Project Description
Summary
Our Digital Heroes Foundation http://www.ourdigitalheroes.org/ http://www.ourdigitalheroes.org/ is a 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to serving veterans and specifically service-disabled veterans through technology. We seek to provide them with a mission, skills, and a team for them to achieve economic independence. Our newest program is called ODH Labs which will create a facility for in-processing used equipment and enabling veterans seeking experience in PC Technology and Networking. Also, in consistence with our mission to provide work for the home-bound veterans, this program will deliver in-bound hardware and parts to home labs where the service-disabled veteran can work on them at his own pace. Then the processed hardware is picked up by the delivery guys and returned to the facility for sale to raise money to further grow the program.
Right now, we are focused on establishing the program and using volunteers to refurbish the hardware and raise money to establish the facility. That will enable us to scale the program to support sustainably hiring veterans.
Limitations
Limited to veterans (having a discharge of other than dishonorable) and their spouses.
Limited to continuing education courses.
Limited to courses in technology.
Limited to paying for course of study (may be one or more classes), exam fees for industry recognized licenses or certifications, and/or books.
Wide-variety of job skills
- PC Tech
- Network Tech
- Systems Admin
- Logistics (shipping/receiving)
- Delivery
- Inventory
- Accounting
- Online sales
- Marketing
Self-supporting once started. Revenue enables program growth.
Startup costs:
- Facility
- Equipment
- Truck
- Labor (Direct Benefits)
Focus on e-commerce channels first.
Phase 1: Establish Program
- Establish hardware sources
- Identify volunteers to refurbish PC’s
- Develop online sales channel 1 (eBay)
- Deliver hardware to volunteers
- Refurbish
- Sell to raise money
Goal: Process 100 computers at $250 to raise $25,000 seed money.
Phase 2: Begin Hiring
Armed with past-performance, seek grant funding sources for funding to create facility to house shipping and receiving, laboratory, and operations.
Expand inflow and outflow (additional sales channels), achieve critical mass to hire technicians in lab, and shipping/receiving personnel.
Phase 3: Expand to support home labs
Expand on Phase 1 model to support paid home-bound Disabled Veteran techs. Provide delivery services for inbound and outbound hardware, and for parts and tools.
Phase 4: Lab Maturity
Expand lab offerings to support special projects and skills development (Cisco networking, VMware vSphere, etc.). Partner with training skills and use grant programs for certification expenses.
Continue expanding sales channels.
Phase 5: Expansion
Expand Program by opening additional labs in Central Texas and in San Antonio. Test a physical storefront concept as another channel.
Export to foreign markets with higher demand for refurbished equipment. Find low-income school districts to partner with to sell bulk hardware.