[hackerspaces] Grant funding experiences

[Gui Cavalcanti]

Artisan's Asylum traditionally receives on the order of 5 to 10% of its yearly operating budget in grants and donations, which has come out to around $50k last year to a projected $100k this year. Our grants have traditionally come from small family foundations in the community that our members are a part of. This year, we're exploring a lot more fundraising through corporate sponsorship arrangements, which has so far proven pretty fruitful.

Generally, we've never really applied directly for a grant - either the organizations have come by the Asylum and have been floored, and we start a relationship with them, or a member takes the initiative to bring them by and starts the relationship themselves. Often times, wealthier members will also donate towards a specific project they believe in, or buy a tool they want and lease it to us. 

When we have approached major granting and fundraising organizations in the past, they haven't really given us the time of day because they really aren't sure how to classify us, and we haven't existed for long enough to have a long set of solid financials for foundations to look at. 

- - -
Gui Cavalcanti, President
Artisan's Asylum, Inc.
http://www.artisansasylum.com
Cell: (857) 389-7669

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