DanceSafe announces staff layoffs amid ‘financial crisis’

DanceSafe shared that it has laid off its entire paid staff amid financial pressure, but the harm reduction organization says it’s not going anywhere.

DanceSafe, the nonprofit harm reduction organization that has been a fixture at festivals, has confirmed it has laid off its paid staff following what it describes as a “growing financial crisis.” Breaking the news on Instagram, DanceSafe wrote that “Last month, after a growing financial crisis, DanceSafe had to make the painful decision to lay off paid staff. They kept the work going through impossible and unpredictable circumstances, and their dedication to this organization and the mission will not be forgotten. We are eternally grateful for them.”

After years of leadership changes, financial instability, a pandemic, an economic recession, and relentless uncertainty about the future of their work. Before the layoffs, the team spent months making the organization as stable as possible for the future, but because of the financial implications, this included reducing headcount by eliminating paid staff. 

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DanceSafe raised over $27,000 from 500 small donors, marking its most significant grassroots fundraising effort in years and showing that this isn’t just the Med Tent at a festival but a respected institution that wanted to survive. They transferred storefront operations to a new vendor, cutting costs and improving site performance. They dramatically reduced operating expenses. And they paid off a major sales tax debt that had been draining their savings for two years.

DanceSafe will shift to a chapter-based model, empowering local chapters to operate independently with community-driven tools. The move away from a country-wide model, despite the devastation and layoffs, and now to volunteer-based workers, will hopefully enable more chapters and more harm reduction at festivals. They did not operate by scolding those who came to them for help but focused on education, test kits, fentanyl strips, and information without judgment. Their educational materials and harm reduction resources will remain available on their website. 

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Shiv

Hey! I’m Shiv!

Music is the greatest part of my life, I remember discovering dubstep when I was 15/16 and my entire life was altered – robot noises?? I needed MORE!

Now, I live in NYC and have seen over 80 artists of all genres (I’ve lost count). Some of my faves being Odesza, Rezz, Griz, Zeds Dead, Pretty Lights, Of The Trees, Daily Bread, and Kaskade.

You can usually find me in a warehouse under a pashmina.

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