This is my perspective. It may not align with a single other member’s perspective. I may not even have all the facts correct. I would like this thread to be a place where members in a civil manner can describe their perspective without resorting to discounting another’s perspective. We all stand in our own shoes and see the world in our own way. Sharing that may well clarify how at least the Talk active members of DMS currently feel about the Space and their membership in it. Sharing concise action(s) that could help is encouraged as well.
… … …
DMS was crowded and discovered precious square footage was available just on the other side of the North wall. It was too tempting to pass up. Some money had been saved and there was no way to know if it was enough for a buildout of the new space. DMS made a fateful decision to fund the expansion with cash. DMS solicited Committee wishlists with primary regard to square footage and less concern about cost to realize same.
DMS does not prepare or measure itself against a budget. Current bank account values and assumptions about both future cost and income are the only essential boundaries for financial decisions. Despite incredible numbers of manhours, there is no expansion budget or price tag. Members, old and new, have expected expansion to be complete from as early as 1Q2019 to now whispers and rumors to 2020 or beyond.
Unexpected consumption in services (consistent with rules as enforced throughout DMS) and the unwatched nature of these expenditures have consumed too much of the available funds. Cutbacks to member services are discouraging members, contributing to a steady decline in membership and minimal accommodation of incoming members who are willing to give DMS a try.
Physical occupancy appears to be down as members who used to come to the Space for social gatherings disguised as classes simply have no reason to make the trip.
That ends my perspective on where I think DMS is at the moment. As for a way out … I suggest finding funds on an ASAP basis to finish expansion and restore the social framework that classes created. Whether this is low interest loans from members who are financially able to commercial loans to other options, it needs to happen fast. Speed is important simply because once the ship sinks to the waterline, it’s a whole different problem. Dropping 7% in member count since Feb 2019 is more than a warning shot across the bow.
Now, how does the world look from standing in your shoes?
Bert I agree with all but your last paragraph.
Concluding that membership is down due to one thing, isn’t seem valid. Further, I don’t think there would be much consensus on which classes were social gatherings disguised as classes. I may have I misunderstood your last paragraph.
Tommy, I was not trying to categorize a class or any classes as “simply social gatherings”. It just that I have come to the viewpoint that members do attend a number of classes not so much to learn a specific thing, but to learn something along with other folks and enjoy the togetherness of the event. @Draco has long sought to create conversation pits, etc. for the express purpose of social interaction. With folks not coming to DMS nearly like they used to, it’s not because they haven’t learned how to do cool things and have nothing to do … maybe it that getting together and doing that “something in a class” was more social than was recognized. Maybe it’s that Draco’s desired social interaction spot for this crowd is a class and not a sofa or convo pit.
That said, your ‘the sky is falling!’ narrative simply does not appear to align with fact. We have successfully staunched the bleeding in terms of uncontrolled honorarium spending.
Since the Spring, the membership numbers are relatively flat in both directions (adds/drops). Recent membership adds/drops in the past several months are not outside of normal parameters, and we have already reviewed with you (in-person) that the reasons consistently given for membership drops by these members is due to members moving away from the D/FW area, living too far away to make the trip regularly, or a change in the members’ personal finances which forces them to drop. There is a correlation in timing between a 2019 membership dues increase and a subsequent lag in membership adds, but I am not about to rehash this old news on Talk…the search feature on Talk gives you all the history, Ad-nauseam.
The best thing members like you can do is roll up your sleeves and physically contribute to advancing our expansion as quickly as possible, in whatever form that may be. I will go so far as to say that members posting ‘the sky is falling’ topics on Talk is NOT going to advance our path out of expansion. Rather, it will likely mire down those who can contribute to advancing expansion more quickly into a morass of largely avoidable squabbling, in-fighting and finger pointing.
Want a path forward to the proverbial DMS rainbow? Do anything and everything you can to physically help advance expansion to it’s conclusion as quickly as possible. Once the expansion dust settles, membership satisfaction numbers will likely rise, in-line with net-new membership growth.
I have nothing more to say on this topic. I sincerely hope everyone reading this recognizes the need to roll up their sleeves and support the expansion, versus piddling away precious time on this message forum.
Edited to reflect my current review of Brandon’s data. In progress now. I am unsure of the amplitude of his data for the month of August (or as it relates to 2019, versus 2018, 2017, etc.), but the Board will review it.
Bert, this data was published a few hours ago and has not been reviewed or vetted by anyone in Finance or the BoD. It is premature to draw too many conclusions until due process has been undertaken.
Holly, I love your attitude and optimism. I also see your frequent concerns that our “discussions” are poisonous for donors. Guess that why I say borrow the dang money, get back to being a better community and paying back the loan will be easier with donors helping out.
I disagree that Bert is taking a sky is failing approach. And I don’t think that it will impede anyone from contributing to helping finish the expansion.
Let’s all pull together doesn’t mean the discussion can’t continue regarding our serious challenges.
Idk if we are tracking or following up that sort of thing, both my last two classes brought this up. Two members talked about lapsing until classes appeared. And last week we had 8 ish I need this class posts. There is definitely a thirst for more classes similar to a year or so ago about the space.
