Start a Local Laptop Upcycle in Your Community
We at Laptop Upcycle are proud of our success and are thankful for the support we have received from our volunteers and the Montclair, NJ community. Our primary mission is to eliminate the technology gap for low income students. We deliver on this mission by obtaining laptops via donation from businesses and individuals which we renovate and give to deserving students. The work to repair, update, and image the hardware we give out is done by volunteers, primarily High School students who do the work in our lab in Montclair. We train and support our volunteers, and technical education for our young adults is another element of our mission. Finally, we are passionate about re-use and recycling of tech equipment to keep it out of the waste stream. Laptop Upcycle is a member of the Alliance for Technology Refurbishing & Reuse (AFTRR) and we share their mission of responsible recycling of electronic devices. Delivering a renovated laptop to a student who needs is is the best way for us to do this.
We believe all public school students should have access to the technology and hardware they need to learn regardless of their family's income level. Laptop Upcycle's mission is to eliminate technology impediments as a part of the achievement gap.
If you share this vision and are interested in starting your own Laptop Upcycle, this page will provide you the information you need to get going. We are here to help you, but the first step and the required commitment is yours. Below you will find three sections that will help you understand the basics of starting and running your own Laptop Upcycle; 1) Critical Success Factors, 2) Mission Planning, and 3) Typical Startup Leader Roles.
Critical Success Factors
We understand that each community is different and your solution will be unique. There are a few critical success factors that you first must approach and resolve.
Mission Planning
So you've gotten this far, and you want more information on how to move forward with your own Laptop Upcycle. You need to create a Mission Statement.
Most importantly, you have a group in your community that you have identified as being in need. For our project in Montclair, NJ we are focused on local students in our public schools that don't have either a computer of their own or internet service for their family. We primarily serve Middle and High School students, but we will not deny requests from younger students. Map out who you seek to deliver technology to. Be realistic, and try to assign some metrics to your demand.
Additionally, for your Mission Statement you need to evaluate how you plan to balance three initial components of the operation. Obviously, the giving of laptops to those in need is front and center to our mission, but a close second is the education and volunteer activities that we coordinate in our lab. Training and empowering our volunteers to do the work renovating, repairing, and preparing laptops for those we give to is very important to our mission. Finally, the recycle and reuse aspect of your operation is important. Be sure to agree upon your operational balance and reflect it in your Mission Statement.
We like to talk about Laptop Upcycle and our mission as Give/Get on many levels. Donors, volunteers, Board Members Give so that those in need can Get the technology they need to succeed in school. We all also Get the satisfaction of making a difference in our community and our world.
Some other things to include in your initial planning:
Typical Leader Start Up Roles
As described above in the Critical Success Factors, the commitment of local leadership and the building of an initial team will be one of the first steps. Your leadership roles will of course depend upon your Mission Statement, but as an example to perhaps get you started we will present a baseline configuration in this section.
We will approach this in a top-down fashion here working from general requirements and the characteristics of those roles to more specific job descriptions. Our goal is to get you thinking about how you would define your organization and staffing. For the sake of discussion, let us start with two initial roles; 1) Business Development Lead, and 2) Technical Lead.
Business Development Lead
Considering your Mission Statement, identify someone to manage the external business areas of your project. This falls into three categories; 1) the sourcing of donations of equipment and funding, 2) the identification of those in need and the organizations that support them, and 3) the communication and promotion of your organization locally. Here are some more details on this role:
Technical Lead
In the most basic way, Laptop Upcycle follows a simple Input (gather laptops) -> Process (data wipe, renovate, and prepare laptops) -> Output (give laptops to those in need) model. The Technical Lead manages and supports the "Process". As described above in Mission Planning, you will need a physical location to do the actual work. The Technical Lead manages the queues at the lab and the volunteers that help. Ideally, the Technical Lead will also have a basic technical background on how computers work, operating system basics, and some networking experience as he/she will set up and run the local network and the support systems. This person need not be highly technical, but basic knowledge and a willingness to learn will be required. We (Laptop Upcycle in Montclair) will be happy to help of course. Some more of what the Technical Lead will own:
The above example of two initial positions, Business Development Lead and Technical Lead, is just one possibility to consider. With a breakdown of your Mission Statement and available resources, this can easily be modified and retain its effectiveness for a successful implementation. For example, one may consider splitting up the Business Development position in to multiple roles to limit the amount of time required by each volunteer. To provide additional information here, consider the following specific volunteer positions that we at Laptop Upcycle in Montclair created for our own shop a year ago. These are just our own examples, but they will help you see what we needed for our implementation.
Local Partnership Manager/Intern
Lab and Volunteer Manager/Intern
Public Relations and Promotion (Story Teller) Intern
Relationship Manager - Schools
Web Development/Design Intern
Next Steps
We at Laptop Upcycle in Montclair are happy to help you get started. But understand, we are a 100% volunteer shop. For us to help you, you must be serious about your project and have realistically considered the Critical Success Factors above.
