CrowdSmith Foundation is building the first community-based Maker Continuum facility in the United States — a five-station progression from hand tools through AI-assisted dialogue to advanced fabrication, producing credentialed workers for an economy being reshaped by artificial intelligence. The facility is targeting a federally designated Opportunity Zone in Tacoma, Washington, backed by a financial model with three-year projections and a 27-source grant pipeline.
Institutional investment.
Workforce Contracts
WIOA-aligned SmithFellow Core at $2,000 per seat. Specialization modules at $2,000 each. Each phase independently fundable. Agencies like WorkForce Central fund the training directly. The participant pays nothing out of pocket. Contact us to discuss cohort contracts.
Corporate Partnerships
Sponsor a cohort, fund a station, or partner on AI literacy programming. CrowdSmith is eligible for corporate giving programs and workplace giving platforms including Benevity. Your workforce benefits from the credential. Our community benefits from the investment.
Foundation Grants
CrowdSmith’s Opportunity Zone location, WIOA alignment, AI literacy programming, and workforce development mission qualify it for funding across federal, state, and private foundation categories. We welcome conversations with program officers.
SmithWorks Pipeline Funding
The SmithWorks inventor pipeline moves concepts from evaluation through patent-ready documentation. Donor-funded filing covers the patent attorney for inventors who cannot afford one. The inventor retains 100% ownership. Your donation funds the filing — not equity, not royalties. Restricted giving with documented impact.
Tool Donations
Estate tools, workshop liquidations, corporate surplus. Donated tools become zero-cost inventory that funds the retail operation and provides training material for Station One. Tax-deductible. Pickup available in the Tacoma area.
CrowdSmith is built on structural advantages that multiply every dollar invested. The tools are donated — zero cost of goods. The mentors are retired tradespeople who volunteer. Workforce cohorts are funded through agencies that distribute federal workforce development dollars. The facility is targeting an Opportunity Zone where outside investors receive federal tax benefits for funding the retrofit. Your investment does not carry the model alone. It unlocks institutional funding, workforce contracts, and private capital that dwarfs the initial contribution.
Direct support.
Individual donations fund foundation operations, program development, and the infrastructure that connects workforce contracts to community outcomes.
CrowdSmith Foundation is a Wyoming 501(c)(3). EIN 41-3213329. All donations are tax-deductible.
Hands, not dollars.
Donate tools. Volunteer your trade skills. Mentor a cohort participant. Spread the word. If you are a retired tradesperson, a workforce professional, a grant writer, or someone who believes communities should have a place to build — get in touch.
“CrowdSmith is what honesty looks like when it picks up a hammer.”
CrowdSmith Foundation — Tacoma, Washington