[hackerspaces] Hackerspaces Re:Foundation (Was Re: Abuse Of Power)

[Yves Quemener]

On 14/04/13 02:46, Bryan Bishop wrote:
> On Sat, Apr 13, 2013 at 7:37 PM, Randall G. Arnold
> <randall.arnold at texrat.net> wrote:
>> They seem to always be asking the question: "How do we get funding for such
>> and such?"  The answer always seems to be member fees.  Of course there's a
>> practical limit to such funding and you tend to implode quickly after
>> reaching it.
> 
> This is probably the wrong place to mention it, but I am a huge fan of
> non-membership-fee structures. I am glad to hear that you found an
> alternative that worked out in your situation. What is the exact
> nature of the arrangement with the library?

While not exactly non-membership-fee structures, two hackerspaces I have
helped funding pay zero rent and finance themselves with a very small fee
(5€/month).

They key is to find people who benefit from having makers on-site. First
place we found was with an educational non-profit that wanted to recycle
old computers. We started with linux install parties.

Later, a bigger non-profit makes an exhibit about the industry and its
future. They want to have a 3D printer, they heard from us. The deal was :
"you buy the kit, we make it work, we use it during our sessions, we repair
it when either one of us break it.". Fast forward two years, with this kind
of arrangement, the LOG now has access to a big laser cutter, a big CNC,
two 3d printers, a smaller CNC and various tools. Most "on lease".

In Lyon the place is not that well equiped, but we found a mecene who loves
open source who let us use a small flat for free.