Statements
Mission
Make Nashville's mission is to provide the tools, space, training, mentorship, and support needed to make amazing things. We execute our mission through the operation of Nashville's first and only volunteer-run all-ages Makerspace, through annual events such as the Nashville Maker Fair, and through the workshops and outreach we schedule at the Makerspace and other venues throughout the year.
Background
The Maker Movement is a global phenomenon and its followers have been known by many different names over the years: inventors, artists, builders, designers, DIYers, and many other monikers. Make Nashville has been meeting since 2012 to bring together these individuals and groups and to help them realize their dreams as well as create significant social impact in their communities. From 2013 to 2016, Make Nashville partnered with the Adventure Science Center to host the Nashville Mini Maker Faire. The one-day event showcased the works of nearly 100 individual local makers. Since 2017, we have hosted a free two-day event at Vanderbilt University's Wond'ry and continued to provide STEAM education and inspiration to thousands of attendees. Throughout 2015, we decided to increase our impact by forming an official 501c3 organization, opening a Makerspace, and becoming a resource and hub for those who are interested in learning about art, crafts, design, technology and fabrication through workshops and hands-on experiences. Make Nashville achieved its 501c3 status as a TN nonprofit in May of 2015. At the end of 2015, we launched a campaign to raise capital for building operations and rent until membership could be grown to support a new Makerspace. Our founders exceeded our fundraising goal which allowed Make Nashville to open its first Makerspace in June of 2016. As of 2020, the group is made up of over 20 regular volunteers, 5 board members, 110 paying Makerspace members and several community supporters who meet and work on a regular basis to help us reach our goals. This incredible group of folks have impacted well over 20,000 lives throughout 2016-2020. Each year, the board and leadership hold a 1-2 day retreat in order to establish strategic goals for the near, mid, and far future of the organization, as well as scheduling tactical milestones for the following year. The board meets regularly to oversee the implementation of these goals by our hands-on leadership: Executive leadership, Committee Chairs, and Shop Captains. It is an important part of the Make Nashville mission to be accessible to individuals of all economic and cultural backgrounds. Public and corporate support, grants and sponsorships for those in need, and partnership with other nonprofits are critically important to meet this goal.
Impact
During 2016 to 2021, Make Nashville accomplished a lot: 618 total Meetups (workshops, events, and meetings), including 7 Outreach Events, 300+ participants ; 28 Internal Events, 200+ participants . Our Social media outreach included 2700 on Make Nashville Facebook; 2400 on Make Nashville Meetup; 2400 on Nashville Mini Maker Faire Facebook. In aggregate, 2016-2021, Maker Faire statistics: 10,100 Attendees; 300 Makers; 12 PowerWheels Racing Teams; 43 Workshops; 17 Presentations; 240 Exhibits. In 2020-21, specific achievements included: Co-hosted with the Wondr'y at Vanderbilt University the 7th annual Nashville Mini Maker Faire, a two-day festival with artists, engineers, designers and inventors of all backgrounds. Those years year saw continued growth of Nashville's First Non-profit Makerspace in East Nashville, with expansion from a 7,000 square foot facility to a 12,000 square foot facility dedicated to art, design, science, technology, engineering, manufacturing, and learning of all sorts. We helped plan and execute the second annual Nation of Makers Conference (NOMCON) with the Nation of Makers national org, and continued to host meetups, workshops, and youth outreach activities across all of our active shops. We also hosted community meetups for various arts and technology groups, as well as outreach events to introduce underprivileged youth to STEAM activities. Several art exhibitions were held, including TN Craft-Midstate handmade Christmas gift sale, Inktober exhibition of pen-drawn art; Arts Auction at our Grand Opening, a "Krampus Celebration" w/live music groups, performance artists, and "on-demand" local poets. In 2021 we added podcasting and a music studio, more rentable spaces for makers and artisans needing space to work on their private or commercial creative projects, and a community veggie garden designed to show that wholesome, fresh produce can be grown anywhere, even in an industrial area like ours. The pandemic made us reduce or eliminate many workshops but we created a virtual tour of the facility and even increased our membership in 2021. Our 2022 objectives include: Continued growth of the Nashville Maker Fair with a particular emphasis on educational engagement and curated content to encourage more hands-on learning; leveraging the new, expanded Makerspace to achieve a number of goals: New stained glass, leatherwork, photography and film shop areas , expanded workshop offerings including increased ceramics classes (with a new kiln!), plus a consistent offering of 3D and welding workshops; expanded social making opportunities that will encourage more of the general public to get to know us.; expanded outreach to communities who would not normally have access to what we have to offer, as well as pursuing funding/grants to make those opportunities available to more children, adults, and families. We envision: Three large community projects: one large-scale art project (perhaps a mural); one community service project, where our members help in the community (possibly with seniors and/or veterans); and one community outreach project , where we invite the community to participate for free in a project with us (expansion of the community garden project).
