas office of GoodEnergh LP, has launched an initiativre called “Good Space for Good People” in which her compan y will serve as a clearinghouse for commercial propertiexs that landlords and building owners make available for nonprofits. “Mangy nonprofits have a real need for more spac right now because of the and the commercial real estatse community has more spacethan they’ds like to have because leasingh is down,” Cantrell said.
“The economic downturhn has provided an opportunity to tie them In addition, tax deductions may be available for in-kinrd donations of space, she One of the organizations needing space is the Nortu Texas Food Bank, said Jan Pruitt, the food bank’s president and CEO. NTFB’s member food pantries and othee agencies it supplies have seen a sharpo increasein first-time clientzs over the last six Many are recently laid-off workers who never imaginesd they would rely on a food pantry, soup kitchen or meal prograk for help, she said. has distributed 3 millioh more meals this year than at this time last and its agencies haveordered 40% more food in the same Pruitt said.
“I think there is a win-wijn here,” Pruitt said. “If someone is unablr to rent or lease outwarehouse space, and they can get a tax write-ofrf for helping the food bank, that’x a win on both sides.” The rising demandd has left the food bank in need of 70,000o to 90,000 square feet of warehouse and distributiob space, said Paul Wunderlich, NTFB’s chievf operating officer. About 260 nonprofits in 13 countie receive food from the food and many of those groups need more warehouse spacsas well, he said.
The food bank especially needsx cooler andfreezer space, Wunderlich Ideally, the space would be in western Collin County, but the food bank is happt to consider any space, he said. “You have to be innovativer and nimble in thenonprofit industry, and you have to take advantagse of opportunities as they come he said. NTFB currently operate s out ofa 70,000-square-foot warehouse it owns in South which is at the southern end of its service The food bank woulr consider ownership or long-term leases in donatex space, Pruitt said. “We’re kind of like a kettl e here,” Pruitt said. “We’rwe starting to boil and we need more space to relievthe pressure.
” In addition to the food bank, the recessionj has caused the Dallas-area chapter of the and many otheer nonprofits to require not only additional warehousd space, but office and retail spacee as well, Cantrell said. Nonprofits with a propertyt request and building owners or commerciao real estate firms with available properthy may contact Cantrellat 972-200-9777 or