research dossier

ITHACA MAKERSPACE INC

ITHACA, NY · EIN 460632339 · Form 990EZ · FY2024 · NTEE U01 · Science & Technology · Micro (<$100K) · ithacagenerator.org

revenue

$60K

expenses

$49K

net assets

$35K

employees

—

profile · synthesized from sources

Ithaca Makerspace Inc., operating as Ithaca Generator, is a nonprofit membership organization providing shared workspace, tools, and educational programs for individuals interested in science, technology, and the arts. It supports innovation and hands-on learning through a collaborative environment, offering access to equipment and training for members in Central New York. The organization emphasizes safety, community responsibility, and environmentally conscious practices.

named programs · 3 · from sources

What they call their work

Collaborative Workspace Access

Provides members with access to shared tools, equipment, and workspace for personal and collaborative projects in science, technology, and art.

Safety and Training Program

Ensures all members and guests are trained and follow safety protocols, including tool certification and full stop work authority for unsafe conditions.

Workshops and Classes

Offers educational sessions for the public on topics related to technology, science, and the arts to support learning and skill development.

activities · 7 groups

What they do

Community Makerspace Access and Training 5 activities
- Offer educational classes and workshops in making and repair
  
  Provides ongoing educational classes, workshops, and presentations for members and the general public in cutting-edge and traditional techniques, including wood and metal crafting, fiber arts, sewing machine maintenance, apron-making, and environmentally responsible use, reuse, and repair of technology.
- Operate community makerspace with shared tools and workspaces
  
  Operates a two-story community makerspace at 233 Cherry St., Ithaca, NY, providing access to equipment and dedicated workspaces for wood, metal, ceramics, 3D printing, laser cutting, sewing, leatherworking, vinyl cutting, button making, and print arts. Members and the public have access during staffed hours and through scheduled trainings.
- Provide access to wood and metal fabrication tools
  
  Maintains a fully equipped woodshop and metalworking area with tools for cutting, heating, joining, and shaping materials, enabling members to build and fabricate projects in wood and metal.
- Provide safety and proficiency training for equipment use
  
  Offers safety and proficiency testing and required training for members, including teens aged 12–17, to independently and safely operate powered equipment such as laser cut游戏副本ters, woodshop tools, and metalworking equipment under supervision.
- Support access to digital fabrication tools
  
  Provides access to laser cutters (Epilog Zing and Glowforge) for cutting and engraving wood, acrylic, cardboard, paper, and etched printing plates, including required training for independent use.
Community Art Education Workshops 1 activity
- Enable member-led teaching and mentorship opportunities
  
  Allows members to volunteer to teach classes following established policies and provides mentorship to new potters through designated co-captain roles in the ceramics area, supporting peer-led learning and skill development.
Arts Education Access Programs 1 activity
- Engage in outreach with local institutions
  
  Collaborates and conducts outreach with local institutions to promote interest in and education about creative uses of technology, science, and the arts.
Recurring Craft and Fiber Arts Groups 1 activity
- Host community events and engagement opportunities
  
  Hosts regular social and educational events including weekly 'Show What You Made' sessions on Tuesdays at 7 PM, open houses, and Make & Mend groups for fiber arts to connect artists, engineers, students, teachers, and makers, fostering creative collaboration and public engagement.
Financial Aid and Scholarship Access Programs 1 activity
- Offer scholarship memberships for financial hardship
  
  Provides short-term scholarship memberships to individuals facing financial hardship, funded by community donations and renewable through reapplication, to increase equitable access to the makerspace.
Membership Program Administration 1 activity
- Provide lifetime membership option
  
  Offers a lifetime membership option in exchange for a one-time contribution of $5,000 or equivalent material value, granting ongoing access to the makerspace and its resources.
Uncategorized 2 activities
- Facilitate online and email-based community engagement
  
  Provides free access to a Discord community and a Google Group for non-members and members to engage with makers, receive updates on events, classes, and news, and stay informed about makerspace activities.
- Support access to print and paper arts equipment
  
  Operates a print arts area with letterpress and screenprinting equipment, including a Challenge press, antique wood and metal type, a four-head screenprinting press, conveyor belt dryer, spot-setter, industrial paper cutter, and light bookbinding tools to support creation and finishing of prints, posters, zines, and paper-based art projects.

financials · form 990EZ · fy2024

revenue

Total revenue$60K

Contributions & grants$1K2%

Program service revenue——

Investment income$60%

Other revenue—

expenses

Total expenses$49K

Program expenses—

Admin / overhead—

Fundraising—

Salaries & benefits—

Grants paid out—

balance sheet

Total assets$35K

Cash—

Investments—

Liabilities—

Net assets$35K

2 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue -27.4%

leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

board members · 5

ARIANNA CRAWFORD — BOARD MEMBER
LIZ STRATTON — BOARD MEMBER
MATT STILLERMAN — BOARD MEMBER
PAUL ANDERSON — BOARD MEMBER
PAVLO MANOVI — BOARD MEMBER

relationships · 11

Who they work with

Behind the Willows Store Partner — Retail partner where member Brighit May sells her crafts.
Board of Directors Partner — Determines eligibility for lifetime membership based on material contribution value and approves class offerings and space use.
Discord Network — Platform used to share workshop schedules and details for the Fiber Arts program.
Discord Partner — Hosts a Discord server for community members to chat and communicate.
Facebook Partner — Uses Facebook to share weekly updates about activities at the makerspace.
Individual donors Partner — Support the Scholarship-Hardship Fund to enable financial hardship-based membership access.
Instagram Partner — Uses Instagram to share weekly updates about activities at the makerspace.
Ithaca Generator Network — ITHACA MAKERSPACE INC operates under the name Ithaca Generator and hosts classes at its facility.
Local businesses Partner — Contribute to the Scholarship-Hardship Fund to support community access to the makerspace.
Mimi’s Attic Partner — Retail partner where member Brighit May sells her crafts.
local institutions Partner — Collaborates and conducts outreach with local institutions to promote technology education.

strategies · 3

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

Community-Driven Making for Skill and Economy Development

methodology: community-driven_making
By bringing individuals together around shared passions in a makerspace setting, we cultivate problem-solving skills and support a local economy that values the arts and sciences, because collaborative making fosters both individual growth and community innovation.
Equitable Access Through Community-Funded Scholarships

methodology: equitable_access_model
By operating a Scholarship-Hardship Fund supported by local donors and businesses, we ensure equitable access to membership regardless of financial status, because removing financial barriers enables broader participation and inclusion in maker culture.
Safety as a Shared, Consensus-Based Responsibility

methodology: shared_safety_responsibility
By empowering all individuals to halt unsafe work and requiring resolution through demonstrated best practices or mutual agreement, we create a culture of shared safety ownership, because collective accountability produces more vigilant and responsible behavior than top-down enforcement alone.