Help Makerspaces Help You

It’s giving season again, that time of year when charities and non-profits, like most of us, try to reckon with the old year and plan for the next.

Major organizations all over are asking for support. And while people from all over can help out national and international groups, local groups like makerspaces rely entirely on help from their community.

We talk a lot about fancy digital fabrication equipment like CNC machines and laser cutters, which can be pretty expensive (though they’re much more affordable than they used to be). Makerspaces are beautiful places where people can pool their resources and get access to machines and materials and spaces otherwise outside their budget. They’re gathering places where you can teach a class about what you’re passionate about. And they’re a year-round hub to connect to the maker community outside your local Faire.

And they can be a valuable resource in times of crisis. But they need community support to keep the doors open. For an example, we need look no further than friend-of-the-show Noisebridge Hackerspace in San Francisco.

Noisebridge is an incredible makerspace success story. They’ve been around for almost 18 years. They’ve been coming to Maker Faire Bay Area for ages, and have been willing to share resources like power strips and cables with other exhibitors. Unfortunately, challenges don’t discriminate, and they’ve been hit with tens of thousands of dollars of surprise expenses, and $100k of lost income.

So they’re running a fundraiser in the hope of maintaining their mission of being accessible and free to everyone. We wish them the best. And the same for others, so Noisebridge and spaces like it continue to survive and help people connect. And hopefully we’ll see even more spaces get started so anyone can access tools, skills, workshops, repair cafes, and community wherever they may be.