United Earth Networks Meta Center at Fort Worden
UEN Meta Center — studios and a meeting center at Fort Worden, connected to the world
United Earth Networks will open the Meta Center at Fort Worden Historical State Park: a staffed production studio, hybrid meeting center, podcast suite and classroom learning lab, linked to the HubCast studio network. Modeled on the Civil Society Media Desk in New York, it rents facilities and services to NGOs, businesses and creators, produces UEN's original programming, and hosts CoNGO Institute youth training in citizen journalism — a West Coast twin to the New York desk.
Project snapshot
At-a-glance facts for funder calls. Build-out, rates and operating figures are working estimates.
- Project lead
- Marc Katsky, Strategic Director, UEN · [email] · [phone]
- Network partner
- HubCast Media — studio network, distribution, technical standards
- Model
- Civil Society Media Desk, Church Center for the United Nations, New York
- Location
- [Building], Fort Worden, Port Townsend, WA — confirm space with the Fort Worden PDA
- Facilities
- Main studio · hybrid meeting room · podcast suite · classroom learning lab · control room
- Program partners
- CoNGO Institute · PEAC Institute · UEN Powered by HubCast · campus partners
- Build-out budget
- $400,000 one-time (estimate)
- Year-one operations
- $340,000 (estimate) · earned revenue target $180,000
- Funding gap
- $400,000 build-out + $160,000 year-one operating gap
- Timeline
- Space agreement Q4 2026 · build-out Q1 2027 · opening spring 2027 · break-even target year three
- Staffing
- Studio manager, two producer-engineers, part-time educator, booking coordinator
- Fiscal sponsor / EIN
- Buckminster Fuller Institute for United Earth Networks, SPC — confirm · EIN [00-0000000]
The opportunity
Language ready to lift into a proposal narrative.
Need
The Olympic Peninsula has no professional, affordable studio and hybrid meeting facility. NGOs, schools and small businesses record podcasts in closets, join international calls with laptop audio, and hire crews from Seattle for anything larger. Fort Worden hosts thousands of visitors for conferences and retreats, but none of that work is captured or shared beyond the room.
Our approach
Replicate what works in New York. The Civil Society Media Desk gives NGOs and youth delegations professional hybrid production, livestreaming, interviews and storytelling, with support packages from $250 Zoom event support to $1,500+ multi-camera hybrid production. The Meta Center brings the same menu to Fort Worden, staffed by producers who run every session, and connects it to the HubCast studio network so a forum in Port Townsend and a briefing at the UN can share one stream.
Who it serves
Nonprofits and CoNGO member organizations; Fort Worden campus partners and conference groups; local businesses, schools and creators; UEN's own programs, from BFI residencies to the Earth Repair Convergence; and young people in CoNGO Institute citizen-journalism courses, who train in the same rooms professionals rent.
Why now
The New York desk is open and proving demand, UEN Powered by HubCast is launching, and the CoNGO Institute's youth program needs a home studio. The Meta Center is the physical anchor for all three — and a steady, year-round use of Fort Worden space.
Facilities & business model
A staffed rental model like the Civil Society Media Desk: clients book a space and a service, and UEN producers run it.
Main studio
Multi-camera set for original programming, interviews, panels and livestreams, with a control room linked to the HubCast network.
Hybrid meeting center
A 20–40 seat room for international Zoom meetings and hybrid forums, with conferencing cameras, room audio and interpretation feeds.
Podcast suite & learning lab
Two recording booths, plus a classroom lab with editing stations and mobile kits for courses and CoNGO Institute youth training.
Rate card (draft)
| Service | Includes | Nonprofit rate | Standard rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zoom / hybrid meeting support | Meeting room, tech host, recording | $250 per session | $400 per session |
| Podcast recording | Booth, engineer, raw files | $75 per hour | $125 per hour |
| Podcast package | 2-hour session, edited episode, audiogram | $350 | $550 |
| Studio half day | Main studio, 2 cameras, producer | $600 | $950 |
| Multi-camera hybrid production | Full crew, livestream, switching, graphics | $1,500+ | $2,500+ |
| Interview clips add-on | Short edited clips for social media and donor updates | $300 | $450 |
| Classroom lab day | Lab, equipment, facilitator support | $450 | $700 |
| Studio membership | 4 podcast hours + 1 meeting session monthly, priority booking | $300 per month | $500 per month |
Simple operating model
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rentals & production services | $110,000 | $170,000 | $230,000 |
| Memberships | $20,000 | $40,000 | $55,000 |
| UEN & partner programs (internal bookings) | $50,000 | $70,000 | $85,000 |
| Earned revenue | $180,000 | $280,000 | $370,000 |
| Operating costs (staff, space, maintenance, insurance) | $340,000 | $355,000 | $370,000 |
| Gap covered by grants & sponsors | $160,000 | $75,000 | Break-even |
Year one assumes about 35% studio use. Youth training and free NGO sessions are funded by sponsors rather than rental income.
