Difference between revisions of "Hardware Grants Summary"
Elizabethwt (talk | contribs) |
Elizabethwt (talk | contribs) |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| − | + | =Hardware Grants Summary= | |
| − | =Hardware Grants: How A Grant Becomes A Reality= | + | ==Hardware Grants: How A Grant Becomes A Reality== |
A hardware grant begins when an organization requests a grant using an online form. As soon, as it is completed the coordinator and volunteers are alerted to its existence. Grants are usually processed within a week, though the outside limit is two weeks. The vast majority of hardware grants are approved. For a grant to be rejected, there has to be a good reason: it was a for-profit organization or an individual, we don't have or don't grant the technology that they need, they are located abroad, or something seems really off. Grants are approved by an individual, either the coordinator or a volunteer, and not by committee as I believe was done in the past. All incoming grants are screened by the coordinator, who looks for fishy stuff and makes sure to take those grants before volunteers can take them. If volunteers ever have questions about a grant, the coordinator is either present or locatable somewhere else in the building. There are two main steps to our screening process: the first is to verify that the organization is legitimate and the second is to verify that the contact is associated with the organization. The second is a recent addition after a few problems with unauthorized people using an organization's name to acquire hardware. One thing that is noticeably absent from our screening process is that we don't judge organizations based on their political or social values. This allows us to serve a diverse population, but it also seems like somewhere we would have to draw the line. For example, would we grant to Exodus International, an organization that provides "help for leaving homosexuality"? This hasn't come up yet, but it's an interesting question. | A hardware grant begins when an organization requests a grant using an online form. As soon, as it is completed the coordinator and volunteers are alerted to its existence. Grants are usually processed within a week, though the outside limit is two weeks. The vast majority of hardware grants are approved. For a grant to be rejected, there has to be a good reason: it was a for-profit organization or an individual, we don't have or don't grant the technology that they need, they are located abroad, or something seems really off. Grants are approved by an individual, either the coordinator or a volunteer, and not by committee as I believe was done in the past. All incoming grants are screened by the coordinator, who looks for fishy stuff and makes sure to take those grants before volunteers can take them. If volunteers ever have questions about a grant, the coordinator is either present or locatable somewhere else in the building. There are two main steps to our screening process: the first is to verify that the organization is legitimate and the second is to verify that the contact is associated with the organization. The second is a recent addition after a few problems with unauthorized people using an organization's name to acquire hardware. One thing that is noticeably absent from our screening process is that we don't judge organizations based on their political or social values. This allows us to serve a diverse population, but it also seems like somewhere we would have to draw the line. For example, would we grant to Exodus International, an organization that provides "help for leaving homosexuality"? This hasn't come up yet, but it's an interesting question. | ||
| Line 9: | Line 9: | ||
Three months after a ticket is closed, a grant recipient will receive a follow up survey. This survey is to alert us to any problems that they may be having, to help us improve our process, and to gather testimonials and contact information for PR purposes. We now have a question in the grant application that informs the recipient that the survey is required. It's a short survey and doesn't take very long. | Three months after a ticket is closed, a grant recipient will receive a follow up survey. This survey is to alert us to any problems that they may be having, to help us improve our process, and to gather testimonials and contact information for PR purposes. We now have a question in the grant application that informs the recipient that the survey is required. It's a short survey and doesn't take very long. | ||
| − | =The Volunteer Experience= | + | ==The Volunteer Experience== |
The hardware grant department depends greatly on highly skilled volunteers to process the current volume of grants. I currently have about 40 grants, with the remaining 90 being split between the 5 members of the hardware grants team. Being a good hardware grants volunteer is not easy; it takes both a technical skill set, an ease with people, professional communication skills, and a lot of patience with processes that are necessary to keep things organized. | The hardware grant department depends greatly on highly skilled volunteers to process the current volume of grants. I currently have about 40 grants, with the remaining 90 being split between the 5 members of the hardware grants team. Being a good hardware grants volunteer is not easy; it takes both a technical skill set, an ease with people, professional communication skills, and a lot of patience with processes that are necessary to keep things organized. | ||
About a month ago, I conducted check ins with each of the 5 members of my grant team. | About a month ago, I conducted check ins with each of the 5 members of my grant team. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==International Grants== | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==The Future== | ||
[[Category:Hardware Grants]] | [[Category:Hardware Grants]] | ||
Revision as of 18:01, 13 May 2011
Hardware Grants Summary
Hardware Grants: How A Grant Becomes A Reality
A hardware grant begins when an organization requests a grant using an online form. As soon, as it is completed the coordinator and volunteers are alerted to its existence. Grants are usually processed within a week, though the outside limit is two weeks. The vast majority of hardware grants are approved. For a grant to be rejected, there has to be a good reason: it was a for-profit organization or an individual, we don't have or don't grant the technology that they need, they are located abroad, or something seems really off. Grants are approved by an individual, either the coordinator or a volunteer, and not by committee as I believe was done in the past. All incoming grants are screened by the coordinator, who looks for fishy stuff and makes sure to take those grants before volunteers can take them. If volunteers ever have questions about a grant, the coordinator is either present or locatable somewhere else in the building. There are two main steps to our screening process: the first is to verify that the organization is legitimate and the second is to verify that the contact is associated with the organization. The second is a recent addition after a few problems with unauthorized people using an organization's name to acquire hardware. One thing that is noticeably absent from our screening process is that we don't judge organizations based on their political or social values. This allows us to serve a diverse population, but it also seems like somewhere we would have to draw the line. For example, would we grant to Exodus International, an organization that provides "help for leaving homosexuality"? This hasn't come up yet, but it's an interesting question.
Once a Hardware Grant is approved, it is tracked using RT and a paper system. Some of the older volunteers don't use the paper system, but all new volunteers are trained and expected to use it. It makes disbursing grants easier, particularly if you are not the grant shepherd. The grant shepherd is responsible for communicating with the grant recipient, informing them that they are approved, resolving unclear requests, and for gathering the necessary hardware. For some types of hardware, there are wait lists. Currently we have wait lists for laptops, LCD monitors, Mac items, printers, and A/V items. The wait for LCDs is about 2 to 3 weeks. The wait for a laptop is 2 1/2 to 3 months. Organizations can only receive up to 3 laptops and 3 LCDs every 3 months. Once all the items are ready, the grant shepherd contacts the representative from the organization to set up a pick up time. While we encourage grantees to come in when their shepherd is available, they can also come during any time that the coordinator is available. Sometimes grantees just show up, but this hasn't been a huge problem recently. After the items have been disbursed, the shepherd notes this in the database and in RT.
Three months after a ticket is closed, a grant recipient will receive a follow up survey. This survey is to alert us to any problems that they may be having, to help us improve our process, and to gather testimonials and contact information for PR purposes. We now have a question in the grant application that informs the recipient that the survey is required. It's a short survey and doesn't take very long.
The Volunteer Experience
The hardware grant department depends greatly on highly skilled volunteers to process the current volume of grants. I currently have about 40 grants, with the remaining 90 being split between the 5 members of the hardware grants team. Being a good hardware grants volunteer is not easy; it takes both a technical skill set, an ease with people, professional communication skills, and a lot of patience with processes that are necessary to keep things organized.
About a month ago, I conducted check ins with each of the 5 members of my grant team.