2014/05/03 Omni Hackathon/Fund-Raising Workshop

=Fund-Raising=

Questions

 * schedule of costs?
 * schedule of revenue?
 * do we need sprinklers / integrated fire alarm?

Concerns

 * nature of build-out costs

Known Needs

 * ADA

Resources

 * Owner will pay for 1/2 of capital improvements up to $50,000

Ideas

 * Grants
 * Kickstarter / Indiegogo

Fundraising Basics

 * Start with:
 * One clear goal
 * Specific needs and $ requirements
 * Deadline


 * Strategies:
 * Inner circle - direct, personal asks - people you trust and have intimate relationships with
 * Wider audience - people who catch wind of it, you don't have direct access to them for this goal
 * Events and stunts - bumper stickers, fliers, bake sales, ways to reach strangers and get press


 * 30%-60% of what you need for your goal you should already have direct access to.
 * i.e. you should already have tested the waters
 * Visibility of support - early support generates more faith in success


 * Notes on Kickstarters (in general):
 * Products are usually more successful than causes
 * In other examples of collectives using Kickstarters, private investors were largely the people "donating"
 * Great marketing tool
 * Kickstarter itself doesn't allow real estate projects - other crowdfunding platforms do
 * What do we need to tell the audience, what do they want to know?


 * Conversations with private donors:
 * Elicit rather than solicit interest
 * Meet them where they're at
 * Demonstrate pride and knowledge
 * Find out if they have any advice and their opinions on the projects

Examples of other makerspace crowdfunding campaigns

 * BioCurious pledged: 35,319 goal: 30,000 backers: 239
 * https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/openscience/biocurious-a-hackerspace-for-biotech-the-community
 * Hub Oakland pledged: 142,719 goal: 100,000 backers: 1294
 * https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/konda/what-makes-you-come-alive-bring-it-to-the-hub-0
 * Hacker Dojo pledged: 53,655 goal: 30,000 backers: 762
 * https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/384590180/an-events-space-and-a-design-studio-for-hacker-doj
 * LA Makerspace pledged: 34,204 goal: 15,000 backers: 465
 * https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tara/los-angeles-makerspace-a-family-friendly-innovatio
 * Baghdad Community Hackerspace pledged: 29,471 goal: 27,500 backers: 671
 * https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bilal/baghdad-community-hackerspace-workshops
 * Konbit Communitere pledged: 14,507 goal: 12,000 backers: 97
 * https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/konbit-communitere
 * FFL Fab Lab pledged: 13,670 goal: 20,000 backers: 16
 * https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/ffl-fab-lab
 * Benicia pledged: 13,228 goal: 30,000 backers: 57
 * https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1053606583/build-a-makerspace-in-benicia
 * Hackermoms pledged: 12,564 goal: 10,000 backers: 288
 * https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1569887044/mothership-hackermoms-the-first-womens-hackerspace
 * Ladies Learning Code pledged: 10,772 goal: 10,000 backers: 188
 * https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/help-make-ladies-learning-code-s-new-space-into-a-cool-resource-for-toronto
 * Tampa Hackerspace pledged: 16,185 goal: 10,000 backers: 157
 * https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/123218300/build-tampas-first-hackerspace
 * Danger!Awesome pledged: 36,737 goal: 35000 backers: 636
 * https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/nadeemtron/dangerawesome-a-high-tech-hands-on-community-maker
 * Houston Makerspace pledged: 10,045 goal: 10000 backers: 119
 * http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/houston-makerspace
 * PreFAB pledged: 15,821 goal: 15000 backers: 135
 * https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/894500964/lets-build-prefab-san-diegos-home-for-creatives-an