Area and Committee Descriptions

Areas are the physical spaces within the MakeICT building, whereas committees are groups dedicated to sustaining and growing the MakeICT community. Standing committees perform the vital functions that keep MakeICT up and running, while ad hoc committees are formed by the board for a specific purpose.

The area and committee leads have, more or less, the same responsibilities:

• Attend leads and chairs meetings
• Attend Maker Mondays (currently 2nd and 4th Mondays)
• Attend new member orientations (weeks following on Tuesdays/Saturdays)
• Maintain inventory
• Hold regular meetings
• Make a budget yearly
• Recruit members for the area/committee and sub leads
• Maintain equipment
• Hold “basics”/safety classes regularly (for areas)

They also all share one "perk" in common: the opportunity to make decisions that benefit MakeICT community.

With their budgets, committees and area leadership may replace consumables and make repairs to property, but they also use these funds to hold events, purchase new equipment, and arrange the physical space of an area to make it more orderly, usable, and attractive. Summaries of each area and committee are available at their pages, but here's a quick rundown of what each one is/does:

Committees

• The Security Committee makes it possible for MakeICT to be a safe place to be in, 24/7. Security members advocate for changes they think will make the space more secure. They perform background checks when new members apply, create badges for new members, and re-issue badges when they're lost or damaged.
• The IT Committee makes things happen on the back end. Members are responsible for moderating the forum, keeping the internet up and running, managing the software that MakeICT uses such as Wild Apricot, monitoring the permissions for network drives to preserve security of information, and collaborating with the Security committee to implement technological solutions to make MakeICT safer.
• The Membership Committee are the first representatives of MakeICT that prospective members typically meet. Membership committee members run Maker Mondays and new member orientations, maintain membership records along with IT and Security, and listen to the needs of membership so that solutions can be found.
• The Communications Committee speaks on behalf of MakeICT. Communication committee members write and send the MakeICT newsletter, manage social media accounts, and make improvements to MakeICT's website and wiki.
• The Finance Committee holds the keys to the purse. They work with the Treasurer to manage MakeICT's funding, and find ways for other areas and committees to stretch their budgets to afford needed (and wanted) purchases.
• The Facilities Committee determines how MakeICT looks and feels to be in, day after day. They manage the physical space and any decisions about how to alter it. They also mow the grass on the grounds surrounding the building.
• The Classroom Committee enables education at MakeICT. They work with instructors to orchestrate classes, as well as ensuring that there are optimal places in which to hold them.
  • The Events Committee literally makes things happen. The committee runs some events, but also consults on events that members wish to hold, but need guidance/support. They're the ones to talk to for planning competitions, celebrations, and gatherings of all kinds.
  • The Outreach Committee introduces MakeICT to the wider city area. They form partnerships with other organizations, plan events that extend beyond the membership, and function as ambassadors to maintain MakeICT's image as a community where science, learning, and culture are the mission.
• The Fundraising Committee finds ways for MakeICT to grow and thrive. They seek out grant opportunities, collaborate with Events to hold fundraising events, reach out to membership when a big change is planned and donations are needed, and meet with representatives of other nonprofits to exchange ideas about how to be successful as a community.
• The Inventory and Procurement Committee tracks property that comes into MakeICT's possession, to prevent conflicts over the ownership of items by recording the history of each one's presence on the premises. The Inventory committee is vital to preserving MakeICT as a community because makers share many tools, equipment, and furnishings in common, so it's imperative to clarify what belongs to whom.