Bert, thank you. I like how you’re thinking of alternatives.
We could wipe out a lot of problems with a Kickstarter, but those take time to plan. IndieGoGo might be a better option. I don’t know the rules, but I have a vision for fundraising from many different avenues.
I’d be open to a loan if the terms could be met without more arguing and if it doesn’t cause bigger problems than we have without it.
I’m not above an expansion bake sale to get us all in a Fundraising mood (if it’s allowed).
It is troubling to hear that the finances of the space are, if I have read correctly, “stretched” (gleamed by the discussion and the thread title). I think a lot of members have noticed the slow pace of moving into the new addition. Just an opinion: a loan should be a last option since no loan can cost less than the monies received. The Makerspace is a valuable resource and the membership may be inclined to add to the “pot” if there is a need. As an example, I don’t know how much but the Haas was funded, at least in part, by the membership. That is not a “well” that should be visited often but it does exist and before going the loan route, which is perfectly reasonable, I would urge you to stay “internal” as much as possible. I know at least one member funded her project by donations. Perhaps an appeal for a specific build, like electrical and or plumbing for the new addition, to pinpoint a specific area, would at least ease the amount needed in the short term. Hope I am not undercutting Bert, not my intention but going into debt is a serious step and in my personal finances I have avoided it as much as possible.
What facilities have lessened in the current time because of expansion? I haven’t seen anything that has not either stayed the same or has been expanded. Creative Arts is now bigger as well as Digital Media, Electronics, Science, Vector, Printmaking and we now have glassworking setup. We have a whole new workshop flex area and a bunch of new project storage.
How is finishing expansion going to solve this if there has only been growth in function because of it? What I am saying is that it seems, if we just for some reason left it just the way it is, we would be a more functional place than we were before we started expansion. I am not suggesting we stop expansion.
I don’t see this as the reason that we have declining numbers.
Draco, the physical footprint has increased and certain areas are much better just as you say. There is more to do and in order to proceed on a cash basis we have dramatically reduced the number of classes being held, made teachers choose between getting smaller honorariums or going to fee based Eventbrite classes, curtailed consumables to the point you can’t offer a guest a cup of coffee, forced new members to post requests for tool access required classes, etc.
One way to look at it is that as an organization we have placed all the chips on Tools rather than Classes. What the decline in membership tells me is that you should not tip the scales as dramatically as has been done. Yes, without Tools you don’t need Classes but without more Classes than currently available not as many members just need tools.
If DMS were not under so much financial pressure to fund the rest of expansion on a cash basis, there is an opportunity to be less austere in member services. If I am correct in seeing members not coming to the Space due to lack of things to participate in, not addressing that aspect will just lead to Brandon’s membership graph going nowhere but down. Fewer members, less income, slower expansion, longer time till soft members services can be restored to any extent.
I find it ironic that you are not seeing the decline of social interaction that has traditionally been occurring in classes as a worrisome development given that you are a leading voice on the importance of eyeball to eyeball time being critical to organizational health.
I agree with @steve_a that going in debt is serious business. DMS had money challenges with the move to the current location and found a way to solve it. Some big ticket pieces of equipment have been purchased using loans. I’m not proposing throwing financial caution to the wind. I am saying find a way to get members feet back on the floor of the space. I suspect there is someway to manage money and or the pace & scope of expansion that places occupancy at a higher priority. If some way to get low risk financing is too tough a path to follow, maybe we should bite the bullet, clean-up the bare minimum of the current expansion scope, re-purpose the vacant warehouse to some revenue based purpose and wait for the bank balance to build up. Example: We could gather office partitions that are routinely available for free or low cost offers, set up studios for makers to rent for a finite period … one or two years … with clear stipulation that once the balance of expansion is funded, the studios will be dismantled. That’s just one off the cuff idea. I’m sure this creative crowd could come up with a number of revenue positive ways to use the warehouse space while we wait for savings to accumulate.
Membership is falling. The traditional reasons for leaving while we were growing are not the only reasons members are leaving now. Things have changed. The change in the culture and the opportunity for makers to rub shoulders doing things together is a change that I don’t think should be treated as casually as it has been the past few months. Turning the ship is doable … you just have to want to commit to making it happen sooner than later.
I am and do. I agree with what you wrote in your initial post.
I do see the link between membership growth.and groups of people coming in an working stuff together as in let’s call them socially infused instruction or project classes.
I’m just not certain I further say that more tools gets more classes like that. Not all tools are like that or readily promote people socializing. I’m not saying we need to get rid of tools either. They have a purpose if they are used.
People that their friends hang out here are more likely to stay and bring other friends. That might occur in classes or it might occur in things like fiberholics or individual projects I think there are many places that we can build this up. I think people loved being able to take interesting classes together and now, because of the lack of classes, they are bored.
So, if we were to focus on getting interesting classes and promoting people working together with other people that share in their passion, we are a lot the way there.
We are all about collaboration. If someone doesn’t believe me go read our Mission Statement.
Tools are great and we should continue and finish expansion
but you cannot collaborate with the tools themselves.