To our community,
Due to recent and unforeseen circumstances, The Potter’s House DC (PHDC) will be closed until further notice. This closure includes the cafe and bookstore’s normal operating hours, as well as all public and private events at PHDC.
As many of you may know, we scheduled a temporary break during the month of January to update many of our administrative systems, train our staff with updated guidance, and hire additional staff to help us expand our ability to operate sustainably as a nonprofit organization. When we came to work on January 1, 2026, we fully believed that this plan would be put into action. Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond our control and additional challenges we were unaware of, PHDC no longer has access to the necessary funds to continue operation at this time.
We realize that this news is extremely frustrating. The Potter’s House DC is a long-standing, beloved institution that many people care about. We also understand that this development may raise a lot of questions. We want to be as transparent as possible about the current situation and we hope that the information below can begin to answer some of the questions you may have:
Will you be operating elsewhere?
No. Currently, PHDC currently lacks access to any funds that would allow us to operate in any capacity. The PHDC Board of Directors, who are all volunteers, are trying to decide the best path forward for the organization.
Additionally, PHDC does not currently have access to the building. If you have any questions about the space, we will connect you to the owners of the building.
I donated recently; were donations utilized to try to keep PHDC open? Is there a way to donate to help now?
Unfortunately, our current expenses and liabilities exceed our available funding. We are doing our best to determine if there are any viable paths to resuming operations as quickly as possible.
Recent donations to our previous fiscal sponsor have been used to aid in the separation and to settle any outstanding liabilities. Currently, PHDC cannot utilize any of the funds that have been donated to our previous fiscal sponsor. PHDC is continuing conversations with our previous fiscal sponsor to determine the best path forward for recurring donors. We recommend pausing any recurring donation until there is more clarity.
As of now, PHDC is prioritizing completing the separation from our previous fiscal sponsor to become a fully independent and self-funded organization. This means that donations to PHDC under our new 501(c)(3) tax-deductible EIN cannot be processed until further notice. If you wish to speak further about possibly donating or financially supporting PHDC, please contact chair@pottershousedc.org.
What does this mean for staff?
All PHDC have been laid off. We are working to support them through this situation to the best of our ability and have been communicating with everyone through this process.
Who is currently leading PHDC?
The PHDC Board of Directors will steward the organization’s communications and future actions. The PHDC Leadership Team will no longer be managing the operations of PHDC, nor will any existing staff.
Again, we are devastated by this truly heartbreaking situation, and have only thought of the wellbeing of our staff and community throughout this past month. Every action taken by the Leadership Team has been in service to our community with the hope of continuing daily operations at the café and bookstore. We hope that PHDC can one day re-open and continue its mission. For now, we want to communicate the deep love and gratitude we have for every member of this wonderful community, and we hope to see you again soon.
Sincerely,
Fontana, Jac, Libby, and the entire PHDC Team
