<div dir="ltr">I think that we are in a "special time" right now, because we've had two very successful hackerspaces turn to the community for help in a way that they never have needed to before. Both Bucketworks and Noisebridge have been self-sustaining for over 10 years. Both of these spaces have vibrant communities, businesses that have grown out of them, and many people near and far who love them.<div>
<br></div><div style>I can't help but wonder why it is that *now* they are having troubles. It's been a long hard recession. I would have expected troubles a few years ago maybe. Was it just that they had enough momentum to make it through these difficult times, but the momentum is finally being slowed by the continued economic pressures we're facing? Is it that too many people and companies have had to tighten up the belts for too long and just finally had to let go of paying memberships and sponsorships to organizations like these? Or is there something else at work here?</div>
<div style><br></div><div style>Because, frankly, before this year, I would have told anyone who wanted to figure out how to make a hackerspace sustainable to look at Noisebridge and at Bucketworks. They have very different income models, and yet they've both done well, survived and thrived for years now. But this year, both found themselves in dire trouble. That's worrisome.</div>
<div style><br></div><div style>What can we do, beyond just pitching in some dollars *right now*, to help our hackerspaces continue to thrive?</div><div style><br></div><div style>- Lisha</div></div><div class="gmail_extra">
<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Fri, May 31, 2013 at 10:28 PM, Al Billings <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:albill@openbuddha.com" target="_blank">albill@openbuddha.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
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This is a great lead in to discuss hackerspaces and how to make them sustainable. I find it sad that so many hackerspaces seem to need to have "rent parties" or ask for donations from the general public from time to time instead of having a sustainable model that keeps enough money coming in. Why isn't this more of a priority? If hackerspaces are cash negative, there is going to come a time where they'll just fail (when people get tired of giving cash).
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<div><div><br></div><div>-- </div><div>Al Billings</div><div><a href="http://www.openbuddha.com" target="_blank">http://www.openbuddha.com</a></div><div><a href="http://makehacklearn.org" target="_blank">http://makehacklearn.org</a></div>
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<p style="color:#a0a0a8">On Friday, May 31, 2013 at 1:56 PM, Mitch Altman wrote:</p>
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<div dir="ltr">Bucketworks is one of the oldest hackerspaces in the world. They have helped lots of hackerspaces to form over the last few years. They now need help to pay rent! Please consider helping. <br><a href="http://bucketworks.org/" target="_blank">http://bucketworks.org/</a><br>
<br>Thanks,<br>Mitch.<br> </div></div></div></span></blockquote>
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