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Executive Summary
Downtown Makers Incubator is a nonprofit that will turn an empty downtown storefront into a shared workspace where new makers and small businesses can use professional equipment, get mentoring and grow. Many people with a good product idea cannot afford a workshop, tools or advice. Our incubator gives them a place to build, test and sell, at a price a new business can pay.
With this grant we will renovate a downtown storefront into a shared workspace, buy shared equipment, hire an incubator manager and run workshops and mentoring for member businesses.
Our Year 1 budget is about $143,000, growing to about $185,000 by Year 5 as the program grows. Each year's budget is planned to balance, with a small surplus each year. The organization has 1 paid staff member in Year 1 and 2 by Year 2, plus the new businesses its members start.
We are asking the Founders' Table Foundation for $100,000 for the workspace renovation, shared equipment, an incubator manager and workshops. We are also bringing in member fees, sponsors and our own savings, so the grant is only part of our funding.
I am Paul Andersen, the founder and volunteer board chair. The numbers in this proposal are estimates based on the assumptions listed at the end, not promises.
Company Description
Downtown Makers Incubator is a nonprofit corporation in Wisconsin. A 501(c)(3) public charity, governed by a volunteer board of directors, that works to support small business and downtown revitalization. We will provide our IRS letter, board list and financial statements.
Our mission. To help new makers and small businesses start, grow and stay in our downtown by giving them space, tools and advice.
How we started. A group of local business owners, a city economic development office and the library noticed that many new makers and small businesses leave town or work out of garages because there is no affordable shared workspace. We formed the nonprofit to fill that gap. Before we open, we will survey at least 50 local makers and small businesses about the tools and space they need, and we will ask for at least 15 letters of interest from future members. If we cannot get them, we will adjust our plan before spending money.
What we do:
- Shared workspace with work benches, storage and meeting space, available by monthly membership.
- Shared equipment, such as 3D printers, a laser cutter, sewing machines and basic wood and metal tools, with safety training.
- Mentoring from volunteer business owners and monthly workshops on pricing, marketing, money and legal basics.
- Day passes and space rentals for classes and events.
- Pop-up sales days where members sell to the public.
How we are run. A volunteer board of directors oversees the organization. The founder and board chair leads fundraising and partnerships as a volunteer, and a full-time Incubator Manager runs the space and member programs. A part-time Program Coordinator joins in Year 2.
Problem & Opportunity
Why this project is needed.
Equipment that makes a business possible, such as a laser cutter or an industrial sewing machine, can cost tens of thousands of dollars. New makers and small businesses cannot afford it, and a shared workspace lowers that barrier. Our downtown has empty storefronts and few places for new businesses to start. Renovating a space and buying shared equipment takes more money than the incubator can raise from members alone, which is why we are asking for help with the startup costs.
The gaps we see:
1. Cost. Professional tools and workshop space are out of reach for most new businesses.
2. Isolation. Many new owners work alone and have no one to ask for advice.
3. Empty storefronts. Downtown has vacant space but few new businesses to fill it.
4. Safety and skills. Using tools safely takes training that members cannot easily get on their own.
What we will check. Our survey will show what tools makers need, what they can pay and when they would use the space, and we will use the results to choose equipment and set fees.
Who benefits first. New makers, craftspeople, designers and very small businesses that need a place to build and sell, and downtown residents who benefit from a livelier main street.
Products & Services
What the grant will pay for and what we will do.
1. Renovate the space. Upgrade wiring, lighting, ventilation and an accessible restroom in the storefront, which we lease.
2. Buy shared equipment. Tools members can use after safety training, such as 3D printers, a laser cutter, sewing machines and basic wood and metal tools.
3. Hire the incubator manager. A full-time manager to run the space, train members on equipment and organize workshops.
4. Recruit members. About 10 members on average in Year 1, growing as word spreads.
5. Run workshops, mentoring and sales days. Monthly workshops, matched mentors and quarterly pop-up sales days.
How we will measure results. We will count members, hours of equipment use, workshops held, mentoring meetings and businesses that start selling, and we will follow up with members each year to see how many have hired employees or moved into their own space. Our goals for Year 1 are to open the space, enroll about 10 members on average and hold 12 workshops.
Market Analysis
Who benefits and how.
- Businesses. We expect about 10 members in Year 1, growing to more than 55 members by Year 5, with a goal that several hire their first employees.
- Downtown. A filled storefront and a steady stream of makers and visitors on Main Street.
- Skills. Members learn to use equipment safely and to price, market and manage a small business.
How many we will reach. In Year 1 about 10 members on average. We plan to grow the number of members each year as we add programs.
Competitive Landscape
Other choices people have, and how we fit.
- Rented garages and basements. Cheap, but without equipment, advice or neighbors.
- Business incubators at colleges. They serve students and graduates, while we serve the public and the downtown.
- Online workshops. Helpful, but cannot replace tools, space and people.
What makes us different: Professional tools, a safe space and advice in one place, priced for a new business, right in the downtown.
Marketing & Sales Strategy
How we will reach makers and small business owners.
- Referrals from the city economic development office, the chamber of commerce and the library.
- Open houses and demonstrations in the new space.
- Flyers and a social media page that show members' work.
- Quarterly pop-up sales days that bring the public through the door.
Operations Plan
How the project will be carried out.
Timeline:
- Months 1 to 2: Finalize the lease, complete the survey, collect letters of interest and bid the renovation
- Months 3 to 5: Complete the renovation and order equipment
- Months 6 to 7: Install equipment, train the manager and open to the first members
- Months 8 to 10: Add members, run monthly workshops and the first pop-up sale
- Months 11 to 12: Review results with our board and funders and plan Year 2
Space and partners. A leased downtown storefront of about 3,500 square feet. A local contractor will do the renovation, and equipment dealers will train us and service the machines. Volunteer mentors come from local business owners.
