Want to raise funds for your favorite makerspace? Below are a few ideas to help you along:
Open a Laundromat.
I got this idea tonight, as I was sitting here, doing my laundry at the local Laundromat. Every day, scores of people pop a few dollars into these machines. Does that guy at the work bench next to you smell ripe? Improve the space and earn money with our own Makerspace Laundromat!
Open a shoe-shine rack
We could go the old-fashioned route, with someone buffing our shoes, or use a machine. Imagine how much our men would look like gentlemen if they had shiny shoes!
Open a theme park
We could have train rides, tilt-o-whirl and electric go-cart races, with all proceeds going to a worthy cause (us!).
I donāt think we have the connections for them on site, but I bet if we did, they would be in use a lot! How many of our late night folks, likely have trouble finding a midnight laundromat?
I would like to see us plan a show/sale once or twice a year. With a percentage going to MS. The art club at Northlake has one every Dec and 10% goes to the club. The big problem I see with that is that we donāt have the space at the sire, we would need to have it off site. If anyone is interested, I would be willing to help. I would think it is too late for this year.
It was all the wonderful wood bowls that inspired this idea.
For anyone that is not creative, a common problem among those of us that make things is that we LOVE making them and we quite quickly run out of folks to give them to or places to use them. You usually realize this when you start getting your own gifts back (I learned if first on plastic flower arrangements! when I was a young teen).
My money making idea as mentioned off to the side at the last Board of Directors meetingā¦
Dallas Makerspace needs to become an āAmazon Affiliateā. I have been one for the last 5-6 years.
Think about how much in a whole year you spend on Amazon.comā¦ everything big or small (Me? = $3,000)
Now take 4% of that number ($120) and imagine the Amazon Fairy deposits that amount in to the 'spaces checking account.
Times the number of membersā¦ (1,000 of which only 25% may actually participate = 250)
Totals about $30,000 in extra income to the space!
You still buy the stuff you normally buy for the SAME prices you
normally pay, but Dallas Makerspace gets a nice donation from
everything you buy.
Is free to get started
Can be started in less than 30 minutes
Requires NO record keeping or maintenance other than up to date banking information for deposits
I just need some basic organizational information and a checking account and routing number and I can set it up with additional managers and then turn it all over to a board member or other responsible person so I donāt have any ācontrolā over the account.
I was just fixin to respond with a reminder about Amazon Smileā¦
@frank_lima ~ Thanks for the link to the Chrome Extension!
I do believe our very own chapter of āFriend of Dallas Makerspaceā (aka @TheControlsFreak) is referring to a different program. @Robert_Davidson and @BenjaminGroves would probably be the best for looking into it (Robert being the one that does most the Admin work on our Amazon account, if Iām not mistaken; and, Ben being in charge of the money)ā¦
That is correct, but I think the amount Smile currently sends to DMS (Iām signed up) is 0.5 %. Abel, if you are saying that can increase somehow, (by 8X if 4% is the New Deal) then talk to one of the BoDs.
JAG āAmazon Prime Junkieā MAN
P.S. Why the variable rate of 4 - 10 %? I find that interesting.
Amazon pays different percentages on two scalesā¦ one based on the types of products and the second is for general items not covered in the first list mentioned based on number of items shipped.
TABLE 2 ā Volume-Based Advertising Fee Rates for General Products*
Below is an example of one of my Amazon Affiliates. Purchases are sometimes completely random like crockpots to laptops.
Very niceā¦ and thank you for showing that example. I hope this works out as it could be a substantial source of income for DMS. (we also need to advertise the Smile account we have now a bit more as I have been a member for over a year and just found out last month - DOH!)
There are no worries about returns, they handle that and deduct it from future earnings. The email address on record needs to be actually paid attention to. Every couple of years Amazon will make some changes and you will have to click and/or do something to keep your banners or links working etc.
I would implement an Amazon Affiliate strategy for DMS by setting up a redirect URL of Amazon.DallasMakerspace.org . Once someone types that in they get sent directly to Amazonās website.
INFACT, I am pretty sure you can run the Smile program WITH being an Amazon Affiliate which would mean about 4.5% being earned by DMS.
Something like this, might encourage me to buy through Amazon more. Books are my big splurge (once my hubby and I wrote up a budget, I had to point out to him that he had more budgeted for books/music than he did for foodāthe food budget was far too low to even buy groceries!)
