Capitol Hill LGBTQ youth nonprofit Lambert House has started a capital campaign to raise the money it needs to stay in its 35-year 15th Ave home. The organization is committed to staying on Capitol Hill.

Lambert House needs around $2 million to be able to stay in its longtime home on 15th Ave past the end of 2016. Executive director Ken Shulman said the organization is pursuing several different sources of funding through the capital campaign, including major private donations and a campaign started Pride weekend.

Shulman says that the nonprofit will assess the status of its fundraising in early October and decide whether they will likely have enough to buy up their current location by the end of the year. If not, Lambert House will move into an interim space for a few years while it continues to raise money for a more permanent location.

Lambert House set its goal for online fundraising from small donors at $500,000 and hopes to raise the rest of the funds through large donations from private donors. The neighborhood has also rallied around the nonprofit; Gnocchi Bar on 12th is donating some of its proceeds to the campaign, and Shulman says some other members of the community are planning fundraising events.

Even if Lambert House cannot stay in its current home, it is unlikely to go far.

“We’re committed to staying on Capitol Hill,” said Shulman. “It’s been very accessible to the youth that we serve.” Shulman said that according to the records Lambert House keeps, Capitol Hill is an ideal central location for the youth that seek help from the nonprofit, and moving to another neighborhood would inevitably make access more difficult for some subset of its patrons. Shulman said that Capitol Hill is also ideal because the ease of access by bus and light rail.

While no interim space has been officially decided, All Pilgrims Christian Church on 10th is one potential candidate.

To learn more about Lambert House or to find out how you can help, visit the organization’s website.