If you live in Los Angeles, please think of including Machine Project in your list of organizations you will be donating to this year. Machine Project is the coolest art/tech space I know of, and the free events they hold every year are bring much joy to the community.
Mark Allen, the founder of Machine Project, says:
I started Machine five years ago because I wanted a place that was comfortable, friendly, and interested in everything in the universe. Every month, our operations manager Michele and I have to raise almost $9,000 just to keep the doors open. Money above that amount we use to create the free events at Machine (almost 100 in 2008!) and put on shows like our one day takeover of LACMA. To survive we raise money from four sources – grants, workshops, the sale of books, and members – or future members – like yourself.
As the economy goes tragically haywire, everyone faces challenges including the foundations who grant us money. As a result, funding we were counting on to pay Michele's salary and the rent on our space will be significantly less, as in OH SHIT, HOW ARE WE GOING TO PAY THE RENT less.
Machine has always been founded on the idea of getting as many people as possible involved in Machine's projects for maximum awesomeness. Therefore, we are now going to do what we should have done all along – rely on the people like you who love Machine to be an active part in our survival.
If you haven't already, please:
*donate $128 or whatever level is right for you to become a current member of Machine
*give an additional gift to help this urgent campaign
*consider giving the gift of membership to a friend or dearest family member (we will write them an elaborate letter describing how great you are, and send it along with a machine book in time for the holidays)
*purchase workshop gift certificates for the crafty, the restless or the electronically inclined (Sewing, Arduino, electronics, MaxMSP are our staples, but many more are likely to follow); and
*do some extravagant holiday shopping from our online book store
Machine Project is a 501c3 registered non-profit and that donations are tax deductible.
If you know anyone else who can help us, please encourage them to become members — or to make a significant gift. Please feel free to give me a call (213 483 8761) or email if you have any additional fundraising ideas, or would like to hear what our plans are.
It's an odd feeling for us to be scrambling to raise money after the fun and success of LACMA, but I think that everyone who was at that event, and everything else that happens at Machine (from the sex life of sea slugs to pirate jamborees to our holiday frybq) felt how special this year has been. If you believe in the things we did together this year, I hope you will also want to see Machine Project continue on.
Please help us keep doing great things together in the future. Become a Machine Project member or make an additional online donation right here.
