What The Bellingham Makerspace does

The Bellingham Makerspace is a 501(c)(3) non-profit community organization founded in 2014 (originally as The Foundry) that operates a 7,000+ square foot shared workshop inside the Bellis Fair Mall in Bellingham, Washington. Its core offering is physical access to capital-intensive tools across woodshop, metalworking, electronics, laser cutting, 3D printing, textiles, jewelry, and vinyl cutting, supported by tool authorization training, orientation, and a comprehensive wiki-based member handbook. The facility serves Whatcom County and greater NW Washington.

The business is built on a tiered recurring subscription model ranging from a $19/month Supporter tier (common-area access only) to a $59/month Maker membership (full tool access and 365-day keycard entry), with discounted rates for students, seniors, and educators ($39/month), a $89/month Household tier covering four members, a $299/month Resident tier with a dedicated 10x10 studio, and a $5,000/year Corporate tier bundling eight Maker memberships. Supplemental revenue comes from classes and workshops (registered via Eventbrite), donations (processed via PayPal), and event space rental. Memberships are month-to-month with no long-term commitment, and a volunteer service tier is capped at 20% of total membership.

The organization is volunteer-led, governed by a Board of Directors (President Grant Dobbe, VP Ian Garconette, Treasurer Rupert Ayton, and Directors-at-Large Lisa Lang, Sandra Phoenix, Alejandro Lopez-Berryman, and Shawn Ross) with discipline-specific Area Leads. Operational technology is lightweight and purpose-built: a WordPress site with MemberPress subscription management, Slack for member coordination, Eventbrite for class registration, and internally developed tools including the BMS Music System, a 40-inch commercial digital sign, and a Raspberry Pi-based network label printer. No external funding rounds, revenue figures, patents, or formal partnerships are disclosed.

Name

The Bellingham Makerspace

Legal name

Bellingham Makerspace

Website

https://bellinghammakerspace.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Bellingham Makerspace is a 501(c)(3) non-profit community workshop in Bellingham, Washington providing subscription-based access to shared tools, training, and creative workspace across woodworking, metalworking, electronics, laser cutting, textiles, and 3D printing for Whatcom County residents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Makerspace Services

NAICS

Cutlery and Handtool Manufacturing (33221)

SIC

Pens, Pencils & Other Artists' Materials (3950)

akta.pro primary industry

Crafts & Maker Arts (Ceramics, Textiles, Jewelry, Mixed Media) (EDAMAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Crafting Machines & Accessories Retail (Die-Cut, Cricut/Silhouette, 3D Pens) (CRALACAK)

Keywords

• Community makerspace
• Shared workshop tools
• Maker education classes
• Nonprofit workspace
• Fabrication equipment access

Headquarters

HQ city

Bellingham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Monthly and annual membership fees providing access to tools, workspace, training, and community resources. Multiple tiers serve different customer segments from individual makers to corporations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Bellingham Makerspace provides community access to tools, maker education, classes, and creative workspace through tiered memberships. Its core deliverable is a 7,000+ square foot shared workshop with equipment across woodworking, metalworking, electronics, laser cutting, 3D printing, textiles, and vinyl cutting, paired with structured orientation, tool certification, and skill-building workshops.

Product overview

The Bellingham Makerspace is a 501(c)(3) non-profit community makerspace offering a tiered membership structure. The core offering is physical access to a 7,000+ square foot shared workshop at Bellis Fair Mall with tools and equipment across multiple disciplines. Membership tiers range from Supporter ($19/month) for community access only, to full Maker membership ($59/month) with complete tool access, to premium Resident membership ($299/month) with dedicated studio space. Additional offerings include classes/workshops, event space rental, and corporate memberships. All tiers provide access to the makerspace's shared tools, training, and community events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Maker Membership
• Senior/Student/Educator Membership
• Household Membership
• Supporter Membership
• Patron Membership
• Resident Membership
• Corporate Membership
• Volunteer Membership
• Classes and Workshops
• Tool Areas and Equipment Access
• Event Space Rental

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Artisan's Asylum: Non-profit community makerspace offering shared access to woodworking, metalworking, electronics, and textile tools plus classes and memberships. Directly comparable mission, membership model, and tool breadth to The Bellingham Makerspace.
• Noisebridge: San Francisco community hackerspace providing shared tools, classes, and maker education on a donation/membership basis. Directly comparable as a volunteer-governed, multi-discipline community workspace.
• NYC Resistor: Member-run community hackerspace/makerspace providing tiered memberships, shared tools (laser cutters, 3D printers, electronics), and skill-sharing workshops. Closely analogous operating model and tool mix.
• Dallas Makerspace: Large non-profit community makerspace offering multi-discipline tool access, classes, and tiered memberships governed by a member-elected board. Operates at a much larger scale but with the same non-profit, community-led structure.

Broad incumbents

• TechShop: Former national chain of for-profit makerspaces offering tool access, classes, and memberships. Historically the most comparable scaled operator before its 2017 closure; relevant benchmark for membership-based tool access at scale.
• Maker Media (Make: Community): Publisher and ecosystem operator behind Make: Magazine, Maker Faire, and the broader maker movement. Comparable as an industry shaper and educator rather than a direct operating peer.

Regional players

• MakerPlace (Santa Barbara): Non-profit community makerspace on the California coast providing shared tools, classes, and memberships. Comparable mission and service mix but in a different geography from Bellingham.
• Puget Sound Regional Makers (PSRM): Regional network connecting makerspaces across the Puget Sound/NW Washington area. Directly adjacent geographically and conceptually to The Bellingham Makerspace.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/bellinghammakers
• Instagraminstagram.com/bellinghammakers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bellinghammakerspace

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Bellingham Makerspace