human-I-T

human-I-T takes in unwanted technology (often thought of as "e-waste"), refurbishes it, and donates it back to low-income communities. The outcome is straightforward: less technology waste and more people with technology. We strive to transform e-waste into opportunity in the digital age. 

We pair devices with free technical support, digital literacy training, and low-cost internet options so underserved populations can fully harness the opportunity that lives online. Whether it is a veteran seeking out PTSD resources, a single mother looking for her next career opportunity, or a student learning their first line of code, access to the digital world unlocks a world of potential. 

human-I-T tackles two looming problems born from the digital age:

150,000 computers are thrown away in the U.S every single day—despite the fact that a majority can be reused (EPA, 2016). This electronic waste is the fastest growing waste stream in the world. Electronics are full of mercury, lead, & aluminum that deteriorate air and soil quality. This toxic waste causes severe health problems (asthma, nausea, lead poisoning) for residents living near landfills.

While mountains of working computers are funneled into landfills, millions of households go offline in the digital age.  In the United States, 1 in 4 people (82 million) lack a computer with internet at home. Among the least connected are low-income households and people of color. At a time when applying to college, finding a job, managing finances, & accessing healthcare takes place almost exclusively online, offline populations are stranded from opportunity.

When it comes to accessing technology, we don’t have a resource problem; merely an allocation problem. human-I-T seeks to change that paradigm by reviving those devices for social good, rather than recycling it for commodities. This reduces toxic waste streams while empowering a community to thrive.

Because cost is the number one barrier to accessing technology, 100% of our individual recipients qualify as low-income. We serve a diverse mix of Angelenos, ranging from ages 15 - 75. A majority of our recipients are people of color (40% Latino, 25% African American, and 10% Asian). We work with low-income individuals from all walks of life: students, veterans, people with disabilities, LGBT youth, single mothers, families in public housing. We partner with community based organizations to connect with families in need and have ongoing dialogue abbot the needs they have online. 

human-I-T brings together these two problems to create one solution. We take in unwanted technology, refurbish it, and donate it back out to low-income households.

In order to acquire large quantities of technology, we approach corporations through our business service,  rather than via charitable ask. human-I-T offers free pickup of e-waste, data sanitization, and a tax-deductible receipt with every donation. By incentizing organizations to work with a nonprofit refurbisher, we secure large quantities of tech & ensure it's used for social good, rather than recycled for commodities.

As we repurpose electronics, human-I-T provides vocational training to community members. Individuals learn how to assess the health of a device, wipe all data, fix internal components, and test the finished device. This process is hands-on and under the guidance of our experienced IT staff. Training is offered to individuals from all walks of life - for free - so residents can carve a path to the STEM field.

The approach is cyclical. It ensures excess technology from LA businesses is repurposed by local community members, and later donated to low-income households in the area. This allows every person - whether a Fortune 500, a mom-and-pop shop, or a private household - to be a part of the solution by donating their used goods to someone who desperately needs it.

human-I-T is the only nonprofit refurbisher in Southern California. Other organizations that take in e-waste either 1) break the devices down for commodities or 2) repurpose the device for resale on the market. Our approach is unique in that we reuse the device in its entirety, and donate it at no-cost to a recipient.

In addition, our nonprofit model is self-sustaining. We resell any technology that we aren't able to donate. This includes electronics that do not have use for an individual or family, (e.g. server racks, office printers). We do so for two reasons: 1) to ensure the device is kept out of a landfill & recirculated back into the market and 2) to generate internal revenue for our mission. This innovative funding model sustains our impact long-term.

human-I-T connects over 3,000 households to free computer hardware, internet, and/or digital training annually. Considering the average household size that we serve is 4, over 12,000 individuals are served annually. We also divert approximately 750k - 1 million pounds of e-waste out of the waste stream annually. 

In one year, we expect this number to grow to 4,000; by 2024, we anticipate that approximately 7,500 households will get connect annually. 

Although we provide e-waste service to companies across the nation, we look to establish a second location outside of LA to expand our presence. 

To mitigate the effects of e-waste, we need to capture and repurpose as much downstream technology as possible. Awareness is our biggest challenge in this fight. Responsible disposal of technology is a relatively new phenomenon and most people simply aren't aware that they can regift unwanted technology to someone-in-need. Instead, recycling is widely considered to be best practice for getting rid of electronics. However, this solution overlooks the potential to reuse the entire device. 

In order to shift consumer e-waste habits, human-I-T is tasked with educating the public about refurbishment as an alternative to recycling.

human-I-T is implementing a thorough marketing & outreach campaign to raise awareness on a grand scale. Of most important is getting in touch with "gatekeepers" who determine how a company disposes of their unwanted technology - whether that be IT Managers, Facilities Directors, or others. Our Sales Team works through client referrals, networking events, and other forums to educate companies about our e-waste service. 

In order to increase our number of leads, we plan to call on a 3rd marketing company to audit our existing marketing material and create additional awareness campaigns. This will happen at all levels: digital, print, media. The digital campaign will be particularly comprehensive: web design, Adwords management, social media posting, and SEO.  The marketing company and our team will A/B test the success of campaigns as well as the ROI to monitor effectiveness. 

Full-time staff: 52

Part-time Volunteer: 15

human-I-T works with a number of nonprofits and for-profits to confront the growth of e-waste. 

We collaborate with over 50 nonprofit partners - including United Way, Everyone On, and the California Emerging Technology Fund - to execute programs across the state. We also coordinate with a number of local school districts to outreach about our services. human-I-T has Memorandum of Understandings with Los Angeles Unified School District, as well as Long Beach, Torrance, and Santa Monica.

Beyond nonprofits, we work with a number of government agencies to get the technology back to the community. Partners include City Council President Herb Wesson, the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development among others. 

Furthermore, we collaborate with businesses to field technology for donation. Donors include the City of Los Angeles, University of Southern California, & Jet Blue. 

Lastly, human-I-T partners with six major Internet Service Providers to provide low-cost internet to qualified households through our program known as human-I-T Connect. Throughout this program, we have educated tens of thousands of Californians about broadband options and helped connect over 5,000 qualified households to low-cost internet and a free Google Chromebook. 

As a part of our operations, we separate technology donations into three categories: refurbish, resell, or recycle. 

1) Our first priority is to salvage any piece that can be refurbished into a functioning device for a person in need. 

2) Our second priority is to resell items that we are not able to donate. This includes electronics that do not have use for an individual or family, like a six-foot server rack donated by a technology firm. We do so for two reasons: to ensure the device is kept out of a landfill & recirculated back into the market and to generate internal revenue for our mission. The secondary IT market is booming at rate of $75b per year (KPMG, 2017). This resale arm ensures the sustainability of the organization long-term. 

3) The last option for donated goods is to have them responsibly recycled, reserved only for products at the very end of their life. Products are directed to R2 Certified Recyclers that adhere to the most stringent regulations for disposing of technology.

Through these two revenue streams, we’re able to monetize e-waste and redirect the funding into digital inclusion programs. 

human-I-T looks to partners across industries - from Fortune 500s to mom-and-pop shops; school districts to municipalities; households to business parks. Any organization that uses technology and creates e-waste is a suitable partner. We look to make this platform accessible for anyone who has a dust-covered device to make a difference in their community by donating it to a low-income family who needs it. 

Beyond consumers, we look to partner with large nonprofits to promote our programs. human-I-T currently partners with over 50 nonprofits to connect with vulnerable individuals about our low-cost internet and digital training programs. These partners use official channels to outreach and educate households about options available to them. We welcome partnerships with any nonprofit that serve a high volume of low-income households.