Nonprofit Assistance Program Proposal

Issues list

• Change Name?
  • Nonprofit Assistance Program (take a NAP)?
  • Software, Hardware, Information, Tech Support (we deliver SHIT)?
  • Free Geek Solutions Group
  • You got a better idea? Put it here.
• Resources we have available:
  • We know how to install, use and support certain software, for instance:
    • OpenOffice.org and most other apps that runs on a FreekBox
    • MediaWiki
    • RT
  • We can provide a fair amout of hardware
    • FreekBoxen
    • GrantBoxen
    • Diskless Terminals
  • We have volunteers:
    • who know stuff and want to help
    • who want to learn stuff and don't mind helping
  • Programs:
    • Build
    • Grants
    • Tech Support
    • Education
    • Adoption (most useful for certain types of social service organizations)
• There is a demand on the part of nonprofits for various types of training:
  • Admin Literacy
    • Teaching them vocabulary
    • Basic Skills
      • Backups
      • Admin Mailing list
      • ?
  • User Training (of various apps)
• What are our goals
• How is this financed?

The original goal

The original goal of the Free Geek Solutions (that became Collab) is stated here:

Create a consulting group, Free Geek Solutions Group, that will facilitate the adoption of Linux-based sustainable solutions for non-profit organizations and that will provide a significant stream of revenue into the Free Geek general fund.

We can delete the word "significant" for now, I think. But otherwise it still makes sense.

A basic rough proposal

Collaborative Technologies should:

consider changing its name

(to dissassociate itself from seeds of a bad reputation inside and outside of Free Geek)

re-invent itself as a a way to package existing Free Geek programs for Nonprofits

Hardware Grants, Technical Support, and Education would be the three corenerstones of the new program

initially add to that package only a few very easy to do things

a slightly expanded distro with a few extra packages that we already understand could add to our existing software and make a Nonprofit distro that is supportable, teachable, and much more useful to nonprofits

survey the nonprofit community about what additional services would be useful

The survey should only offer small, reachable steps beyond what we can currently do. Surveys are as much a marketing tool as they are information gathering, so this needs to be done carefully.

plan and maintain three stages defined by short term, medium term, and long term goals

As we complete each goal, we should adjust the phases. The short term stuff is on the plate right now, but the medium and long term goals give us a sense of direction. The medium and long term goals are likely to shift over time. The new Collab group would be responsible for shepherding the process of changing them. The Council would have the final say.

Short term goals

Hardware

We would deliver FreekBoxen, GrantBoxen, firewalls, Diskless Labs, and necessary cabling, hubs, etc., along with printers. (This might cut into the amount of computer we can donate via our regular hardware grants program.)

Software

We would support most debian Linux (sarge) systems, especially thos with the stndard Freekbox image and applications, plus (probably) Samba, Webmin, and CUPS.

Education

Training on freekbox standard (adoption style), plus training on webmin. On site training could be made available , or it could be held at Free Geek.

Tech Support

We would offer support during regular tech support hours. We would try to to increase these hours as much as possible within our current resources during this phase.

Financing

We could charge a fee for diskless labs, or we could charge for fees for the special classes (System Admin, Vocabulary, and on site Training) as well as charge fees for Tech Support services. (For example fees for networking and related classes, onsite training, and small monthly fees for tech support.)

Staffing

All staffing at this stage would need to be done with current paid staff and volunteers.

Medium Term goals

Hardware

We would provide all of the above plus an enterprise level server (with fail over, redundancy, etc.), and maybe some additional peripherals like scanners and cameras as they are requested and as we develop the capacity to support them.

Software

We would provide all of the above plus an off the shelf, non-customized database application for Linux and/or a generic front end to windows or linux databases. This would have to be chosen and tested.

Education

We would provide all of the above plus training on the non-custom database application.

Tech Support

Support during regular working hours.

Financing

We would need all of the above plus a larger monthly fee for support, more classes, and we could also charge for the enterprise level hardware.

Staffing

A part time coordinator paid for by the income streams generated by the program along with paid and volunteer internships.

Long term goals

Hardware

(See above)

Software

All of the above plus custom database applications.

Education

(See above)

Tech Support

All of the above plus on site support.

Financing

All of the above plus charging for on site support and open source software development grants.

Staffing

Full time staff as can be supported by the income streams and volunteer interns