Our Story
Community Spring was born from a simple truth: if we want to end poverty, we need to invest directly in the people who know it best—those who’ve lived it.
Community Spring was founded by Lindsay Kallman and Max Tipping. With years of social justice experience, they were tired of watching the same broken systems fail the same people. They didn’t want to run another charity; they wanted to flip the script. From the start, our work has focused on putting money, power, and opportunity into the hands of those who’ve been excluded and exploited for too long.
We launched in January 2020 with five fellows, a few folding tables, and a vision that far exceeded our borrowed space in the back of a church. Together, we co-created a fellowship model that was about more than just training—it was about handing over the mic and letting impacted people lead. We didn’t just talk about change; we lived it, learned from it, and built on it together.
In just five years, we’ve grown from those humble beginnings. Community Spring has led groundbreaking campaigns on reentry, housing, mental health, and decriminalizing poverty tied to fines and fees. We launched Just Income, a guaranteed income program that’s redefining reentry support and has earned national recognition.
Some of our fellows have gone on to become nationally recognized leaders in social change, proving that when you invest in those most impacted, they lead with strength and vision. We’ve also shifted narratives that trap people in cycles of poverty and punishment, expanded our spaces, hired former fellows as staff, and built communities where those who’ve been shut out can finally belong.
But we’re not here just to point out problems; we’re here to dismantle them, piece by piece. Mass incarceration and poverty are two sides of the same terrible coin, and we’re not afraid to name it.
Our power comes from the community—the voices and experiences of those who’ve been told they don’t matter. We’re local by design, but our impact reaches far beyond Gainesville because we’re part of a larger fight for justice.
We’ve learned a lot along the way—what works, what doesn’t, and what it truly takes to drive change. As we look to the next chapter, we’re doubling down on our commitment to economic justice. We’ll keep finding creative ways to put money and power directly into the hands of those most impacted. We’ll keep breaking down barriers and building up a community where everyone has a place.
This is just the beginning. We’re proof that real change happens when you put your trust and resources into the people who’ve been fighting their whole lives.
Together, we can end the cycle of poverty and incarceration.
Mass incarceration is both a cause and effect of poverty. Community Spring is responding by providing cash assistance, advocating for policy change, and shifting harmful narratives.