Dear Makers & Community,
As I’ve been compiling our 2025 annual report it’s become clear that MAKE Santa Fe is growing up. I’ve been amazed at the amount of work our small staff has been able to accomplish. In 2025 we leveled up our programming by formalizing our processes and internal workflows. Now, toward the end of the year, I can confidently say that we’re honing in on what a Makerspace should be in a community.
We’re a space for makers to grow and experiment with access to tools, equipment, and community. Our educational programs give new makers the skills they need to use equipment safely and confidently. Our service contracts, intensive training, and track courses create real economic mobility by helping makers build income streams and careers around their craft. Our community outreach has sparked broader conversations about nonprofit fundraising, the role of creative spaces, and the value of failure in the artistic process. All of this work serves a single purpose: to build a more resilient and creative Santa Fe. We’re leading the conversation around creative work and offering the tools and support to make it possible.
2025 has also highlighted some things that we need to grow into or focus on. Our contributed income remains significantly low for an organization of our size, and our donor base is too small to reliably sustain the level of programming, staffing, and community impact we now deliver. As we continue to professionalize and expand, we will need to build stronger philanthropic relationships, deepen board engagement, and develop a culture of giving that matches the scale of our ambitions.
We’re also facing the growing pains that come with higher usage and higher expectations. Our facilities are being pushed to their limits, and the demand for more classes, more workshops, and more access continues to outpace our current capacity. The work of maintaining a safe, high-functioning shop is increasingly complex, and our staff, though exceptionally capable, remains small for the scope of services we provide. As we expand we will need to invest in people, equipment, and infrastructure to keep pace.
These challenges are real, but they reflect something important: Santa Fe needs this place. Our task in the coming year is to strengthen the foundation beneath the momentum we’ve built. With the support of our members, donors, partners, and board, we can continue to grow into the organization this community deserves.
Thank you,
James W. Johnson
Executive Director