As you probably know by now, 2017 has been a bit of a transition year for the Austin Materials Marketplace. We've launched a new website, a new Materials Marketplace platform, and have been moving away from City of Austin funding to a network-supported, self-funded model over the course of the summer and fall.
We've tested a few different approaches with program participants, and through their feedback have learned quite a bit in the process about reporting the shared value of the program, and preferred mechanisms for translating that shared value into sustainable program funding.
We're no longer asking for network subscription fees. Instead, we've decided to move to a more fluid suggested donation model. This shift lets us and our program participants do a few new things:
- Aligns a donation to the program more closely with the value they've seen through their participation. In the coming weeks, we'll be sending a report to each participant that outlines the economic and environmental benefit they've created through their engagement with the Austin Materials Marketplace that should help with the decision-making process.
- Keeps our high social impact program participants - non-profits, teachers, social entrepreneurs - active in the program without any additional pressure on their budgets.
- Allows larger participants to make larger donations to scale up our growth, our capacity to continue outreach to great community organizations, and our ability to innovate on our software platform.
Click the links below to set up a donation from your business or organization. We've set up easy donation levels scaled for small, medium and large organizations; or you can click the button to specify a different amount. As always, we're very thankful for the continued support from the City of Austin as we work through this process; and for the support of our participants who continue to demonstrate the business and environmental value of materials reuse. Thanks y'all!