Idaho Gives will spotlight 600 nonprofits Thursday. Boise artists are raising money for Xanadu.

There’s a big, funky old building on the Boise Bench where artists and performers of all kinds come and go — at all hours of the day and night.

The sign outside reads “Xu.” That’s short for Xanadu.

Xanadu is an eclectic workspace and hangout run by the Idaho Burners Alliance, a nonprofit whose mission is to foster arts, science and technology in the Treasure Valley.

It’s a rehearsal space for local theater and improvisation groups. A place where you can take a class in fire spinning or learn to weld. Need to build a macro puppet for Treefort or bling out an art car for Burning Man? You can do that, too.

“I don’t know what Xanadu is exactly, but I want to be part of it,” said Danica Hedges, a Meridian resident who discovered it last fall and is now a member-volunteer helping to spread the word.

The Idaho Burners Alliance is participating in Idaho Gives — the one-day fundraiser for nonprofits around the state — to raise community awareness of what Xanadu has to offer and money to help maintain it. Some donated funds will go to arts projects, too.

“This place is about giving people a place to learn and grow,” said Kaden Sinclair, the sculptor behind the Idaho Burners Alliance. The group is currently leading a community art project called MesmerElda, a giant metal-and-plexiglass sculpture that will be covered in thousands of LED lights.

Idaho Gives is taking place Thursday.

600 nonprofits hoping for donations

Idaho Gives has raised about $6.5 million for Idaho nonprofits over the past six years, including $1.5 million last year, according to Evin Joanne Bask, program and events manager for the Idaho Nonprofit Center.

This year, the goal is $1.7 million.

The number of nonprofits around the state participating in Idaho Gives increases every year, and this year there will be close to 600. About 60 percent of those groups are in the Treasure Valley.

“The first hope with this is to bring some education to the state about all the amazing nonprofits that we have in the state and the different resources they have,” Bask said.

The Idaho Gives website makes it easy for Idahoans to learn about the groups, which all have profiles. Users can search for groups by name, city, county, and/or nonprofit mission (education, animals, arts, etc.), and make donations to several groups at one time.

“It’s kind of like online shopping,” Bask said. “You can throw multiple organizations in your basket.”

It was an online-only fundraiser until last year, when the group tested having a phone bank at KTVB Channel 7. The TV station shared the phone number with viewers.

“We found that it was very popular,” Bask said. “Our phones were ringing, and our backup phones were ringing, and our voicemail was full.”

So that will be back again this year, and there will be more phones available to take these calls. The number is 877-434-4837 (877-ID-GIVES), and the line will be manned from 5 a.m. to midnight.

The Idaho Gives website tries to make the day fun for both the nonprofits and the donors. They have leaderboards for small, medium and large nonprofits, so everyone can track progress. Prizes are awarded for different achievements, including the group that gets the first online donation.

“It’s awesome to see the different causes that are out there and the different people in the community that are helping each other out,” Bask said.

A place to learn and grow

Xanadu, located at 5015 Bond St., was created inside an old building that was a church from the 1930s till the 1950s, Sinclair said. It’s been operating as an arts center for just over four years.

Several large rooms are available to community groups, including one called Reflections that has mirrors on the walls. There’s also a huge basement workshop that’s loaded with woodworking and other equipment.

A red piano and an organ sit on the right side of the front entryway, donations that couldn’t be passed up. There are pieces, parts and piles of art projects in various spots.

“Friday evenings are build night for many big art projects, so it is a good time to stop by and see what’s happening,” the group’s website says. An online calendar allows users to see what’s going on.

For example, at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 9, there’s a “coffee and group meeting about rope arts” in the Reflections room. On a recent afternoon, members of Stage Coach Theatre were rehearsing in that room, while an improv group met next door in a room filled with couches, large bean bags and surprisingly large stuffed animals.

Renovations to the building are ongoing. Part of the cost of keeping the doors open is covered by membership fees. It’s $7.50 a month for an individual, with additional fees for those who want to use the shop and its tools ($90/year). Members can reserve private studio space for personal use or to teach a class.

The group currently has about 200 paying members.

“The building is being slowly upgraded by the community,” Sinclair said. “The biggest goal is to make sure it’s accessible to all community members and demographics.”

Want to learn more or donate to the Idaho Burners Alliance? Visit their Idaho Gives page.

This story was originally published April 28, 2019 at 6:41 PM.