How Cannon Valley Makers Built a Thriving Community with Join It

How a volunteer-run workshop space in Minnesota uses Join It to manage 380 members with ease

A Community Built on Creativity

Nestled in Northfield, Minnesota, Cannon Valley Makers was founded by a group of retirees and hobbyists who wanted to share their workshops, tools, and creative energy. What began as a local idea has grown into a thriving makerspace housing thousands of tools and serving nearly 400 active members.

Since opening in April 2020, the organization has been entirely volunteer-run, making efficiency and automation essential to its sustainability.

Launching at a Difficult Time

Opening just as the pandemic hit meant Cannon Valley Makers had to manage memberships without face-to-face contact. For Michelle Martin, one of the founding volunteers, the challenge was clear:

“I’m not good at chasing payments or tracking renewals. I knew I needed something automated.”

After trying several platforms, Michelle discovered Join It and found it was built for organizations like hers.

“It was made for somebody like me, a layperson. I didn’t have to be a professional administrator to make it work.”

Automating Membership Administration

Join It now handles everything from recurring payments to member communication. The automatic billing feature removed a major burden from volunteers, freeing them to focus on the space and its community.

“Automatic rebilling took that task off our volunteers’ list. That’s been huge.”

Over time, Cannon Valley Makers’ membership has grown from just 30 members to around 380 today. The organization is now financially self-sufficient, covering rent, insurance, and ongoing equipment maintenance entirely through memberships.

Staying Connected and Looking Professional

Michelle uses Join It’s built-in messaging tools to communicate with members about events, fundraising, and updates.

“We can send messages to everyone, current or past members, right from Join It. It's so easy to tailor our communication.”

Support That Feels Personal

As a small nonprofit with limited time, responsive support makes all the difference.

“Whenever I have a question, someone gets back to me within minutes, even at night or on weekends. That’s been wonderful.”

The Result: A Professional Operation Run by Volunteers

Cannon Valley Makers now operates with the polish of a professional organization without the overhead costs.

“Join It gives us the ability to look and operate like a much bigger organization. It’s central to our success.”

For Michelle and the volunteer team, Join It has become indispensable.

“Join It has enabled us to focus on our vision to bring the joy of making to our community. It's been essential to our success so far.”

➡️ Join It helps community leaders like you spend less time on admin and more time building connections. Try Join It free for 30 days and see the difference.