Retreat November 2010
FreeGeek Chicago has grown dramatically, especially over the past two years. Two years ago, we were considering closing down if things didn't improve. Things improved - a lot. The number of volunteers has increased by over 50% in each of the last two years. Donations are up. Sales and recycling income are up.
Our growth opens up a lot of possibilities. We need to talk about them.
Managing our growth raises many challenges. We need to talk about those, too.
One element we'll consider more now is budget. In the past, our budgetary discussions were very constrained ("Can we do it for a nickel?"). We can be a little more expansive now ("Can we do it for a quarter, or a dime?")
Some general questions
In the retreat (and in our discussions leading up to it), think about these questions: What are your goals for FreeGeek Chicago? What are your aspirations? What are your dreams?
More pessimistically: What are your pain points at FreeGeek? What annoys you? What are we doing badly? What are we not doing at all?
More hopefully: What are we doing well, and how can we can do it even better? What things are we doing just a little bit, that we should be doing a lot?
Of course, identifying a problem (or opportunity) is crucial, but that's just the first step. Next, we need a solution. Ideally, it should be a solution we can make part of our regular routine, so the problem doesn't recur.
To further complicate our lives, almost all solutions we think of will have dependencies, things that need to happen beforehand. When we plan, we should keep dependencies broadly in mind although we don't need to plan every last detail. An example: It would be great to have interns; interns need a supervisor; that means we need a full-time employee (we currently have one part-timer); more likely, we would need to have someone in the space all the time (even during donation pickups), necessitating a full-timer and an additional part-timer. Sensible steps. But we wouldn't need to worry about designing the internship applications yet.
Preliminary agenda
This schedule is very preliminary. In particular, we may want the second breakout session to focus heavily on a single topic (space, say, or personnel roles), rather than a time frame. We may want two breakout sessions, or four. Let's decide in email over the next few days.
Approximate Schedule (very, very approximate) 10:00 Coffee & Howdy 10:30 Intro 11:00 Breakout groups 1 (6mo) 12:15 Lunch 1:00 Breakout groups 2 (medium term?) 2:15 Breakout groups 3 (5y) 3:30 Wrap
The Next Six Months: Everything But Space
In order to get to five years, we have to make it through the next six months. We have a few issues, some of which are scanted, while space is discussed later in loving, slobbering detail. Please feel free to add your ideas.
Money
Something like a budget (RSN). A few scenarios (to come).
People
Paid staff: Will we need to have our employee go to full time? If we hire more staff, for what roles?
Volunteers: ?
Staff supervolunteers: ??
Programs
testing: We should routinely test monitors and printers as they come in.
strategic partnership with Thresholds: A fancy way of saying that we have lots of printers and sometimes need cartridges, while they have lots of cartridges and sometimes need printers. Since some of our needs are so complementary, maybe we can work a deal of some kind.
classes: We currently offer (or have offered or will soon offer) classes on Xubuntu intro, web design, and search. On the email list, we recently asked what classes people wanted to see us offer (besides those already offered or in the pipeline). The results follow (votes are in parens). What would you like to see?
- Ubuntu For Windows Converts (4)
- GIMP (4)
- bash scripting (3)
- perl (3)
- Ruby (3)
- Javascript / DHTML * (3)
- exam prep for * Linux+ / LPIC (3)
- Command Line 101 (1)
Stuff
There are a lot of things we could use. Before the retreat, think about what we need and how urgent it is. A little research on prices would be very helpful. The list below is just a starting point. What else do we need?
Space
- better lighting
- more tables.
Organization
- more & better shelving
- plastic tote boxes
- drawers for smaller stuff better labels, cable ties. better/more ziploc bags, etc.
Process
- more test equipment ... ?
- soldering equipment (hood, etc)
Education
- more books
- hardware ID posters
The Next Six Months: Space
Whenever someone returns to FreeGeek after a year or more away, the first thing they say is, "Wow! The space looks so much better than it used to." And it's true, we've come a long way. But there are more and more people coming into the space, and more and more stuff. The ever-increasing flows bring more problems, and more opportunities. Scott originally wanted to devote one breakout session to just our short-term space problems. Thanks to the awesome efforts of the Halloween crew, that is no longer necessary. There is still plenty to do, though.
