3 - 5 year plan

This is a draft of a new or in-progress document, and is likely to have a few people specifically working on it. You may wish to check in on the discussion page to see what the purpose of the document is and who's working on it; then feel free to give this article love and attention if have extra of those things.

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This page will describe what Free Geek wants to be like 3-5 years from now. People contributing to this page should read through the Meta Question and its associated documents, especially the scenarios listed there. Contributers should also look at Free Geek's General Priorities page and have a cursory understanding of the program planning sheets that it points to.

If we can describe a common vision that has the rough consensus of the Free Geek community behind it, then we can move on to a strategy to get from here to there.

What does should our Vision Statement look like?

It should address the following points. (Add to the list.)

• Current programs:
  • shift coverage
  • staffed positions
• New programs
  • description
  • shift coverage
  • staffed positions
  • substantial education program
• General
  • hours open -- ten hours per day, six days per week (10-8, Mon-Sat)
  • 60 hours open to the public + 12 meeting hours (after hours)
  • work schedule
  • communication issues
  • decision making
  • what committees will exist?
• Staffing
  • pay rate -- staff should be making a living wage, currently defined as twice the minimum wage. Currently that means an hourly wage of $15.60 per hour.
  • hours worked -- staff will likely be working up to 40 hours per week. I'd like to see no one having to work extra unpaid hours just to get their jobs done, and I'd like to see options for people to work less if they so choose. I imagine staff members would work between 20 and 40 hours per week.
  • benefits -- staff would get the same holidays as today, full health care (like today), the same PTO (sick and vacation) as today, but maybe as a reward to sticking around, those with greater seniority will get more PTO than new hires.
  • size of staff -- maybe 20 collective members, a dozen interns, with a half dozen substitutes on call?
• Volunteers
  • numbers in each program
  • variety of programs / opportunties
• Space usage
  • office space
  • production dedicated space
  • warehouse space
  • receiving space
  • thrift store
  • common space and community use space
  • classroom / educational space

Dollars and cents

Don't worry about inflation when writing your plans and predictions. We will use the current year's dollars when we project things. (But as we progress, we will adjust numbers for inflation.)

Goals Brainstorm

• we want staff to be paid a solid living wage, including retirement planning (ability to live the rest of your life on your FG income)
• clarity in FG's attitute towards free software
• more FG's
• more FG's that are sustainable, and more advice (Franchise Coordinator or Ambassador)
• more artistic expression on boxes (i.e. FG stencil or paint option)
• GAP program growth
• more community partnerships with non-profits, maybe adoption volunteers can volunteer elsewhere
  • this could be accomplished by sending out store spec boxes
• more partnerships with businesses that donate large amounts of stuff
• pickups (fleet of vehicles?!)
  • scheduled neighborhood pickups
• FG more accesible / reach broader audience
• more variety of volunteer programs (especially real-life skills)
• open 7 days a week
• stay small scale and spread faster
• more efficient FG (full floor staffing all the time)
• more paid interns gaining actual job experience (can complement full floor staffing)
• satellite thrift store(s) & drop-off locations or partner with local second-hand stores
  • could turn into branch FG's in PDX-area
• better administration coverage (facilities, systems admin, bookkeeping)
• schduleding software (Richard/Dave quits if we don't get this within 5 years)
• more programs for geeklets (kids)
• cleaner, including clutter AND dirt (central vacuuming for build & eval)
• mobile, fly-by-night FG in a box
• clarify the 'community technology' aspect
  • i.e. what people can do other than volunteer here and make that clear & welcoming (internet use)
• more volunteer rewards - fun stuff to retain volunteers (untraditional is better)
• certifications (i.e. better education)
• be more embracing of software replacing tasks
• better recognition of FG
• low-tech solutions before high-tech solutions
• more detailed recycling (take apart more stuff)
• make recycling more educational (what is this, where would it go if not recycled, etc?)
  • this would be very good for schoolkids (geeklets) to learn
• a facility we own
• FG stamp of approval for other businesses (particularly e-waste biz)
• better routing of people to appropriate places they want to do
• classes classes classes
• grantwriter on staff
• make store more accessible for non-geeks Ali 14:19, 15 February 2007 (PST)