This document provides an overview of PCs for People, a nonprofit organization that works to address the digital divide. It discusses the organization's history since 1998 of refurbishing donated computers and distributing them to low-income families. It also explains how in more recent years the organization has expanded its services to include internet access through subsidized mobile hotspots and pay-as-you-go internet plans. The document outlines PCs for People's refurbishing process, eligibility requirements for recipients, and ways for other organizations to partner with them through distribution events or library hotspot lending programs.

2. Digital Inclusion Building Blocks
Brief history of PCs for People
The digitally distant
What we do
How we do it

3. A Brief History
 1998: Founded in Mankato
 2008: Incorporation, 501(C)(3); 1000 family waiting list!
 2010: Working with Blandin Foundation and Rural Minnesota; Started
working with United Way; Waiting list eliminated!
 2011: Affiliate program launched
 2012: Mobile computer refurbishing and internet offered
 2013: Averaged 25 internet subscribers and 33 computers per day
 2015: Opened office in Denver, CO
 2017: Over 18,500 homes connected to our internet service in 50
states. Distributed over 13,000 computers.
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
500
1750 2200 2700
4000
7034
8549 8712
10500
Computers Distributed

4. The Digitally Distant
Household Income
Race & Ethnicity
Age
Educational Attainment
Geography

5. The Homework Gap
Approximately 5 million households with school-age children are subject to the
Homework Gap because they do not have access to high-speed Internet service.

6. Digital Inclusion
Provide the same opportunities to low-income families that are taken for granted by higher
income households.
Pew Research Center -
Technology Use by Different
Income Groups (May 29, 2013)
http://www.pewinternet.org/2013/05/
29/technology-use-by-different-
income-groups/

7. Internet Users by Household Income
(Pew Research 2016)
All adults $30K-$50K $75K-$100K >$150K
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
90
81
91 96 97 99 99

8. Home Broadband Users by Household
Income (Pew Research 2016)
All adults $30K-$50K $75K-$100K >$150K
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
73
53
71
83
90 94 94

9. Internet Users by Race/Ethnicity
(Pew Research 2016)
All adults White Black Hispanic
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
90 90 86 90

10. Home Broadband Users by
Race/Ethnicity (Pew Research 2016)
All White Black Hispanic
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
73 78
65
58

11. Internet Users by Age (Pew Research 2016)
All adults 18-29 30-49 50-64 65+
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
90
99 96
89
67

12. Home Broadband Users by Age
(Pew Research 2016)
All adults 18-29 30-49 50-64 65+
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
73 77 81 75
51

13. Internet Users by Education
(Pew Research 2016)
All Adults HS diploma College degree+
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
90
71
84
94 98

14. Home Broadband Users by Education
(Pew Research 2016)
All adults HS diploma College degree+
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
73
34
62
80
91

15. Internet Use by Community Type
(Pew Research 2016)
All Urban Suburban Rural
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
90 90 92
84

16. Home Broadband by Community Type
(Pew Research 2016)
All Urban Suburban Rural
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
73 73 76
63

17. Disability (Pew Research 2010)
Use Internet
0
20
40
60
80
100
54
41
81
69
With Disability All Adults

18. Reasons Why They Don’t Have
Broadband (2014)
Relevance (not interested + waste of time + too busy + don’t
need/want)
34%
Usability (difficult/frustrating + too old + don’t know how + physically
unable + worried about virus/spam/hackers/etc.
32%
Price (too expensive + don’t have computer) 19%
Lack of availability / Access 7%

19. Reasons Why They Don’t Have
Broadband (2016)

20. What We Do - Computer Recycling
Organizations
90% of “donations”
Free pickup
Data sanitization
Individuals
10% of donations
Tax deductible
Help their community

21. What We Do - Refurbishing Computers
Microsoft Registered Refurbisher
 Operating System: Windows 10 new license
 Office Productivity: OpenOffice
 Antivirus: Microsoft Security Essentials, Malwarebytes, CCleaner
 Web: Adobe Reader, Flash, Mozilla Firefox
 Media: 7-Zip, Picasa, VLC Media Player, K-lite Codecs
Work done by employees, volunteers, and interns

22. What We Do - Computer Repair
All eligible recipients can have computer repaired
Repairs cost $25
2,250 computers repaired in 2017

23. What We Do - Internet Sales
Available anywhere Sprint has 4G LTE Service
Recipient purchases device $80
Pay as you go ($10-$13/month)
8,600 new subscribers in 2017
25,333 total subscribers since Jan 2016

24. Recipient Eligibility
Computers are distributed to
people:
 On government assistance or 200% of
the poverty level
 Have a documented disability or live in
an area with limited access to
technology
To receive a computer, recipients
must provide:
 Proof of eligibility
 A photo ID
 An optional cash donation

25. Become a Partner- Bridging the Gap
Free digital inclusion platform created in
partnership with Mobile Beacon.
Open to 501(c)3 nonprofit, schools and
government entities to distribute our services
eligible recipients.
No administrative burden
Allows you to measure the impact you are having
in the community

26. Become a Partner- Distribution Event
• One-day event
• 50-300 computers and internet devices are
distributed
• Partner with schools, workforce centers, or
other nonprofits to find recipients
• Funding sources in the past have included
foundations, local businesses, and
government entities

27. Become a Partner- Hotspot Checkout
Library Lending Program
 Denver Public Libraries
 Oklahoma State University
Check-out
 Library Card
 2 week loan period
Management
 Block/unblock data for devices
 Provide data usage numbers monthly

28. Oklahoma State University Pilot
Started May/June of 2017
4 rural libraries, 4 hotspots each
 1 week checkouts
 Participating libraries:
 Thomas-Wilhite Memorial (Perkins)
 Rieger Memorial (Haskell)
 Elgin Community Library
 Seminole Public Library
 1 week checkouts

29. Questions?
pcsforpeople.org
@pcsforpeople
facebook.com/pcsforpeople
linkedin.com/company/pcs-for-people
mtate@pcsforpeople.org
Citations
• Homework Gap - http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/04/20/the-numbers-behind-the-
broadband-homework-gap/
• Desktop & Laptop Use - http://www.pewinternet.org/2013/05/29/technology-use-by-different-
income-groups/
• General Digital Divide Statistics - http://www.pewinternet.org/2016/07/14/digital-divides-2016/