Before getting started, though, let's take something off the table: we shouldn't rent the rest of the basement within the next few months. Eventually, we'll have to. But there are three reasons to wait. First, it costs money. If we can put off spending money - or avoid it altogether - that is almost always a Good Thing. Second, we're expecting a seasonal bump in volunteers from late November until late December - enough people to leave our current layout quite crowded. But that bump probably will be followed by a larger slump, as people try to stay inside and avoid the cold. So if we can make it through the holidays, we can avoid renting the rest of the basement for at least five or six months, saving $1500 to $2000 (Scott thinks, but does not have actual numbers handy). Third, we have a lot of space that we are not using effectively - enough to make room for the holiday surge (more on the topic of wasted space below). So any ideas that involve renting the rest of the basement should be deferred to the longer-term discussions.
The main spatial problem is overcrowding, exacerbated by wasted space. We don't have a lot of space that is completely wasted. But there is a lot that can be used more effectively. For example, the big, sturdy shelving unit to Build's north (toward Diversey) is deep enough that its back half (which is against a fence) is inaccessible and therefore not useable. Alex and Dee figured out a way to move it so that we could access the whole thing - as a bonus, the move cleared space for more Build tables. More generally, we have a lot of stuff that sits around and gets dusty while it wait-wait-wait-wait-waits for something to happen (a bookcase full of speakers, e.g.). Such items are doing us no good in their limbo between resale and recycling. And their space can almost certainly be put to better use than dust accumulation.
Scott will post a map of the basement soon. For the retreat, think about your pain points and other problems. How would you fix them? Think about opportunities. How would you bring them to life? What else should be on this list?
Build & Teardown
- Problems: Build was reallyreallycrowded. Its overflow spills into other areas.
- Opportunities: Mostly, to chance to stay out of one another's laps.
- Ideas:
- Dependencies: Electricity (4-8 amps per station).
- Future: Will keep growing as we get more volunteers.
- Update: It just got much better, thanks to the Halloween gang.
Palletopia
- Problems: Palletopia is getting very full, and the interior is hard to reach. In an area of about 30 pallets, we have (as of 10/17/2010) about 10 pallets monitors (most not wrapped or tested), 10 pallets printers (almost all untested), 3 random gaylords, and a partridge in a pear tree.
- Opportunities: Breathing room. Creating space (for shelves across fence from Teardown to move into) allows Build Teardown to expand.
- Ideas: Test/cull, test/cull, test/cull. Have a testing party? Recycling run. Strategic alliance with Thresholds?
- Dependencies: Pallet jack. Bodies to test stuff, bodies for recycling run. Printer cartridges?
- Future: We need to test/cull regularly. Keep a lane to the center clear.
Laptop Room
- Problems: Tiny crowded.
- Opportunities: Sell more laptops, make more money, make customers VERY happy.
- Ideas: Solder hood. Drawers for organization. Laptop classes.
- Dependencies:
- Future: Make it more of a program.
Store
- Problems: Before the H'ween cleanup, it was crowded (like everywhere), but mostly messy unpriced (Unpriced items NEVER sell.). When we switch to new door better stairs, should we move the store (maybe where front pallets are now)?
- Opportunities: Sell more stuff.
- Ideas: On new shelves, put more systems, flat-panel displays, tested printers, tested wireless keyboards mice. Price USB junk and networking gear. Put non-consumer network stuff (switches, e.g.) on eBay. Tape a 2-ft aisle so intake doesn't overflow into browsing area,
- Dependencies:
- Future: Have to price soon after intake.
Test
- Problems:
- Opportunities:
- Ideas: More test equipment: what?
- Dependencies:
- Future:
Install
- Problems: Will we outgrow Install soon?
- Opportunities:
- Ideas:
- Dependencies:
- Future:
Front Desk
- Problems: When we switch front doors, should we move the front desk?
- Opportunities:
- Ideas:
- Dependencies:
- Future:
Classroom
- Problems: Will we outgrow it anytime soon?