Needs
Our most pressing needs include: $36,000 in general operating support above and beyond our current income streams (to compensate for pandemic losses due to inability to hold paid events such as workshops, classes and social events); $10,000 for administrative and fundraising consultancy and software; $7,000 for general operating funds for the 8th Annual Nashville Maker Fair (in addition to anticipated in-kind and direct support from Vanderbilt). $5,000 for new laptops (possibly in-kind donations), $5,000 to buy milling tools and dies, $5,500 for a new production-level kiln with vent and digital controller, $4,500 for 3 new pottery wheels and $2,000 for upgraded electrical service in the ceramics studio (needed for larger kiln and bigger classes); $7,500 for cleaning/maintenance support for 15 shops, labs, and studios
Our wish-list for 2021-2022 includes: $35,000 for a Facilities and Volunteers Manager; $70,000 for an executive director and 2 part-time staff; $2,000 for better projectors for media lab and classrooms; $15,000 for build-out and building improvements; $1,500 for leadership and nonprofit management training; $500 for our 2022 Board Retreat.
CEO Statement
"Making" is a profoundly transformative experience on many levels. At the individual level, Making provides experiences and knowledge that can transform a person's career, their outlook on life, their ability to communicate and relate to others, and their ability to make individual contributions to society. At the community level, Making provides a focal point that allows people to share their knowledge, their passion, and their time with one another. It also provides families, groups of friends, co-workers, and community groups a way to bond over creative work and play. At the city and regional level, Making helps improve neighborhoods, creates economic opportunity, trains a skilled workforce, and helps promote harmony across diverse communities of people. From a scientific and cultural perspective, Making advances the state of the art through invention and re-purposing as well as providing opportunities for creative expression and the enhancement of places and objects of art. Make Nashville is unique in that it brings together people with many skills and many different objectives into a community that brings about this Transformation. Artists, Inventors, Entrepreneurs, Hobbyists, Costume and Fashion Designers, Filmmakers, Woodworkers, Metalworkers, Rapid Prototypers, Circuit Designers, Roboticists, Manufacturers, Dads, Moms, Kids, and many others all participate in the community and share their skills, experiences, and viewpoints. Everybody wins. Make Nashville is fortunate to represent the epicenter of Maker culture for Nashville and the Middle Tennessee area. To grow this community we help Makers showcase their works, we help Makers share their knowledge, and we run a facility where Makers can teach, showcase, demonstrate, perform, and just plain Make. We want to help more people Make and help Makers make more. Transformation happens as a result, with positive impact for individuals, place-making, communities, our city, our region, and our economy.
Board Chair Statement
Growing Make Nashville and fulfilling our mission is a labor of love. In the first three years of our existence it took every ounce of effort that a small group of volunteers could muster to put on what has become a very successful annual Nashville Mini Maker Faire. The original purpose of organizing the Faire, however, was to help spur and connect the Maker community in Nashville. Starting in 2015 we began very deliberately growing the leadership and volunteer force needed to broaden our scope and create more opportunities for meetings, workshops, demonstrations, performances, and Making throughout the year. We also realized that we'd have to open a Makerspace/FabLab that would be open to the public in order to achieve our goals. Fortunately for us, the maker community is very DIY (Do It Yourself) oriented and many leaders rose to the occasion. Since Summer of 2015 we've tackled all kinds of challenges including event planning, fundraising, site selection, administrative tasks, logistics, volunteer recruitment/management, and much more. It's been challenging! But it also has allowed us to be part of creating a much bigger and more vibrant community where we can share the transformation of Making with others. As we've grown, we've had to face new challenges of how to manage a lot more members and fewer volunteers, learn how to carry out fundraising and communications campaigns , plus keeping track of members, donors, vendors and other stakeholders. We've had to improve our website and our email capabilities. We've installed a CRM and other tools to improve our processes. We've turned to a digital project and workflow management system for tracking tasks, projects, and assignments. We've also improved our governance, installing a formal board, holding retreats and creating strategic and tactical plans. We've put in place financial controls and record-keeping. We have created committees with specific individuals tasked to recruit volunteers to do the work needed to grow the organization. There was a time when a very few individuals did all the work of Make Nashville -- we've expanded that in an organized manner and have seen an overwhelmingly positive response on the part of our members to help keep the doors open and the Makerspace clean and organized. We hope to continue to recruit people to help us increase our capabilities and our reach. -- All of this with dedicated, part-time volunteer labor! -- One of our ongoing goals is to raise enough funds to have a few paid staff, including at least one full-time paid executive director position so our Board members and administrative folks can spend more time on strategic planning and event creation and less time on day-to-day facilities requirements. I am proud to say that in spite of recent hard times brought by the pandemic, we are continuing to grow as an organization, always looking to the future for expanding and sharing the transformative gift of Making with our members and the public.
Service Categories |
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| Primary Category: | Arts, Culture & Humanities - Arts Education |
| Secondary Category: | Science & Technology - Engineering & Technology |
| Tertiary Category: | Youth Development - Youth Development Programs |
Areas Served
We serve individuals, communities, schools, and nonprofits in the Greater Nashville and surrounding Middle Tennessee Areas. Our Makerspace is directly across the river from downtown Nashville, within a 5-minute bus or scooter ride across the Korean Vets or Pedestrian Bridges. This makes it very accessible to our members and outreach participants, who come from all over the Nashville/Middle TN area. Attendees to Maker Fairs come from all over the the US and the world.
| TN - Williamson |
| TN - Wilson |
| TN - Rutherford |
| TN |
| TN - Franklin |
| TN - Sumner |
| TN - Robertson |
| TN - Davidson |
