The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations is the membership organisation for Scotland's charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises. Charity registered in Scotland SC003558. Registered office Caledonian Exchange, 19A Canning Street, Edinburgh EH3 8EG.
Resources and costs
Some projects reflected on the impact of associated costs incurred by running their lending libraries, such as initial set-up and ongoing maintenance costs. Some organisations had to expand their project budgets to cover additional expenses which were not planned for initially.
By this stage, you will have decided that a device lending scheme is a suitable solution to alleviate the impact of digital exclusion among your service users and consulted with all your stakeholders. Now it's time to use what you've learned and consider how you will resource your scheme. Apart from your service users, your project budget is likely going to have a strong say in this, as you weigh up the different device and software options, and consider including a contingency for repairs or replacements (for example, for broken chargers). Other hidden costs can include protective cases and other accessories, physical device storage and charging stations, increased insurance and warranty payments, software licences and administration.
What funding do you have?
If you already have funding for your project, it's important to carefully check what this funding covers in its terms. There may also be time limits on the length of the project, compliance requirements in terms of data, reporting or disposal of devices, or the funding may stipulate the kinds of devices used or where they are acquired. Some funding may not cover core costs, but only capital costs (i.e. hardware only).
If you're looking for funding, the SCVO Funding Guide is a good place to start, with information on how and where to find funds, a handy glossary of terms, and advice on how to choose and apply for the best funds for your organisation.
It may not be easy to find grants that will specifically support a device lending scheme, however you may be able to write some of the project costs into bids for your existing programmes that have a digital inclusion element if you can show the benefits of device lending, and fund your hardware with unrestricted income or even through device donations.
Who will deliver the project?
If you are introducing a new device lending scheme, consider where in your organisation this project will sit. Can it be embedded into an existing service? For example, if you are offering ESOL classes and would like to support your learners with devices, can the lending library become part of your adult learning programme? Or would it make more sense for it to be administered separately, because your ESOL staff do not have the capacity to be involved?
In any case, consider carefully whether your current staff and/or volunteers are able to take on this extra work. Don’t underestimate the time and skills required from your team, especially in the beginning as you set up the scheme and create new processes and policies. Ongoing input will not only be required by your delivery staff who are identifying and supporting borrowers, but also by operational and IT staff, who maintain the devices, or deal with loan agreements, evaluation and administration. You may decide to pilot your project with a very small number of devices, and to apply for funding for additional staff resource later on to enable you to scale up without adding pressure on your existing team.
A device lending library will likely require the input from multiple areas of your organisation. Once identified, these should come onboard at the very beginning so that they can plan for the work you require them to do, and have a chance to share any concerns they might have. This will help you to avoid unexpected delays caused by issues you did not consider from the outset.
Consider the following internal assets and what support they could provide:
- Administration - depending on the size of your library, you will likely require administrative support to track loans, returns and other elements you wish to record. Do you need to create new processes for this on your organisation's CRM system, or are you going to use other methods for the library's administration?
- Comms and marketing - if you are going to advertise your new project to potential beneficiaries or referral partners, you may wish to get help from your colleagues who manage your organisation's social media and newsletters, and who can help you to create posters or flyers.
- Evaluation - if you would like to measure the positive impact that device lending has for your users, consider how this can contribute towards achieving your organisation's overall aims, and consult with others who are evaluating your current services.
- Fundraising - if you need to seek funding for your project, either from the outset or at a later stage, let your fundraising team know as soon as possible, so that they can research potential funds and let you know what information they'd require to write a strong application.
- IT - your existing IT support will be able to advise you on device and software options and data security, and will need to be consulted if you expect them to support the devices on an ongoing basis.
Partnership work and collaboration can really boost your project with additional resources, expertise or impact. For example:
- Do you already work with any corporates, for example through volunteering, who may be willing to donate devices? In-kind donations and corporate partnerships can be a cost-effective way to resource your project.
- Are there any local refurbishment projects who would be happy to share their knowledge and skills? Refurbishment organisations are experts in data security and giving old devices a new lease of life. If you have specific questions or would like to learn more about being environmentally friendly refurbishment projects may be able to help.
- Could you establish referral pathways with other organisations who support people who would benefit from your library, or who could offer digital skills support to your users? If you are struggling with a specific resource, you may be able to find a local partner who can work with you.
This project has made a huge difference for the people it’s supported, due to ongoing financial hardship for many families and individuals support like this is essential.
- Lending Library grantee