Nonprofit fair trade shop closes, for-profit shop planned

After 15 years in business as a nonprofit fair-trade retail outlet, Global Folk Art in the Community Building at 35 W. Main closed its doors as of April 30.

Kristina Rood, a member of its board of directors for five years and a volunteer for six years, said the nonprofit business model requiring reliance on volunteers and management by a board operating under nonprofit requirements was too difficult.

Having owned a successful retail gift store in Julian, Calif., before moving to Spokane, she knows that doing retail work for profit also has its difficulties.  For example, she said that she became tired of working 80 hours a week.

Since she began volunteering, Global Folk Art has had three part-time managers, each with different styles from managing 15 occasional volunteers to having a core group of three to six volunteers run the store.

“We are closing because we have too many bills,” Kristina said, noting that a drop in Christmas sales left the store without funds to restock.

The going-out-of business sale in April was geared to pay off most of those debts, and Kristina said she would stay on a bit if needed to sell off more.

Global Folk Art started as a project of the Peace and Justice Action League of Spokane (PJALS) and then became an independent nonprofit. 

Nancy Nelson, co-director of PJALS, and Denise Attwood of Ganesh Himal Trading initially established it. 

“My belief in fair trade has led me to dedicate time to the store,” Kristina said, “because it means we are paying people in lesser developed countries fairly.

“It’s a wonderful contribution to the world community to shop fair trade and know people who produce the products are not being exploited,” she said.

Kristina said that her Buddhist faith is about compassion for all beings.

“My philosophy is to have compassion for people producing for us.  It’s a good motivator,” she said, adding that other volunteers include Buddhists, a Lutheran and other Christians.

“Faith plays a large part in motivating us to want to contribute to the world of compassion and fairness,” said Kristina, who is involved with the Zen Center at the Community Building.

Lisa Ogle, the manager for the last three years, said that the highlights of her work with Global Folk Art has been talking with people around the world, working with fair trade vendors, learning the stories of the people who produced the items and understanding how fair trade has helped them.

Kim Harmson, who works with Ganesh Himal, is negotiating with the Community Building to open a for-profit fair trade, earth-friendly store in the fall.

 The new store will have a new name and new look, and will offer more selection, said Kim.

For information, call 448-6561.

Copyright © May 2008 - The Fig Tree