To get the ball rolling, send us an email with your location, contact information (telephone), and a good time to talk. We are here to help you.
Let's Do This
We believe all public school students should have access to the technology and hardware they need to learn regardless of their family's income level. Laptop Upcycle's mission is to eliminate technology impediments as a part of the achievement gap.
If you share this vision and are interested in starting your own Laptop Upcycle, this page will provide you the information you need to get going. We are here to help you, but the first step and the required commitment is yours. Below you will find three sections that will help you understand the basics of starting and running your own Laptop Upcycle; 1) Critical Success Factors, 2) Mission Planning, and 3) Typical Startup Leader Roles.
Critical Success Factors
We understand that each community is different and your solution will be unique. There are a few critical success factors that you first must approach and resolve.
- Local leadership with commitment, time availability, and passion. This is perhaps the most important success factor. You will need a group (at least two) individuals who are responsible for the overall project. This leadership team will set the direction of your Laptop Upcycle, organize the input and output sources and destinations of laptops, coordinate the operations, and will manage the other volunteers/staff to deliver on your vision. This can not be just a hobby or part time dalliance. Your leadership team must be committed to the success of the project and share this passion with other volunteers. If you don't have this, read no further. Thanks
- Building a team. Beyond your leadership core, you should work to build a team of other volunteers to help you realize your vision. Understanding that all volunteers have limited time availability, you must be ready to work to identify and realize the contributions from volunteers as they can best help the overall project. Your team, all the volunteers must understand and be committed to your mission. Don't worry just yet about the details of what skills you need. We'll detail that down below in a bit.
- You must understand your markets. There are two of these (not counting volunteers) to understand and support for your Laptop Upcycle. First off, you have the market for donated laptops. We call these "Gives" because both individuals and small businesses "give" the laptops to us. For your Laptop Upcycle you will need to understand and build the market for Gives and instantiate an awareness in your community for the importance of your mission. Secondly, you need to analyze and understand the local market for "Gets", students or others who you designate as recipients of free laptops/technology. The obvious and first area to research are the local schools. What is the need and will the administration/Board of Education work with you to help solve their technology gap issues? Is there a need? Who else in your community needs the technology you are refurbishing? You need to map this all out.
- Funding and Infrastructure. Of course, you will need money. Even with an all volunteer shop, you'll need to pay for parts, tool, and probably rental of a lab space. This will be a part of your mission planning, but you will need to be realistic about the funding required. It is also important to have a location where you will do the work and gather your team. This can be anything from an open garage to a dedicated lab, but you will need some place to set up shop. As with any technical enterprise, you will also need internet connectivity and other support systems. We at Laptop Upcycle in Montclair are happy to assist you in your journey and will share our tools and procedures. There is no need to reinvent many of these systems.
Mission Planning
So you've gotten this far, and you want more information on how to move forward with your own Laptop Upcycle. You need to create a Mission Statement.
Most importantly, you have a group in your community that you have identified as being in need. For our project in Montclair, NJ we are focused on local students in our public schools that don't have either a computer of their own or internet service for their family. We primarily serve Middle and High School students, but we will not deny requests from younger students. Map out who you seek to deliver technology to. Be realistic, and try to assign some metrics to your demand.
Additionally, for your Mission Statement you need to evaluate how you plan to balance three initial components of the operation. Obviously, the giving of laptops to those in need is front and center to our mission, but a close second is the education and volunteer activities that we coordinate in our lab. Training and empowering our volunteers to do the work renovating, repairing, and preparing laptops for those we give to is very important to our mission. Finally, the recycle and reuse aspect of your operation is important. Be sure to agree upon your operational balance and reflect it in your Mission Statement.
We like to talk about Laptop Upcycle and our mission as Give/Get on many levels. Donors, volunteers, Board Members Give so that those in need can Get the technology they need to succeed in school. We all also Get the satisfaction of making a difference in our community and our world.
Some other things to include in your initial planning:
- Seek out and confirm a location for your office/lab. In addition to the storage of equipment and laptops that are ready to be given to your audience identify a work space.
- Identify First Wins. Consistent with your Mission Statement, plan how you can initiate operations with successes in your community. What is your "low hanging fruit"?
- Reach out and invite partners and supporters in your cause. Specifically, existing local nonprofits may help you in your cause and you should establish relationships with them. Obviously, also seek to find out if any organizations already do what you plan to support. If so, this may impact your mission. Be flexible.
- Kick Off Event and Press/Communication. Communication of your effort will be key. Analyze and plan to publicize your project both with traditional and social media.
