A new events and office space designed for social sector nonprofits has opened in the historic Union Trust building at 15th and H Streets, just around the corner from The White House.
The Just Economy Club, at 740 15th St. NW, offers members private offices with room for teams of up to eight people, shared desks for open plan co-working, a lounge and kitchen for casual work and meetings, A/V-equipped conference rooms and a state-of-the-art theater for briefings, workshops, training or social events for up to 100 people.
The Club is operated by the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, a nonprofit that works to increase the flow of private capital into traditionally underserved communities. In addition to the physical space for events and work in DC, the Club also connects a national network of individuals who support NCRC’s work to make a Just Economy a national priority and a local reality.
NCRC planned to launch the new space in 2020, just as the COVID-19 pandemic hit, but then put it on hold. The opening now comes as many organizations are planning how and when to resume face-to-face work and events, and how to balance that with a mix of office and remote teams and work from home.
The Club is ideal for organizations of any size that want a creative space with flexibility for teamwork, private offices and larger meetings when they need it. It’s also a unique and flexible space for seminars, briefings, workshops and social events.
“DC and the wider DMV region boast a vibrant and important collection of progressive nonprofit think tanks, advocacy groups, media, tech and social ventures, and we’ve designed a unique place for them to gather for work and events,” said Andrew Nachison, NCRC’s chief communications and marketing officer. “It’s modern and comfortable, but also simple, flexible and with a DIY vibe. You make your own coffee and clean up your own mess. We don’t have beer or kombucha taps. What we have is a stylish and comfortable space in a great location where teams with purpose can meet, work, collaborate, and be around each other when they need to.”
With COVID, most DC office work shifted to work from home, meetings moved to Zoom, and many people became comfortable with that and don’t want to resume daily commutes.
But at the same time, even as the delta variant has complicated the timing of return to office work and meetings, many people are also desperate for face-to-face experiences, and companies still want a place for teamwork, meetings, mentorship and a mailing address.
The building is already home to a number of national nonprofits and institutions, including NCRC, the League of Conservation Voters, the Poverty and Race Research Action Council, the Grassroot Project and New America. At street level you can get a drink at the Union Trust Bar or a power meal at Joe’s Seafood.
The building was previously the downtown home for 1776, the tech-oriented co-working hub that shut down its DC location earlier this year.
To join, schedule a tour or learn more about hosting events and reserving offices at the Just Economy Club in DC, go to: www.justclub.org/meetwork/
