Basic Organization Information
First Time Computers, Inc.
- Also Known As:
-
FTC
- Physical Address:
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Washington, DC
20017 4002
- EIN:
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20-0999598
- Web URL:
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www.firsttimecompute...
- NTEE Category:
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S Community Improvement, Capacity Building
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S99 Community Improvement, Capacity Building N.E.C.
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C Environmental Quality Protection, Beautification
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C27 Recycling
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O Youth Development
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O99 Other Youth Development N.E.C.
- Year Founded:
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2004
- Ruling Year:
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2004
- How This Organization Is Funded:
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The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation - $30,000
-
The Open Society Institute - $30,000
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The Philip L. Graham Fund - $25,000
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Mission Statement
Our mission is to enhance the educational and job prospects of low-income children and youth by widening their access to the world of technology. Our goals are to seek to empower at-risk kids by building their computer resources and capabilities, and thus help to break the cycle of poverty. We also seek to educate and empower large numbers of children and youth by assisting families and community-based non-profits in their efforts to build computer access for children and youth. Finally, we seek to empower a smaller number of youth directly by training them in computer repair skills that will help them compete in the job market.
Expert Assessment
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Impact Summary from the Nonprofit
Distributed over 6000 refurbished computers to low-income recipients in the Washington DC area since 2003 [as of 1-4-11]
Provided over 500 laptops to college-bound low-income students since 2003
Trained several dozen at-risk youth to refurbish computers, and seen several move on to IT jobs outside our organization
Provided services [e.g. installing and networking computer labs] for over 100 nonprofits in the DC area since 2003
Partnered with several nonprofits on a program that provides a free computer from First Time Computers to graduates of computer skills training programs they offer [700 PCs to grads to date].
Goals and Programs for 2011-2012
We plan to install 25 computer labs in nonprofits serving at-risk children and youth. These labs will expand the educational resources available to low-income youth and young adults, as well as improve their employability.
Along the way, we seek to reduce e-waste by “repurposing” computers that would otherwise go prematurely into the waste stream.
Financial Statements
Audited Financial Statement is not available for this organization.
Leadership
Mr. Lowell Dodge
Term:
Since
Jan
2003
Profile:
Mr. Dodge is a retired public interest attorney who has worked on civil rights, environmental, consumer, and antipoverty issues over a 25-year period. He recently combined interests in recycling, computers, and capacity-building in low-income neighborhoods to establish First Time Computers. Previously, he served as Executive Director and then construction manager for GreenHOME, completing affordable, environmentally friendly homes in Washington, DC [built by GreenHOME, Inc., in partnership with DC Habitat for Humanity]. In the early 1990s he headed affirmative action programs at the US General Accounting Office. In the mid 1970s, Mr. Dodge was editor-in-chief of the Environmental Law Reporter. From 1969 to 1974 he headed the Center for Auto Safety, a Nader affiliate, working for the introduction of air bags into motor vehicles. He was active in the civil rights movement in the 1960s and in subsequent years in Mississippi and elsewhere. He is a graduate of Yale University and Harvard Law School, and the Coro Foundation Fellowship in Urban Affairs.
Leadership Statement:
First Time Computers has many counterparts around the US and beyond, but we are different from most of them in that:
We focus on re-use and not on materials recycling. We fix up about 95% of the computers we receive, as compared to well under 50% for our counterparts who accept a wider range of items for the income these items generate when sold to recyclers. Our income comes about 45% from foundations, 30% from individual contributions, and the rest from donations we ask of those who receive our computers and services. We do properly recycle PCs we can't fix, but not for income.
At-risk youth we have trained do most of our recycling.
Our refurbishing methods are youth-friendly and not geek-automated.
We take pride in producing reliable, high-quality PCs with a robust software package for our recipients. We fully check each PC before it goes out the door.
Like many of our counterparts, we participate in the Microsoft Registered Refurbishers program, meaning that we hold ourselves to high standards as a registered refurbisher, and can load genuine Microsoft products on our PCs at nominal costs.
Highest Paid Employees & Their Compensation
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