Support Us
How can you support Open Workshops?
If you want to support Open Workshops - first of all, thank you! Your support is critical to us in building and sustaining a space and community for makers. You can learn more about ways to support us below.
If you're part of a school, business, or other organization looking to partner with or sponsor Open Workshops, check out our page on community sponsorships!
Join the community
The easiest (and least expensive) way to support our organization is to simply be a part of it! Visit the shop, join the Discord community, talk about some of your projects, offer and ask for help, and share the organization with folks you think might be interested. Building a diverse and vibrant community is the most important part of ensuring a healthy, long-lasting organization.
Support us financially
If you find value in Open Workshops or want to see us flourish and are in a financial position to help support our mission, financial donations are always welcome. Operating a makerspace is expensive, and every dollar helps us reach and expand our goals. You can chip in a one-time donation here or using the button to the right, or email us at donate@open-workshops.com to set up a recurring monthly donation via credit card or ACH. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, donations to Open Workshops are tax-deductible! If you plan on deducting donations over $250, please notify us so we can provide you with a donation receipt you'll need to file with your tax return.
Donate equipment and supplies
If you have shop equipment or supplies you're not using, we may be able to use them in our space or sell them to help fund the organization. When we sell donated equipment and supplies, we first try to sell them at an affordable cost to members of the Open Workshops community and other nonprofit organizations with missions that align with ours. Due to limited space, we can't guarantee we'll be able to accept every donation - simply email donate@open-workshops.com with information on what you'd like to donate, and we'll go from there.
Donated equipment and supplies are considered in-kind donations and are tax-deductible for the fair market value of the goods donated; if you plan to deduct your donation, let us know and we'll work out what that is and give you a donation receipt.
Volunteer your time
There are lots of ways to volunteer time and expertise to help support Open Workshops. Members of the community are always in need of help on projects; we're developing lots of classes that can use input (and instructors); we're working on developing project kits to help teach STEAM topics - and once we open a physical space, the opportunities will skyrocket. If you're interested in volunteering your time, email us at volunteer@open-workshops.com!
Help us organize
If you're interested in being in it for the long haul, consider joining the organizational leadership. There are a lot of mundane but critically important things that need to be done; it's often not the most glamorous work, but it's what really keeps the wheels on the bus. If you want to learn more about opportunities to join the organization's leadership, email us at volunteer@open-workshops.com and we'll discuss ways you can get involved!