Funding opportunities
Capital for the build-out, bridge support for the first two years, and earned revenue for the long run.
Sponsorship & naming tiers
| Tier | Amount | Recognition & benefits | Slots | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meta Center naming partner | $150,000 | Name on the center, recognition on every broadcast from it, annual studio days | 1 | Open |
| Main studio naming | $75,000 | Named studio, on-air credit, two production days a year | 1 | Open |
| Learning lab sponsor | $40,000 | Named classroom lab, credit on CoNGO Institute youth work | 1 | Open |
| Meeting center or podcast suite sponsor | $25,000 | Named room, signage, booking credits | 2 | Open |
| Equipment partner | $15,000 or in-kind | Named supplier for cameras, audio or conferencing gear | 3 | In conversation |
| NGO access sponsor | $10,000 | Funds about 40 free sessions for small nonprofits; recognition on the booking page | 5 | Open |
Grant targets & pipeline
| Funder type / target | Program fit | Request | Deadline | Stage | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capital & facilities funders | Studio and meeting-center build-out | $200,000 | [Cycle TBD] | Prospect research | GMA |
| Washington State arts, heritage & community facility grants | Creative-economy facility at a historic state park | $75,000 | [Cycle TBD] | Eligibility check | GMA + UEN |
| Rural economic development & broadband programs | Jobs, digital access and media capacity on the Olympic Peninsula | $75,000 | [Cycle TBD] | Eligibility check | UEN |
| Media, journalism & youth education funders | Learning lab and youth citizen-journalism training | $60,000 | [LOI-based] | Prospect research | GMA |
| Community & family foundations (regional) | Operating bridge for years one and two | $100,000 | [Rolling] | Cultivation | GMA |
Crowdfunding
Goal: $35,000 — “Build the Meta Center” · Window: [during build-out]
Tiers at $50 (name on the founders' wall), $250 (free podcast session), $1,000 (studio half day), $5,000 (dedicate a booth).
Major & recurring gifts
Named rooms, multi-year equipment-renewal funds, and a monthly supporter circle. Stewardship: opening-night invitation and an annual showcase of work made in the center.
Earned revenue
Rentals, production services, memberships, and bookings from UEN and campus partners, as set out in the operating model — the long-term source of the center's sustainability.
Budget & use of funds
One-time build-out — $400,000 (working estimate). Year-one operations of $340,000 are shown in the operating model above.
Committed
$0 cash. In-kind: HubCast network standards and technical support, UEN's existing Fort Worden studio equipment.
Pending
No requests submitted yet — first capital asks targeted for Q4 2026.
Gap to close
$400,000 build-out plus a $160,000 year-one operating bridge. If funded partially: open the meeting room and podcast suite first (~$150,000).
Impact metrics
Year-one targets.
Measurement method
Booking system data on sessions, hours and utilization; client counts by sector; youth enrollment and skills assessments with the CoNGO Institute; audience reach of work produced; share of free and discounted sessions; earned revenue against the operating model. Data owner: [name].
Reporting cadence
A monthly utilization dashboard, quarterly sponsor updates, and an annual impact and financial report with a reel of work made in the center.
Document library
Link each item to the live file in the UEN shared drive.
Fundraising package
Contacts & next steps
Named owners for every ask, plus what has to happen before this brief goes out.
Project lead
Marc Katsky · Strategic Director, United Earth Networks
Fort Worden, Port Townsend, WA
[email] · [phone]
HubCast Media
[Name] · [Title]
[email] · [phone]
Role: studio network, technical design
Grant Management Associates
[Consultant name]
[email] · [phone]
Scope: capital and operating grants, reporting
- Secure the building at Fort Worden and confirm studio and rental use with the Fort Worden PDA and State Parks.
- Get a contractor estimate for acoustic, power and network work, and replace the build-out estimate.
- Check the draft rate card against local and Seattle studio prices and the New York desk's real bookings.
- Agree with HubCast on network standards, shared bookings and revenue splits between the two studios.
- Confirm the space and schedule for CoNGO Institute youth courses.