[hackerspaces] Bucketworks needs help

[James Carlson]

I think we're going to be okay. Milwaukee is rallying around us. The local
community is engaged.

We didn't ask for _present_ rent, but for _future_ rent--which, thanks to
everyone's help, we were able to raise in hours. I think that's a
significant fact--we were in a good spot.

The landlord is making a business decision, the other tenant is making a
philosophical decision.

We didn't ask for this, but it will make us better. In cities like
Milwaukee it can take a long time to build the idea into the community in
such a way that it takes ownership of the concept of the space. That's what
is happening now. We're being offered free space, support from the city
itself, and more than we could have imagined.

I will keep you all posted. Your support and discussion means a lot to
me--I feel more connected to the world now and every day!

James Carlson
Founder, Bucketworks
Director, School Factory


On Fri, May 31, 2013 at 6:18 PM, Lisha Sterling <lishevita at gmail.com> wrote:

> 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.
>
> 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?
>
> 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.
>
> What can we do, beyond just pitching in some dollars *right now*, to help
> our hackerspaces continue to thrive?
>
> - Lisha
>
>
> On Fri, May 31, 2013 at 10:28 PM, Al Billings <albill at openbuddha.com>wrote:
>
>>  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).
>>
>> --
>> Al Billings
>> http://www.openbuddha.com
>> http://makehacklearn.org
>>
>> On Friday, May 31, 2013 at 1:56 PM, Mitch Altman wrote:
>>
>>  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.
>> http://bucketworks.org/
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Mitch.
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Discuss mailing list
>> Discuss at lists.hackerspaces.org
>> http://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
>>
>>
>
>
> --
> http://www.alwayssababa.com/
>
>
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>
>
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