Grief at Gizmo amid financial shortfall

COEUR d’ALENE — Amid a financial shortfall, Gizmo-CDA has laid off half its full-time employees and will cut back programming as the remaining staff search for ways to save the nonprofit maker space.

Executive director Erin Lanigan said Gizmo has not received enough grant funding this year to meet its $500,000 annual operating budget. Much of the nonprofit’s overhead costs go toward full-time staff.

“We have been working really hard to make up those losses financially, but the board and I have not been able to make up the funding to continue operating the way we have been at NIC for the last five years,” Lanigan said Friday.

Gizmo laid off three full-time employees this week, including two educators who worked on K-12 programming. As a result, some K-12 programming will be cut or scaled back.

Operating hours have also been reduced. Gizmo’s new hours of operations are 1 - 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Lanigan said the layoffs and programming changes are unrelated to a missing certificate of occupancy that forced a temporary closure of Gizmo’s space on the North Idaho College campus.

When Gizmo moved to the NIC campus in 2018, a state building inspector reportedly noted several areas that needed to be corrected.

In early July, the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses asked NIC to disallow further use and occupancy until certification was obtained. NIC informed Gizmo on July 14.

Since then, Gizmo and NIC have worked work the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses, state fire marshals and H2A Architects in Coeur d’Alene to resolve the matter.

Gizmo’s certificate of occupancy currently allows NIC students and other adults to use the space, but those who are high school-aged and younger cannot use the space without additional modifications, the college confirmed Friday.

The final modifications, including changes to the overhead sprinkler system, are being planned.

In the meantime, Gizmo has partnered with entities including the Coeur d’Alene School District to host K-12 programming at other locations.

Trina Caudle, who serves on Gizmo’s board, said the nonprofit is a valuable resource to Kootenai County residents. The maker space offers classes, individual mentorship, community events, summer camps, access to creative tools and resources, professional development for area educators and more.

“I’m a former math and science teacher,” said Caudle, who is also the Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education for the Post Falls School District. “My role was trying to prepare students for the real world and the jobs of tomorrow, not knowing what they are. That’s why I feel passionate about Gizmo.”

Gizmo has plenty to offer students and adults alike, she said. Some local entrepreneurs got their start because Gizmo gave them the opportunity to experiment.

“They had an idea but they may not have had the equipment or the means,” Caudle said. “They were able to come to Gizmo and build a prototype.”

While Gizmo continues to pursue grant writing and fundraising, Lanigan said she hopes community members who are passionate about the maker space will consider volunteering their time.

“We have a strong group that’s committed to saving Gizmo for the community,” she said. “We’re working really hard to make sure Gizmo continues as a community resource and we’re heartbroken to have had to let staff go who are part of our family.”

Maker spaces are rare, Caudle said, and North Idaho has no other place quite like Gizmo.

“It’s a rare gem,” she said. “If we lose it, I don’t think we’ll get it back.”