[hackerspaces] Classes and costs

[Pete Prodoehl]

I think the approach is, any member can teach a class in whatever, and 
it is encouraged, but the space/organization itself has no involvement 
in running the classes, or taking any money, etc. It's basically 
providing the space/venue/equipment/etc. but no other sort of "official" 
support.

The teacher collects any payments from students and then can keep it 
all, use it for consumables, and/or donate it to the space.

So yes, I think the offloading of responsibility to the teacher is the 
approach that is happening.


Pete


On 7/21/16 12:23 PM, Silence Dogood wrote:
> if you pay your teachers for their time above a certain amount you are 
> required by law to file a 1099.  if your teachers are teaching for 
> your organization and you intend to protect them with the corporate 
> veil... this is how you do that.
>
> class attendees pay your org for the class the org offers.
> the teacher gets paid by you.
>
> if you are just a room for some teacher to use... you are offloading 
> all the liability onto the teacher, while also assuming all the 
> liability you already had.
>
> at least that's my understanding of it.
>
> -Matt
>
> On Thu, Jul 21, 2016 at 1:07 PM, Pete Prodoehl <raster at gmail.com 
> <mailto:raster at gmail.com>> wrote:
>
>
>     There are no 1099s involved. We are a 501(c)3 with no employees,
>     completely volunteer run. If you teach a class you can choose to
>     charge for it, and then encouraged to donate to the space, but it
>     is not required. (We use donations to cover equipment maintenance
>     and consumables.)
>
>     Pete
>
>
>
>     On 7/21/16 11:40 AM, Silence Dogood wrote:
>>     I can't imagine this is really a huge issue for most classes. 
>>     Waivers help.  Binding arbitration for the lulz.  But I am pretty
>>     sure that if you are filing 1099s for your teachers there is a
>>     corporate veil in place, so they shouldn't be personally
>>     liable... of course such a situation would be a huge hassle and
>>     likely cost some cash for personal counsel, if something truly
>>     terrible did occur.
>>
>>     On Thu, Jul 21, 2016 at 12:00 PM, Pete Prodoehl <raster at gmail.com
>>     <mailto:raster at gmail.com>> wrote:
>>
>>
>>         Because my space sometimes has gloom and doom people, someone
>>         brought up the idea that if you charge for a class, you could
>>         be held responsible if someone in the class gets injured.
>>         This would be different than if you did *not* charge for a
>>         class because there is no (or less?) expectation of
>>         responsibility if you are not charging for your
>>         services/expertise.
>>
>>         I think the thought is that a student would try to sue you
>>         personally versus the space, and there was a suggestion that
>>         individuals who teach should get their own personal insurance
>>         that would cover the teaching they do. (The space has its own
>>         insurance and waiver/disclaimer forms that everyone signs.)
>>
>>         I am definitely not a lawyer, but I'd love to hear what
>>         others think of that idea. (And yes, I am in the
>>         overly-litigious United States.)
>>
>>         Pete
>>
>>
>>         On 7/21/16 10:42 AM, Silence Dogood wrote:
>>>         one side benefit of charging for classes is allowing the
>>>         class teachers to profit.  this can be particularly
>>>         important for space members who need supplemental income to
>>>         afford their dues or to get them by between contracts / gigs
>>>         / what have you.
>>>
>>>
>>>         On Thu, Jul 21, 2016 at 6:24 AM, webmind <webmind at puscii.nl
>>>         <mailto:webmind at puscii.nl>> wrote:
>>>
>>>             On 20/07/16 17:48, Chad Elish wrote:
>>>             > Here’s a question for everyone,
>>>             >
>>>             > What do you normally charge for your classes?
>>>             > I know its a big cash cow for spaces to make up income.
>>>
>>>             Hmm, not here. I think most Dutch spaces mostly run on
>>>             membership-income.
>>>
>>>             Both spaces in Amsterdam do not have a set price, LAG
>>>             generally asks
>>>             donation Technologia Incognita mostly the same or people
>>>             ask cost-price.
>>>             IJHack (a "space" without a space) has been doing
>>>             workshops to generate
>>>             some income, I think they did twice the cost price to
>>>             have a buffer of
>>>             components or be able to share kits.
>>>
>>>             > We’re currently at $40.00 for a learn to solder class
>>>             which you take
>>>             > home an arduino you soldered together. We recently
>>>             noticed tech shop
>>>             > charging $99 for soldering a blinking badge together.
>>>
>>>             Do a lot of spaces elsewhere use workshops/services as a
>>>             way of
>>>             providing basic-income for the space? Do spaces have
>>>             other models
>>>             outside of services or membership to generate base-income?
>>>
>>>             At LAG we're currently looking at alternative ways of
>>>             generating income
>>>             for the rent/etc.
>>>
>>>             Thanks!
>>>
>>>             webmind
>>>
>>
>

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.hackerspaces.org/pipermail/discuss/attachments/20160721/49ed7a0e/attachment-0001.html>