- Opportunities:
- Ideas:
- Dependencies:
- Future:
The Next Five Years
Yogi Berra said, "It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future." But we have an edge because we don't need a tight script, we need an approximate roadmap. Scott thinks these are the biggest issues. What do you think?
Money
We some to be on a path to success. Equipment donations are keeping pace with what we need for sales and the Earn-a-Box program. Recycling income is strong. And we recently received our first grant.
Budget
Scenarios, with extra cheese - RSN.
Risks
We're doing OK now, but things could change. Here are some things to worry about.
- Grants: We may not get another one for a looong time.
- Recycling : Metal prices are currently very high. When they revert to average, our income from recycling will drop substantially.
- The Economy : If the economy stays slow (or gets worse!), we could get a double whammy if donations suffer while need for our services grows. (Unlikely, so long as our profile among potential equipment donors continues to grow.)
- Tech trends : If the replacement cycle for equipment continues to stretch out, donations will lag. If purchasing patterns are disrupted, donations could take a bad hit (e.g., Best Buy said iPads have cut netbook sales in half. If that extends to larger hardware, it could affect us.)
Grants
What's our best grant-writing strategy?
Space, part 1: Diversey
The space issue breaks easily into two pieces: the current space and the next one. We may be crowded now, but Scott thinks we can get four times as many people in the space without making things worse. There are three things we can increase: space efficiency, space, and time. We can improve our space efficiency by making better use of the space we have. We can increase our space by renting the rest of the basement. And we can double the amount of time we have by having Open Build hours on Saturdays (and one or two weeknights).
Efficiency
We're on track for what we have now. (See way above.)
Space
But how about the rest of the basement? There are lots and lots of shelves. But they're in the back, and inconvenient. How can we best use them? Or can they be moved? Can we move the classroom? There's a room in the back of the basement (along Kimball) which is about one-third larger than the current classroom. That would let us more double the size of the laptop room.
Time
Opening Saturdays seems both obvious, and an incredible hassle. Obvious because it's the easiest way to get more use out of the space. And a hassle, because, well that's even more obvious. This will need a lot of work.
Space, part 2: Moving
We may want to move sooner, but if my guesstimates are correct, we'll need to move sometime after we're four times our present size. What's scary is: that may be as soon as two years from now. We approximately doubled in the past year. Two more years like that, and we've outgrown our current digs. Some obvious questions:
Would we want to move sooner?
Would we completely relocate, or set up a satellite operation?
What do we want from the new place? Close to transit; loading dock; storefront(?); class space.
People
As we grow, we'll need to think about managing larger numbers of people. There's the problem of coordinating them. And there are opportunities galore. Obviously, more workers will lighten the burden for everyone. More importantly, people will be able to work harder on what they're good at, rather than whatever urgently needs doing right now.
What are some roles that will need to be filled in a larger organization? Which are best filled by super-volunteers unpaid staff? By paid staff? By interns?
Volunteers
One thing we haven't had to worry about is attracting volunteers for the Earn-a-Box program. We won't need to worry in the future, either. The need is too great.
Super-volunteers and unpaid staff
The unpaid techies who make up our staff and super-volunteers are the major source of our success. They are also the biggest constraint on our growth. It's not that they are holding us back, it's that we need more of them. First, there's the general goal of spreading the load out more. Second, there's the eventual need for a Saturday crew. How can we recruit more techies? How can we get them hooked and keep them coming back?
Interns
How do we recruit them? How do we manage them? What roles are best for them?
Paid staff
FreeGeek Chicago passed an important milestone this year: we have a paid staffer. If Aaron wore a different uniform for each role he fills, he would need sixteen different hats. As we grow, what's the best division of labor?
Programs
What other progrmas should we offer?
Classes
Besides the classes listed above, what others should we offer?
Hardware
Could-we/should-we have Build programs for servers or laptops? They should require the Earn-a-Box program as a prerequisite.
Grants from FGC
It has been a long-time goal of FGC to give grants of computers to other NPOs. We may have enough surplus machines to start. Ideally, they should be identical, or nearly so, to minimize support hassles.
Stuff
Someday, a better van.
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