As of the end of our five-year office lease on Oct. 31, NCAN has vacated our physical office space in Washington, D.C. Because we do not plan to resume in-person office operation until safety permits, we decided not to renew our lease at this time.
“Staff well-being is paramount to us, and we have all been working well from home since March 12,” said NCAN Executive Director Kim Cook. “We have learned that 100% remote operation is sufficient for NCAN, although not ideal. We miss the opportunities
to collaborate easily, cultivate relationships, and build common culture. We are eager to reopen an office in Washington, D.C., as soon as it is safe.”
In the spring, we will assess NCAN’s future office needs and look for a new lease or co-location option. We believe there will be plentiful opportunities as the commercial real estate business goes through tremendous change due to the pandemic.
Although cost was not a driving factor in letting go of the lease, NCAN will save on rent and occupancy costs temporarily. This decision makes financial sense at a time when nonprofits, like all businesses and families, are experiencing economic uncertainty.
One staff member at a time last month, we cleaned out many years of accumulated office items and put what turned out to be our relatively few key materials in storage. We invited staff to take home any items, such as a desk or office chair, that would
make working from home more comfortable. Our 2019 initiative to move all our technology to the cloud meant that we had easy computer access from home to all our program documents and financial records.
Still, this change is not without sadness. Suite 300 at 1001 Connecticut Avenue has provided a supportive work home for our team and hosted many inspirational and productive visits from NCAN members, students, and friends. We all look forward to a time
when this is possible again.
NCAN staff will continue to receive mail and deliveries through the new address below. Please update your records if you communicate with or send payments to us via mail. Our phone number and staff extensions remain the same.
National College Attainment Network 6218 Georgia Ave. NW, Ste 1-405 Washington DC 20011-5125 202-347-4848 (remains the same)
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