Community doesn’t just create abundance – community is abundance. If we could learn that equation from the world of nature, the human world might be transformed. - Parker Palmer
Dear Hive Community,
This season is full of possibility. As we have listened, learned, and continued to grow together, we are sensing a new story of the Hive emerging. Hive community members who long to co-create and sustain the Hive into 2023 have joined us to vision for the future together. We have learned over the last few years of change that we have to commit to those things that matter most to us.
Our leadership is discerning a vision, mission, and culture truly led by a collective of people who have done the hard work of building trust, and who are committing to embodying the practices and values of the Hive for one another as a fractal of what the Hive aspires to be in the world (you'll see their names signed below).
As we move forward together, we sense that tapping into the abundance of community is a deeper, more generative practice, and we are so proud of how this practice has transformed the Hive over the past year.
Now, more than ever in the Hive’s history, we are being led by a diverse group of gifted individuals who are passionate, brave, and trustworthy practitioners of contemplative leadership.
This leadership is not fixed; it seeks to be a living, breathing organism that can strategically adapt to change as it comes.
Celebrating 2022
We are grateful for your partnership in taking us this far! And we invite you to celebrate with us the work we’ve done this year. Consider this snapshot:
Classes: So far in 2022, we’ve welcomed 18 new members, sold nearly 1,000 tickets to classes, held 84 courses and events, and we’ve given away over $10,000 in scholarships through “pay what you can” offerings.
Community: Hive Cohorts have continued to form and meet throughout the year as Members co-create circles to journey together for the long haul. Additionally, we’ve hosted three Hive Member community dinners so far, sharing meals and reflecting together on the transformation unfolding at the Hive. Our seasonal themes have provided containers for courageous dialogue around Appreciation (winter), Unknowing (spring), Abundance (summer), and Gratitude (this fall).
Expanding the Reach of the Hive: This year, we were gifted with several opportunities to host larger events to broaden our reach in Cincinnati and beyond. We hosted grammy- nominated musician Michael Gungor for a flagship event in August, and partnered with The Well for gatherings with Rumi translator Haleh Liza Gafori. We also joined PAR Projects to host a block party on Hoffner St., and hosted seven open house social gatherings throughout the year to practice hospitality and welcome the public into the Hive.
As we strive to generate new opportunities to cultivate inner transformation and invite new people to experience the gift of the Hive, we need you.
The Hive depends not just on members and participants but on the generosity of donors to offer what they have to our community.
Perhaps you found the Hive to be a place that welcomed you when you weren’t sure of your next step forward, or when you stood on the threshold between one time of your life and the next. Maybe you were looking for a community of practice to help you embody your values or seeking a place of spiritual awakening. Maybe you want to be part of a collective who believes the world can be different than it is.
Keep the Gift Going
Each of us have found our way to the Hive for a variety of reasons. But together we've found something life-giving, uplifting, and inspiring - a community of people dedicated to transformation. A people who believe in the growing edge as a place of hope.
We need each other to find this kind of abundance. We invite you to be a sustainer of the Hive, to offer what you have to sustain the Hive for the coming year and beyond. We want to share the Hive with more friends, neighbors, and colleagues. We want to cultivate space for contemplative practices that fuel collective change-making. We believe that this kind of community takes intentionality and a commitment to show up, not just for ourselves but for others who are still on the journey and seeking the change we are longing for.
You're invited to keep the gift going and join us in our year-end capital campaign. Our goal is to raise $40,000. Your gift will help us step confidently in 2023, allowing us to continue to curate transformative classes and events, maintain our building in Northside, and compensate our staff and facilitators.
If you have an annual practice of directed charitable giving, we invite you to include the Hive in a considerable way. Join us in making a donation to the Hive this year; no amount is too big or too small. Give what you can so we can continue to cultivate transformative community in Cincinnati and beyond.
To give now, visit cincyhive.org/give
With Gratitude,
The Hive Advisory Board, Lead Team, and Wisdom Circle
Jane Gerdsen, Karen Ecker, Ed Goode, Geralyn Sparough, Niki Pappas, Chris La Rue, Daniel Hughes, La Shanda Sugg, Tina Hubert, Rowe Schnure, and Ed Ewbank