Looking for a way to fund your makerspace? Try some of these resources!
1. Write a grant. Your district may have internal grants. There are also external options. Mackin provides a Grant Channel for educators who are looking to write a proposal for a variety of grants. You can even sign up to receive emailed updates on the types of grants you are interested in!
2. Ask for a couple of lines on the school supply list!!
3. Ask your school community for donations. Send a letter with a list home (paper copy and emailed copy).
4. Ask your PTA for gift cards to the places you would like to go to get items quickly.
5. The website, Makers Empire, teams up with a major company each year to award a grant. In 2019, they worked with Toshiba for a 3D Design and Printing project. In early 2020, they worked with Motorola. Check back with the site to see when their next collaboration will take place.
6. There is also a website called Makerspace Lab that provides an entire webpage filled with funding solutions such as grants, competitions, and awards. This site's list is quite exhaustive and includes such opportunities as the Toshiba Teacher Educational Grant, Lockheed Martin STEM Education Grant, and the American Honda Foundation Grant.
7. Grantsforteachers.com has a nice search feature to look for specific types of grants for any educational need, including makerspaces.
8. Follett has a great listing of grant resources similar to #4. And, Follett also offers the Follett Challenge competition each year to earn big money for your school!
9. Edutopia has a great article called "6 Strategies for Funding a Makerspace" in which they offer the suggestion of applying for a company sponsorship to alleviate costs for certain projects.
10. And don't forget about crowdfunding types of activities like Donorschoose.org and the ever-popular Amazon Wishlist! Donors Choose frequently sends out information on match offers when people donate, and the "Clear the Lists" movement from last year at Amazon could very well continue for a long time!