How To Make A Request
APPROACH AND PRESENTATION
Do It Yourself Resource Coordination
WHO AND HOW TO ASK
When Free Isn't Free
Only A Very Good Price
It is because computer recyclers are usually urban centered, spread out across the country, that complicates the donor - donation access process.
The cost of giving or receiving a donation increases with distance.
When Community Service Organizations and Computer Recyclers are not available in your locality.
Distance And Diminishing Returns
Whether giving or getting , the cost of processing and transportation, should be included [coming and going] with the donated item.
- Computer bites and bytes, parts and pieces, in a commercial size envelope, can be Snail Mail Posted to any destination [coast to coast] for only a few dollars.
- Cross country transport shipping a desktop computer [with monitor] can be as much [or more than] $100.00.
- For example: to transport a computer body coast to coast averages $50.00 ... to transport a large screen computer monitor averages $50.00.
- Long Distance Bargains become more expensive when shopping and shipping cross country.
The greater the distance to the destination, the more it costs.
- Start with the Ultimate Yard Sale Bargain a $25.00 Computer with monitor and software.
- Include an additional $50.00 for miscellaneous replacements.
[New Keyboard; Increase Memory, Replace Hard or Floppy Drives, etc,].
- Then add a $25.00 "processing fee" as a fall back [to cover the dump fee if it dies suddenly].
- Now include a $100.00 for transport coast to coast.
- By the time it is shipped cross country , the Yard Sale Computer's $25.00 is now a $200.00 expense.
If you buy locally in your community, there is a $100.00 transport fee you can avoid spending.
Transporting a "Free" Computer cross country does cost someone - something - somewhere.
Before Making Contact
Before contacting Community Service Organizations and Computer Recyclers have the following written descriptive materials and documentation.
Gathering information, in a descriptive written narrative, will make your presentation for you.
1. Start locally in your community.
These organizations can be approached at three levels: Regional Donation Processing Centers, Local Thrift Store Outlets, and Local Social Service Centers.
Then expand your search regionally in nearby urban cities.
Use national and international sources to identify their affiliates in your locality.
2. Know what you want and are requesting.
Learn enough to describe the items you are requesting.
Have a written description of the items you are requesting.
3. Know who is the recipient beneficiary.
Describe the beneficiary recipient of the request.
Have a written description narrating the recipent's needs, and resources.
Personal income and assets.
Disability and Impairments.
Cost and Ability To Pay.
When requesting for yourself as recipient; describe and document yourself.
Making Informational Contact
Making informational contact with Community Service Organizations and Computer Recyclers.
- Start locally in your community.
Then expand your contacts regionally in nearby urban cities.
When available these can be approached at three levels: Regional Donation Processing Centers, Social Service Centers, and Thrift Store Outlets.
- The Informational Contact starts at the beginning.
Briefly outline and describe the presenting problem, background situation, and nature of request.
Secretaries and Receptionists can be a good source for informal knowledge and information.
The purpose of the informal contact is to find someone in the organization to talk with you, provide information, and identify the right person(s) -in- authority.
Informal contacts should be identified [and written down] by name and phone number along with the recommended person(s) -in- authority.
As you progress through their system, call back to thank those who helped you through the process.
Making Contact With Authority
- Be aware that "Authority" comes with the structure in any organization; from the top.
- "Autonomy" independent individual decision making comes with experience, capability and longevity. Functional at many different levels in any structure; including the bottom up.
- "Ability" is functional regardless of structure, and flows up; not down.
- Together "Autonomy" with "Ability" can do more at any level bottom to top; than "Authority" can top to bottom.
- When you want an organization to do something or anything; go for the able autonomous middle , or below.
- Community Service Organizations And Service Centers
Client Services based on the Casework Model usually depends on limited resources inside their organization.
Client Services based on the Pro-active Advocacy Model usually depend on resources inside other organization.
Unless a Caseworker has authority or autonomy to directly voucher donated items, there is little they can do.
