Multi-issue community organization

Update Technology Infrastructure

www.lakeviewaction.org

$10,000

As part of a capacity-building effort to expand our organizing capabilities, the Lakeview Action Coalition seeks a grant of $10,000 in technology expansion from the Progressive Technology Project. We ask for funding for a heavy duty printer/copy machine, two laptop computers, three desktop computers, a digital camera and Quickbooks-Non Profit software. All of our current equipment in our office is fully depreciated.

The Quickbooks software will allow us to do our accounting in-house, rather than pay for an outside accountant. Our Business Manager already uses this software at other employment. The heavy duty printer/copy machine will be used to increase the capacity of our office to produce regular mailings to our members and to the greater community that we work to organize. The laptop computers will be utilized by our Organizer and Executive Director as they work in the field. This type of mobile technology will enable them to spend the majority of their time out in the field building the relationships that we rely on in our work for social justice. With a laptop computer, they will no longer have to sit in the office in order to access our database and to schedule meetings. We also ask for updated desktop computers to replace our current outdated ones, and a digital camera to help us improve the look of our website and e-Newsletter. Your funds will support our organization-wide priorities, including the issue task forces, leadership training, and organizational development. We welcome your partnership and support.

LAC wants to improve communication and visibility in the community and act quickly on issues. We always strive for the utmost professionalism. No matter what type of issue we are working on, the first obstacle we must always face is dealing with education and awareness, both within our member institutions and non-members institutions. A heavy duty printer/copy machine would give us a greater capacity to reach more institutions in our community to build awareness and to educate community members on an issue that we are working on. Given our limited ability to create effective/ professional printings with our ink-jet printers, an improved printer would allow us to print more in-house while maintaining a professional standard. Additionally, our organizing requires us to deal regularly with elected officials. Our ability to provide professional materials is severely limited by the lack of resources in our office. With a new printer, we will also be able to regularly update our elected officials and therefore be a more effective advocate on the issues of concern to our constituents.

Since much of our work is done in the community, laptop computers for our organizers would improve communication and visibility considerably. Each of our organizers is responsible for working with a specific number of institutions in our community. As a result, they spend a large amount of their time outside of our central office and unable to access each other and the data-base of LAC members. They would allow organizers to stay in better constant communication with each other and our office. In addition it will allow them to stay in better communication with the community. Lap tops would help the staff to work together more effectively, as well as allow our organizers to be more responsive to our member institutions. A lap top computer will be particularly helpful in for our regular meetings. We are unable to hold regular meetings at the site of our office, therefore our monthly meetings for our task forces and Board have to meet at different venues. A portable computer will allow us to conveniently bring all necessary information to these meetings. We will be able to bring with us the LAC data-bases, files of past meeting minutes ,etc. In effect, we will be able to bring the office to the meeting when we cannot have the meeting at the office. Additionally, a lap-top computer will allow our secretary to put the meeting minutes directly into the computer. This will allow us to be more organized and more accountable.

New Desktop computers would replace our outdated computers and allow us to use more Interns, and leaders could also make use of them at our office. A digital camera would allow us to showcase more of our leaders on our website and through our e-Newsletters, thereby inspiring them. New accounting software would help us to cut costs and improve internal budgeting with on-site financial information and reporting to funding sources and to our leadership.

We are members of ITRC, a local technology support group that offers mentoring and technology classes. We would ask our Compu-Mentor to help us set up our computers if needed. Our Business Manager already uses Quickbooks at other employment, and staff are familiar with the use of digital cameras and higher end printer/copy machines.

We will review the time that staff saves by using upgraded computers quarterly in staff meetings and we will give a report to our Board mid-year and at the end of the year on how we are able to more effectively use our new technology. Our goal will be that digital pictures start being displayed on our website asap, and that we transfer our financial books to Quickbooks within 3 months of receiving the grant.