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== Background ==
[[File:Nathan UIF Profile.JPG|thumb|Nathan UIF Profile.JPG]]
<div>'''[[Nathan LaWarre|Nathan LaWarre]] '''is a University Innovation Fellow and an undergrad at '''[[Western Michigan University|Western Michigan University]]'''. He is majoring in electrical engineering with a minor in environmental studies and sustainability. He has many interests including but not limited to experimenting with his Arduino, tackling difficult problems, and working with solar panels. He helped create and is now on the leadership board of The Innovation Club at his school.</div><div>Here is the success story of how his Innovation Club managed to establish a Makerspace at his campus free of charge for students, from forming a team of few Engineering students, finding a space, and raising the funds.</div><div><br/></div><div> </div>
== Introduction ==
=== ''Politics/Culture'' ===
<div>One of the most important aspects of creating a Makerspace, or implementing any new idea on your campus, is being aware of the culture and different politics that could impact what you are developing. As each campus is different, the politics and culture of your campus will shape how you approach and tackle any given problem. </div><div><br/></div><div>The best way to use these to your advantage is to do research about both what is going on around your campus and about the people who are integrally involved in the projects and departments who can help you. This way, when you are asking for help from people around your university, you can tailor your pitch to touch on things you know they are interested and invested in. The context in which you pitch your idea for the free Makerspace and how you frame it has a significant impact on how your audience perceives and reacts to it.</div><div><br/></div>
=== ''The Pitch'' ===
<div>The pitch is a critical part in the process of making a free Makerspace. As was discussed above, it is critical to understand who your audience is and how to best convey the value that the Makerspace will provide to students. </div><div><br/></div><div>When designing the pitch, consider what data will be most compelling. Not only does it provide the audience something to hold onto, it impresses on them that work has been put into this proposal. Data points that may be useful include: usage of existing labs on campus, interest in the project, number of people actively working towards this goal, amount of money needed, and what has already been done to reach this goal.</div><div><br/></div><div>Additionally, it is paramount to pitch to the “right” people. In this case, the “right” person is going to be anyone you can talk to, as the best allies and partnerships can result from seemingly unimportant conversations.</div><div><br/></div>
=== ''Funding'' ===
<div>Although the Makerspace you are creating is free to students, running the Makerspace costs money. Ensuring that the space is available and that there are materials and equipment for students to use not only requires a large amount of work but also requires monetary support. In order to keep the space free for students, you need to be persistent in looking for funding. Some good places to start are: club funding, local sponsors, and donations. </div><div>It pays to be creative to when attracting both sponsors and donations. For example, the Makerspace developed at Western Michigan University uses an incentivized tiered donation system where the sponsors get a different size of sticker for donations within the tiers they developed. These stickers decorate the walls of the Makerspace while promoting the businesses.</div><div><br/></div>
