Meyer Memorial Trust
Part One - The Organization
INTRODUCTION
The technology revolution benefits many, but it also creates two serious problems. First, computers manufactured today have a very short life cycle. Large numbers of computers are deemed obsolete within two years and discarded. The National Safety Council reported that during 1997 more than 20 million computers reached obsolescence and only 11% were recycled or reused. At the current rate, by the year 2005, 350 million machines will become obsolete. Traditional methods of disposal of computer equipment have resulted in releasing dangerous toxins such as lead, chromium and mercury into the environment.[1] In 2000, Oregon generated 46,353 tons of computer and electronic waste but only 1.33% was recovered.[2] Without proper disposal or recycling of this technology, the resulting accumulation of toxic waste will create potentially disastrous results for the environment.
The second problem stemming from the advancement of computer technology is that many people lack even the most basic computer skills. This can deny them access to everything from getting on the Internet to getting a better job. In 1999 the U.S. Commerce Department reported that households with incomes of $75,000 and higher were twenty times more likely to have access to the Internet than households at the lowest income levels and nine times as likely to have a computer in the home. In 2000, the median income of a family of four in the Portland area was $53,700[3], below the national average of $62,228 [4]. These technological advances are only going to accelerate in the coming years, resulting in more people being left behind.
The concept behind Free Geek is to use these problems to solve each other. Computers bound for the land fills can be refurbished into working, starter computers for those who cannot otherwise afford them. Individuals with little or no disposable income can be trained to help process the diverted computers for reuse or recycling, receiving one of the refurbished computers in exchange for their efforts. The result is less computer equipment in the landfills and more equipment being reused. In addition, a wide range of people get access to computers and the Internet that previously could not; a win, win situation for everyone involved, summed up in the Free Geek mission statement:
Free Geek recycles used technology to provide computers, education and job skills training to those in need, in exchange for community service.
THE HISTORY OF THE ORGANIZATION
Free Geek was envisioned by the current executive director, Oso Martín in February of 2000. He saw a need in the community for access to no-cost or low-cost computer technology. Oso further learned that the large amounts of electronic waste going into Portland's landfills was becoming an increasing problem, and that much of the computer hardware being tossed away was still usable. He felt these computers could be set up to perform Internet, word processing, and other basic computing functions. Oso envisioned a non-profit organization that would serve two needs in the community at the same time: recycling electronic waste and helping to bridge the digital divide; and so, Free Geek was born. Oso quickly documented his ideas and published them on a website (www.freegeek.org) hoping to garner some interest. Within weeks of creating the first web page, Jim Deibele, former CEO and founder of Teleport, saw the information online and contacted Oso with a pledge of possible financial support to get things started. Oso presented the concept to Jim and convinced him to fund an exploratory venture to test the theory.
The next step in turning this concept into a working non-profit was to assemble a board of directors. An early milestone was the guidance and support of Anne Castleton, a visiting speech professor at Portland State University. With Anne's help a series of workshops were conducted to create the mission statement and bylaws as well as recruit potential board members. Along with Jim Deibele, Oso also recruited Laura Berg, a public relations consultant with many years of non-profit board experience, and attorney Ken McGair from the office of Davis, Wright, Tremaine, LLP, who currently provides pro bono legal council for the organization. With Jim's $35,000 of start up funding in hand, Free Geek was on it's way.
Next was the establishment of the Community Technology Center. This serves as a central location for donated hardware to be dropped off and processed. It also provides a place where volunteers can work together, sharing their knowledge and experience. From the very start, computer enthusiasts saw the potential of the idea and quickly formed a core volunteer group that would begin to develop the technology needed to run the operation efficiently and at the lowest possible cost.
Soon after the Community Technology Center opened, several articles appeared in the local media and quickly spread the word about Free Geek. Donated hardware began flooding in. So did the volunteers, from all walks of life and with widely varied technical backgrounds; from computer industry professionals wanting to lend a helping hand, to laid off construction workers looking to trade their free time for a refurbished computer. People from all over the Portland area and beyond participate in the program.
In a very short time, Free Geek has gone from an experiment, to a viable organization with a proven track record. Free Geek was recognized as a Founder of a New Northwest by Sustainable Northwest in May of 2003. Free Geek is regularly sought out by elected officials, government agencies and recycling advocates asking our advice and input on how to deal with the growing problems of electronic waste and bridging the digital divide. In the past year several nascent organizations around the country have been inquiring about how they can build on the work we have started. To that end, Free Geek is encouraging and supporting a sister project in the mid-west. Dubbed Free Geek-Michiana, this group has begun operations in South Bend, Indiana using some of the software and documentation that we have developed. Another group is exploring using our concept in Sheffield, England. We receive several inquires every month from around the world, wondering how this work can be replicated. Free Geek does everything we can do to help.
During our first three years Free Geek was awarded nearly $124,000 in grants, including our first two successful grants for 2003: $20,000 from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and $5,000 from the City of Portland. During this same period we have raised over $110,000 through donations and sales. We have progressed from an organization that was 96% supported by grants in 2000, to one that was only 19% grant funded in 2002 - with a 362% increase in our budget during the same time period. Heading into our forth year, Free Geek is ready to expand our operations to increase the impact we have on the environment and the community and generate enough income so that we will be completely self-sufficient by the end of 2005.