[hackerspaces] Cash flow?

[Rubin Abdi]

Casey Callendrello wrote, On 2013-02-11 22:45:
> There are a couple best practices we've settled on at Noisebridge
> (shocking, I know):

Another thing I would add to Casey's excellent list, is don't be afraid
to point out who's a member supporting the community and who isn't. The
Noisebridge meetings I've attended, when we get to that point of
explaining how Noisebridge gets its money and doesn't go under, I
typically say this...

"Could everyone who thinks Noisebridge is awesome and appreciates that
this place exists please raise your hands."

Everyone in the room raises their hands (except for Crucher)

"Please keep your hands up. If you wouldn't be super sad if Noisebridge
disappeared tomorrow, please lower your hands."

That one asshole in the back lowers his hand.

"Please continue to keep your hands up, unless you're a paying member of
Noisebridge in good standing."

On an average meeting night, about 5 people out of the two dozen
attending lower their hands.

"For everyone with their hand still up, the sad truth about Noisebridge
is that we can only pay for our rent with money. Everyone here really
appreciates any community support, classes, projects, and excellent
energy you bring into the space, but at the end of the day we still need
to pay for our rent, power, and sweet sweet internet. If you truly value
our space, and can actually support us with money, consider donating
into our donations bin, setting up a tax deductible reoccurring monthly
donation to us online, or singing up to become a full fledged member. We
also accept matching donations from Microsoft and Google employees. If
you can't support us financially, please keep that in mind when you are
at a place in your life where you can. "

People tend to call me a dick for doing this routine, but it totally
works. At the end of almost every meeting I've said this shtick, there's
at least one person who comes up and asks about how donations work or
where's the membership sign up form, and two or three others who throw
some cash money into the donations bin.

We sadly don't live in a world yet where hacker spaces can exist simply
with good will, teachers willing to give free classes, and rainbow
pissing ponies, so please make it a point to remind people of this sad
fact, because a lot of folks employed in crazy over paying tech jobs
giving us so much money we honestly don't know what to do with (myself
included about 50% of the time) tend to forget this little fact that
nonprofits don't pay for themselves.

-- 
Rubin
rubin at starset.net

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