Permits and safety. A building permit and any city inspections for the renovation, general liability insurance and written safety rules and training for every piece of equipment.
Records and reporting. We will keep records of members, equipment use and workshops. Grant money is tracked separately for each funder, and an outside accountant reviews our books every year.
Management & Organization
Who leads the organization.
Paul Andersen, Founder and Volunteer Board Chair. Paul leads fundraising, grants and partnerships as a volunteer and reports to the Board. The Incubator Manager runs the space and member programs. Planned salary for the manager: $54,000 a year.
Our team. A full-time Incubator Manager from Year 1 ($54,000) and a part-time Program Coordinator ($26,000) starting in Year 2.
Mentors and the Board. About 10 volunteer mentors, and a five-member Board of Directors that includes a business owner, a representative of the city and a person with nonprofit finance experience.
Money management. Grant money is tracked separately for each funder, and an outside accountant reviews our books every year.
Milestones Narrative
Our goals and how we will measure them.
- Year 1: Renovate, open the space and enroll about 10 members; a balanced budget of about $143,000; 1 paid staff.
- Year 2: Add a part-time coordinator and grow to about 30 members; a balanced budget of about $173,000; 2 paid staff.
- Year 3: Run a full calendar of workshops and sales days; a balanced budget of about $177,000; 2 paid staff.
- Year 4: Add equipment as members need it; a balanced budget of about $181,000; 2 paid staff.
- Year 5: Run a steady incubator with growing member fees; a balanced budget of about $185,000; 2 paid staff.
How we will check our results. Members, equipment hours, workshops and mentoring meetings are recorded every month. Twice a year, staff and the Board review results and share them with our funders.
Funding Request
What we are asking for, and how the money will be used. Our request: $100,000 from the Founders' Table Foundation for the workspace renovation, shared equipment, an incubator manager and workshops, for January through December 2027.
The request is spread across these budget lines:
- Construction: Renovate the storefront: wiring, lighting, ventilation and an accessible restroom, $32,000.
- Equipment: Shared equipment: 3D printers, laser cutter, sewing machines and shop tools, $36,000.
- Personnel: Incubator Manager, part of the first-year salary, $24,000.
- Other: Workshops, mentors and launch events, $8,000.
Other money in the project. The $68,000 of this request that pays for the renovation and equipment is startup money. Our own savings ($20,000), other grants, sponsors and member fees pay the rest of the Incubator Manager's salary, rent, utilities and insurance, equipment upkeep and administration. There is no paid Executive Director in the plan: the board chair serves as a volunteer.
Year 1 budget: about $143,000, planned to balance with a small surplus (about $5,800 after the yearly wear on equipment). Year 1 money coming in: grants $110,000 (the operating part of this request ($32,000) plus other grants we are applying for), and member fees, space rentals and sponsorships $33,000. Year 1 costs: Incubator Manager $54,000; building lease about $36,000; utilities and insurance about $14,000; shared equipment upkeep about $6,000; workshops and mentors about $12,000; administration about $8,000. Equipment we buy once at the start (about $36,000) is paid from startup money, not from the yearly budget. The one-time renovation (about $32,000) is also paid from startup money.
The next five years. Our budget grows from about $143,000 in Year 1 to about $185,000 in Year 5. Grants are planned at $110,000, $100,000, $80,000, $62,000 and $48,000 in Years 1 to 5, and member fees, space rentals and sponsorships grow from $33,000 to $137,000. Member fees and space rentals grow as more makers join, so grants become a smaller part of our budget over time.
Savings. We start with about $20,000 of our own plus $68,000 in startup support, and plan to keep several months of costs in savings. The lowest year-end balance in the plan is about $59,300.
After the grant. The renovation and equipment are bought once. Each year, member fees, space rentals and sponsors cover more of our costs, and grants become a smaller share of our budget. The plan lowers grants from $110,000 in Year 1 to $48,000 by Year 5.
Risks and how we will handle them:
- Too few members. We will collect letters of interest first, start with a smaller space if needed and keep prices low.
- Equipment injuries. Every member completes safety training before using a machine, and we keep insurance and written rules.
- Costs rise. We will build a repair and replacement budget and adjust fees when needed.
If we are just starting. A new organization can begin before it has its own 501(c)(3) status through a fiscal sponsor: an established nonprofit that receives grants for you and passes them to your program, usually for a fee (commonly around 5% to 10% of the grant, sometimes more; ask before you agree). Another way is to start smaller: a shared bench and a few tools in a donated room, with monthly workshops. Strong results from a small start make larger grants easier to win.
Appendix Notes
Documents to attach with this proposal:
- Your IRS 501(c)(3) letter, or your fiscal sponsor agreement.
- Your most recent financial statements and your current budget.
- A list of your Board members and what they do.
- Your lease or a letter of intent from the landlord.
- Quotes for the renovation and equipment.
- Letters of support and interest from makers, the city and the chamber of commerce.
If you don't have any of this yet, no worries - let's continue.
The assumptions behind our numbers (change them in the Financials section to match your own):
- Grant Revenue: $110,000 in Year 1, growing to $48,000.
- Member Fees and Space Rentals: $18,000 in Year 1, growing to $102,000.
- Pay (a full year, per person): Incubator Manager $54,000, Program Coordinator (part-time) $26,000.
- Other yearly costs in Year 1: Building Lease $36,000, Utilities and Insurance $14,000, Shared Equipment Upkeep $6,000, Workshops and Mentors $12,000, Administration $8,000. These grow between 3% and 5% a year.
- Every dollar amount is an estimate. Replace them with your own quotes and real budget.