Together we can grow! 50 New Members in 5 months!

Ace Makerspace has undergone many changes over the last few months, but the strength of the Ace community has remained a constant source of inspiration. As an organization, we are committed to sustaining and growing this incredible community. Right now, we have 166 active members, and are launching an ambitious member recruitment campaign with the goal of gaining 50 new members in 5 months. This means growing our community at a rate of 10 new members per month. With this goal in mind we aim to start the new year off as an even more active, lively Makerspace with a strong and thriving membership base.

This campaign will run for 5 months, from September 2024 through the end of January 2025 culminating in a large fundraising Gala on January 11th.

The Plan

Our membership recruitment plan has four main components, each of which you can be a part of:

Volunteering with Ace at outreach events like Oakland First Fridays
Social media and digital promotion
Flyering
Special promotional deals for members and new sign ups

Outreach Events

Outreach events are by far one of our most meaningful member recruitment activities, so we are planning to attend at least 2 outreach events per month through the end of the year. This means there are plenty of opportunities to get involved. By volunteering with Ace at outreach events you directly support our goal of growing a welcoming community of diverse people.

Outreach events through the end of 2024:

Oakland First Fridays – the first Friday of each month
- Keep an eye out for the OFF sign up sheet, posted 2 weeks prior to the event
Oakland Pride – Sep. 8
TBD: Lake Merritt Autumn Lights Festival – Oct. 17-19
Patchwork Oakland – Nov. 11
East Bay Open Studios – Dec. 7

Follow the #ace-volunteers channel on slack to sign up as a volunteer for outreach events. We welcome suggestions for other events around the East Bay. We are also looking for a core group of outreach volunteers that can help support our efforts.

The best way to learn about Ace Makerspace is directly from members. Volunteers are a key part of the success of our outreach efforts.

Social Media and Digital Promotion

We are ramping up our social media promotion with special highlights on member projects.

How you can help!

Make content for Ace social media (make a reel, write a post and send us some pics)
Share your project pictures and videos with us on slack
Tag us in your posts and share ours with your networks
Become a Teacher’s Assistant and/or class photographer

Training for social media and marketing photography available (no experience needed). Contact Jacky, our former Communications Associate, at [email protected] or on slack to get started.

Promotional Material Distribution; Flyers and Posters

We have simple green half sheet flyers available in “Take a Flyer” boxes throughout our workspaces.

Please pick some up and distribute them freely at your favorite local spots. Think telephone poles, cork boards, coffee shops.

If each person puts up just one flyer that’s 166 flyers, with 20 members posting 10 flyers each will we could hit 200 flyers and so on!

“Take a Flyer” box full of flyers in Ace’s Coworking lounge.

Ace also has nice color posters for more permanent locations. We have a digital version which you can download and print, or you can request a printed one. We have a limited number, so please let us know where you plan to post with your request. We’d love to see these up in:

Coffee shops
Local businesses
Bulletin boards

Have a local business or coffee shop you frequent or like? Ask them to put up a poster of Ace.

Post one of these beautiful volunteer-designed Ace Flyers at your favorite spots.

Special Promotional Opportunities

Referral Program

For the next 5 months (through the end of January 2025) we will be running a referral bonus program for active dues paying Ace Members. For every new member you bring in, receive a $20 honor store coupon to use on snacks, drinks and other products sold through the Ace honor store.

In order to get take advantage of this referral bonus, email [email protected] and cc the person you signed up as an Ace Member. They must have completed the full sign up process before you can claim your coupon.

You can bring an unlimited amount of new members for the length of the promotion and get the coupon each time.

Post Tour Sign Up Promotion

Tours are the main way we show prospective members all that Ace has to offer. For the length of this campaign attendees of tours will receive a 10% discount on the first 2 months of their membership when they sign up for a membership on site immediately following their tour of the space.

Please tell anyone you may personally refer or talk to about Ace that we are running this promotion and encourage them to take a tour.

Why grow?

Ace has the space, tools and resources to foster self-made and community supported creativity that serve both personal enrichment and professional development. Ace has to offer such great values that must be known and accessible to all of Oakland and beyond.

A growing community brings with it a wealth of resources. Members contribute not just financially, but also with their time, expertise, and networks. As our community expands, so does our access to diverse skills, ideas, and opportunities that can propel our organization forward. This pool of resources enables us to undertake larger projects, offer more services, and ultimately, better serve the Ace mission, vision and values.

Thank you to all our members and volunteers for your engagement in this campaign. Please share your thoughts and find updates by joining the #ace-volunteers slack channel. For individual offers of volunteer opportunities and questions email [email protected]. We look forward to the insight and involvement of the greater Ace community.

Member Recruitment Campaign