Lawrence Tenants tells advisory board it tripled membership, lays out multi-pronged fundraising plan

Lawrence Tenants representatives told the Affordable Housing Advisory Board on Tuesday that city seed funding helped the group expand its membership and outreach and urged continued support while it implements a fundraising plan.

"Because of the funding that you all supported previously, Lawrence tenants has managed to triple its membership, educate more than 473 renters ... and hold 6 educational events in just 6 months," a representative said during the meeting, summarizing the group—s recent activity. The representative asked the board to allow time for the group to put its fundraising plan into effect before reducing city support.

A fundraising committee member, Anna, outlined three steps the group plans to pursue. By the end of the first quarter of 2026 they intend to apply to local and regional foundations such as the Douglas County Community Foundation and national funders; by mid-2026 they plan to solicit individual donations, noting a recent $500 contribution from one supporter; and they propose a sliding-scale membership fee to root funding in tenants themselves. "The path to sustainability starts with the city's funding ... but it doesn't end there," Anna said.

Volunteer organizer Matt described how the group—s work translates to individual outcomes: improved heating repairs, challenged evictions and better living conditions. He said the group—s budget target for 2027 is to grow from about $220,000 to over $270,000 to support additional staff, materials and events.

Board members asked follow-up questions about fundraising governance, IRS status, and progress toward private-sector contributions. Several board members expressed support for the organizing and education work while pressing for clearer evidence of private fundraising to help ensure long-term sustainability.

The group distributed a written fundraising plan and said staff would be available during the meeting to answer questions.

Lawrence Tenants is not an applicant for a specific AHAB project in this segment of the meeting; the comments were delivered during the public-comment portion before application discussion.