We’ve come a long way in a very short time. A whole lot of that is from the help and support we’ve had from the community, the city, our fans and followers, and you. Yes, you there.
Some of the things we’ve accomplished:
- We now have reached our target “Break Even” membership levels, and we did it in less than 9 months from opening our doors. Talk to anybody who knows anything about a start-up, that’s just crazy.
- We have built some remarkable partnerships with groups in the community, including St. Pius V school’s robotics teams, KIPP Academy, The Community Path, the Lynn Cultural Council, GALA Art, and are making some inroads with the Lynn Public Schools including Lynn Tech, Montserrat College of Art, and more.
- We have launched and are growing the Repair Cafe, where people can bring in their broken appliances, toys, electronics, or what-have-you, and not only do we fix it, but we teach them how to diagnose and repair almost anything while we’re at it. For free.
- We’ve expanded almost every area that we have – woodshop, metalworking, printing, electronics, robotics… almost entirely by donations and salvaging reparable tools and equipment.
The list goes on. But we’re not about patting ourselves on the back. We’re about looking forward and moving ahead, to meet what the community is asking for.
Which brings us to “Giving Tuesday”. We’re rolling along pretty well, but we could do a whole lot more with a little help from you. Here are some of our monetary goals:
- $5000 – This would cover our rent and overhead for a couple of months, and allow us to use our existing revenue stream to invest in some additional tooling and services that would, in turn, help us to bring in more members. (Example: A PBC kit for our CNC router allows members to cut their own prototype circuit board designs on-site and test them. We have, currently, two groups interested in the space who would sign up if we had this tooling – it costs a mere $120.)
- $20,000 – This amount would help us explore expansion of our space, attracting more members and activating some commercial-grade equipment we currently own, but don’t have the space to operate – for example, a 5’ x 10’ CNC router, capable of handling full sheets of 4×8 plywood, which is currently in storage.
- $120,000 – $250,000 – Our most ambitious, yet pressing goal is to hire a core full-time staff with some part-time help in bookkeeping and maintenance, to allow them to fully maximize the potential we see for growth. Our targets – fully establish our class and workshop structure, maximize our community outreach by integrating partners who are interested in collaborating, and provide a more seamless experience for both members and class/workshop attendees.
Interested in chipping in? Maybe even volunteering to teach a workshop or two? Give us a call, or drop us a line, here: Contact
Want to make a donation? Use this link, and you can donate using any major credit or debit card:
When we say “Every little bit helps”, we mean it. Nothing, absolutely nothing goes to waste at The Brickyard Collaborative.
Thanks for all the love, and we know there are big things in store at The Brickyard for 2020… enjoy the ride!