While a Pro-active Advocate can do more for you.
Meanwhile direct your attention to the following.
- Thrift Store Outlet Managers usually function with local autonomy inside the decision making process of their store.
When an item needed is in a Thrift Store Outlet the Manager can choose to reduce the retail resale price to an "As Is" value [as a token payment].
- Regional Donation Processing Center Managers usually function with limited autonomy inside the decision making process of their center department.
Delegating decision making through Supervisiors to Pickers as they sort through daily truck loads of donationed items.
- Processing And The "As Is" Department Managers.
usually function with limited autonomy inside the decision making process of their center department.
Accessing managers and supervisors in high volume operations, maybe impossible.
Understanding Donation Processing
Unless supported by grant funds or a philanthropic organization, Non Profit Community Service Organizations and Computer Recyclers are dedicated to support their operations by charitable donation of items for retail resale.
Usually through their network of local Donation Collections, regional Donation Processing Centers, and local Thrift Store Outlets.
Donation Processing Centers
In large urban cities this is a volume operation to move vast quantities of merchandice donated daily.
Between organizations sorting priorities differ in proceedures and policies.
Even differing between locations inside the same organization.
Such as an organization that will not retail used medical and mobility equipment items.
But they will give it to anyone who requests it.
As donations are received a designated expert Picker divertes the medical and mobility equipment items from the process.
Usually isolated into a corner of the Processing Center Warehouse.
Free access to free medical and mobility equipment is available by asking the designated expert Picker as he works the floor.
You can call him daily and he will tell you what he sees.
Another example is the "Plug And Pass Test"
Anything electrical must work functionally, and look good cosmetically, to pass the test before retail resale.
- If it does not work immediately ... it does not pass.
- If it does not have a plug ... it does not pass.
- If it has dead batteries [and no plug] ... it does not pass.
- If it has missing knobs ... it does not pass.
- If it is only a part of a total system ... it does not pass.
- If they can not identify the item ... it does not pass.
It is this policy that allows Thrift Store Outlets to issue a limited time [return, replacement, or refund] warranty.
This policy also diverts numerous electrical appliances [including computers].
Away from the retail resale Thrift Store Outlets and into the As Is Department on its' way to the dump.
Items diverted to the As Is department will pass through [one more time] for an on the spot, quick resale, as is, where is, and with no warranty.
- This means that statistical chances are items diverted to
As Is departments function electrically; but fail
cosmetically.
Donation Processing,
"As Is" And The Last Re-Sort.
As Is Departments like Thrift Store Outlets, are dependent upon customer resales of donated items.
As Is departments are the "last re-sort" for items on their way to the dump.
In volume operations individual items not sold immediately on site [as As Is items] will be dumped daily [sometimes several times a day] to clear the way for more.
Computers and Television Sets may be held to accumulate a large number for daily or weekly bidding at an informal public auction.
Be aware that a $20.00 As Is Computer Bargain may be "fried" electrically, just a stripped and empty body, or only needs a replacement cord.
Either way the price is still the same.
Items not sold at auction are dumped immediately.
- For reasons of safety and liability many As Is departments do not provide customer access to electric outlets for confirmation of an electric item's condition.
For the same reason customer access to the sorting floor is restricted.
However the system does offer some indications.
Because Thrift Stores time/date their sales tags.
To cycle their unsold merchandise back through the As Is department.
As Is items with Thrift Store Tags tell you that initially the item was good enough for retail resale.
Before its' "shelf life" expired.
Taking Full Advantage Of Donation Processing
1. Requires more than a phone call.
Even with the best of intentions, managers and supervisors willing to assist, may be swamped in the volume of day to day operations.
Don't rely on their ability to remember or find what you need.
Plan on shopping for bargains in person.
If you find the item, maybe they can make you a deal.
To Be Continued
Soon
GOOD HUNTING AND ENJOY!
SUPERADAPTOID.
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