- Internal Business Management and Structure. Our assumption is that any Laptop Upcycle will operate as a nonprofit. If you do not have an existing nonprofit structure you can incorporate your project under you will need to set this up. There are many resources for doing so and the internet is your friend. Also, consider how you will create and support a Board of Director and all other business functions (e.g. accounting and reporting).
Typical Leader Start Up Roles
As described above in the Critical Success Factors, the commitment of local leadership and the building of an initial team will be one of the first steps. Your leadership roles will of course depend upon your Mission Statement, but as an example to perhaps get you started we will present a baseline configuration in this section.
We will approach this in a top-down fashion here working from general requirements and the characteristics of those roles to more specific job descriptions. Our goal is to get you thinking about how you would define your organization and staffing. For the sake of discussion, let us start with two initial roles; 1) Business Development Lead, and 2) Technical Lead.
Business Development Lead
Considering your Mission Statement, identify someone to manage the external business areas of your project. This falls into three categories; 1) the sourcing of donations of equipment and funding, 2) the identification of those in need and the organizations that support them, and 3) the communication and promotion of your organization locally. Here are some more details on this role:
- Develop personal networks and build community locally to learn the stake holders. The individual in this role will establish positive relationships that will result in a shared commitment to the success of the project. The initial focus of the S&D Lead will be to promote the Laptop Upcycle project, seek out large numbers of laptop donations, and recruit other volunteers for the Laptop Upcycle project.
- Overall ownership and customization of Laptop Upcycle Give/Get model to meet the needs of the Mission Statement.
- Recruit and coordinate distribution networks, establish and nurture contacts in the schools and community to seek out those in need and get laptops/WIFI to them. This role includes the coordination with school staff (teachers, counselors, and management) to facilitate the delivery (GETS) of laptops to students in need. Clearly, if your Mission Statement expands your scope beyond local schools, that would be included here.
- Liaison with the Technical Lead to develop effective and appropriate education content (courses, metrics, one-off sessions) to provide value and excitement to volunteers and support the education aspect of your Mission. Promoting Laptop Upcycle as an education enhancing organization is part of this role.
- Establish a baseline financial donation system to support operations. This is a broad effort that may include and combination of corporate donor activities, local individual donors, founder financial support, and other fund raising such as an eBay store or other creative operation to fund replacement parts and overhead.
Technical Lead
In the most basic way, Laptop Upcycle follows a simple Input (gather laptops) -> Process (data wipe, renovate, and prepare laptops) -> Output (give laptops to those in need) model. The Technical Lead manages and supports the "Process". As described above in Mission Planning, you will need a physical location to do the actual work. The Technical Lead manages the queues at the lab and the volunteers that help. Ideally, the Technical Lead will also have a basic technical background on how computers work, operating system basics, and some networking experience as he/she will set up and run the local network and the support systems. This person need not be highly technical, but basic knowledge and a willingness to learn will be required. We (Laptop Upcycle in Montclair) will be happy to help of course. Some more of what the Technical Lead will own:
- Focus on the establishment of Laptop Upcycle processes in the new/franchise physical location/lab. The Technical Lead will work with the Laptop Upcycle Team in Montclair to learn their processes and technology. This individual will then be responsible for customizing these to meet the needs of your specific Mission Statement considering limitations (e.g. physical plant volunteers, finances).
- Responsible for the volunteers and systems that check in, process, and manage the laptop donations resulting in stock of available laptops for the defined recipient community.
- Coordinate volunteer recruitment for the new location/lab. The Business Development Lead will also provide input here on sources and requirements, but the Technical Lead will be working with these volunteers and the creating the job descriptions to meet the needs of the lab.
- Create/source and support education content for lab volunteers that enhances their technical experience and supports the process needs of the lab.
- Manage volunteer hour collection and reporting.
- Coordinate all in lab activities; including task scheduling, volunteer assistance, training, and quality assurance.
The above example of two initial positions, Business Development Lead and Technical Lead, is just one possibility to consider. With a breakdown of your Mission Statement and available resources, this can easily be modified and retain its effectiveness for a successful implementation. For example, one may consider splitting up the Business Development position in to multiple roles to limit the amount of time required by each volunteer. To provide additional information here, consider the following specific volunteer positions that we at Laptop Upcycle in Montclair created for our own shop a year ago. These are just our own examples, but they will help you see what we needed for our implementation.
Local Partnership Manager/Intern
Lab and Volunteer Manager/Intern
Public Relations and Promotion (Story Teller) Intern
Relationship Manager - Schools
Web Development/Design Intern
Next Steps
We at Laptop Upcycle in Montclair are happy to help you get started. But understand, we are a 100% volunteer shop. For us to help you, you must be serious about your project and have realistically considered the Critical Success Factors above.
To get the ball rolling, send us an email with your location, contact information (telephone), and a good time to talk. We are here to help you.
Let's Do This