Vancity Project Fund Oct 2007
C1. Organization info:
Staff #: 1 Volunteers #: 125+ Annual Budget: $ ~60K Year Founded:2006
C2. Vancity will not support any projects, events or activities associated with companies or organizations that promote the use of weapons, violence, sexual or racial discrimination, exploitation of people or exploitation of the natural environment.
Which other companies and organizations are involved with or supporting this project?
Computers for Schools, Mountain Equipment Co-op, Free Geek Portland, Vancouver Linux Users Group.
C3. In addition to this grant application, is your organization working with other areas of Vancity?
VanCity provides our organization with financial services.
Do you have any other grant applications pending with the following:
NO
C4. Please provide a 25 word summary of your project (Funds will be used to support a project that …):
is a technical education program in which volunteers, by direct participation, learn the process of building working computer systems from recycled components.
C5. Briefly describe what you plan to do and how Vancity funds will be used. Please outline the following: goals and objectives of the project; specific activities that will be undertaken in the project; deliverables produced by the project; what you hope to achieve. You must attach a concise project work plan and timeline.
As the name suggests, the Build program assembles working computers needed for all other programs at Free Geek.
The community can access computers coming from the Build Program through Free Geek's other programs:
1. Adoption Program: computers are given free-of-charge to Adoption Volunteers who have completed 24 hours of time helping at Free Geek.
2. Free Geek Hardware Foundation: computers are given free-of-charge to non-profits and organisations of social change.
3. Computer Thrift Shop: the public can buy low-cost equipment, reducing consumption, waste and energy expenditure via manufacturing and resource extraction.
4. In-house facilities and day-to-day operations, such as the public computer lab/internet cafe.
Build Volunteers do not require any prior experience; they are taught how to build computers exclusively with used parts. Tested hardware is assembled into standardized desktop computers that are then loaded with Free/Open Source operating systems and applications software. Each system passes a quality control test before it is released to an adopter or non-profit. In exchange for the more detailed training necessary to begin this work, volunteers in the Build program agree to complete six computer systems. After completing six systems, volunteers are invited to keep the sixth computer for themselves, free-of-charge. The remaining five computers are distributed to the community through the Adoption and Hardware Grants programs, with surplus delivered to the Thrift Shop.
The Build Program provides a more technical education to volunteers than our current programs provide. Our first priority is to launch the program; up to now it has been in operation on an ad hoc basis. We already have a list of volunteers waiting to participate.
Both the day to day operations at Free Geek and our other programs require assembled working computers. We will draw upon the products of the program to provide systems to these areas.
We will produce a training curriculum that includes instructional material and workshop lessons to be used as the introduction to volunteers entering the program. Initially, our staff and experienced volunteers will work together to produce this material and run the workshops. As more volunteers gain experience through the program, the work of updating these materials and running the workshops can be carried by these individuals.
Ten volunteers per month will complete the program, providing the organization with 50 machines to supply our other programs. Each of these ten volunteers will have earned a machine to take home.
Effectiveness and impact will be measured through multiple channels:
* Financial stability
Our ultimate goal is to produce a financially sustainable non-profit organisation which is able to achieve our mission. * Statistics
Measuring the volume of donations which would otherwise likely end up in the landfill will give us a sense of the impact we are having on waste diversion. The volume of hardware we provide to other non-profits and our volunteers will show the economic impact we are having upon our target audience. * Feedback
Feedback from our volunteers will tell us how we have performed in providing them with the tools and instructions required to help with their work and to make use of the hardware they have received. This feedback will be facilitated by an open meeting structure and consensus-based decision making process.
C7. How many people will directly benefit from the project?
Beneficiaries wil be wide ranging and cover the lower mainland area. Numbers will be based on hardware grant requests fulfilled, which can be greatly increased through this project.Free Geek has donated XXX computers over the past year and anticipates a three-fold increase through this project. The build process also enhances skills and capacity for all participating volunteers, upwards of 20 direct participants.
C8. In what community will the project primarily take place?
Due to its central location, near Science World, Free Geek Community Technology Centre is accessible to neighbourhoods throughout Metro Vancouver. Individuals and community organisations representing diverse income levels, ethnicities and backgrounds are able to access Free Geek's services by skytrain, bus, bicycle and auto.
C9. The project should draw on the strengths, skills, creativity and other assets of the organization and the community. Briefly describe:
What resources and assets will your organization contribute to the project?
Free Geek will engage the significant exisiting volunteer capacity of our organization. We have developed systems and processes throughout Free Geek that will serve as the foundation for the Build Program including material reuse and recycling, a vital knowledge base of software and hardware professionals and hobbyists and a suitably equiped facility.
What other community resources and assets will you draw on for this project?
Free Geek will also draw on its network of environmental agents and promotional vehicles to publicise and promote the program. The program will be promoted through ongoing outreach activities to purse opportunities for donations of more modern hardware and avenues to expand our own hardware grants.
C10. Describe your organization’s competence in the area of the proposal and your capacity to carry out this project, including the relevant experience of the staff involved in the project.
Free Geek is made up of a small staff, a Board of Directors, and a dedicated group of volunteers that collectively bring together a broad set of skills and experience that position us to successfully implement the Build Program. We have already implemented and are continuing to run a Computer Adoption Program and a Hardware Grant Program. We have a computer thrift store that has been providing affordable working systems and other equipment to the community.
For the past several months, our staff and volunteers have been filling the role of the proposed Build Program on an ad hoc basis in order to support our other programs. These individuals will work together to shape the program.
Our strong technical background will be the basis of implementing the program. Through creating and running our Adoption Program, we have developed our experience in coordinating and training volunteers. We will use this experience and the lessons learned in implementing this new program.
C11. The project should build the capacity of the community and the individuals involved in the project. For example: promotes cooperation, respect, mutual understanding; encourages citizen participation in decision-making; develops local leadership; builds community resources, including skills and knowledge.
Identify the most important way in which your project will build the capacity of the community and individuals.
The Free Geek project will provide a general benefit to all by helping to relieve pressure on the environment due to the release of toxic electronic waste into the landfill.
Due to economic circumstances, a large portion of our volunteers will likely have limited experience with and infrequent access to computers. Free Geek will provide these people with useful hardware and skills training to put it to good use.
C12. Vancity encourages applications for projects that benefit low income and marginalized individuals, groups, or communities.
Does your project benefit low income and/or marginalized peoples? YES
If yes, who benefits and how?
Many of our volunteers have limited experience with and infrequent access to computers do to a variety of social and economic circumstances. Free Geek provides these individuals with hardware and software training and critical computer skills, imminently transferrable to other employment. The Build Program precipates an even greater number of opportunites to develop these skills through the number of computers produced. The Build Program is also founded on support for non-profit, low-income and marginalized populations and organizations through the hardware grant process and access to inexpensive equipment and solutions in out Computer Thrift Store.
Will your project have any learning that can be shared? YES
If yes, describe how you will share the learning and with whom?
Our Build Program techniques and results will be shared with the other seven Free Geeks, BC Digital Divide, and Computer for Schools. This will be done through our online wiki, and private emails to individual's in the listed organisations.
C14. How will Vancity be recognized for its contribution to this project? List all advertising, staff involvement and promotional opportunities.
Vancity reserves the right to use materials relating to its support of this project in its promotional and advertising campaigns.