In 2009, 37 Nebraska libraries began participating in the last round of hardware grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation – the Opportunity Online Hardware Grant. The grant wraps up this year, and they’d like to share what they’ve learned as they went through this grant process. Come hear some of the participating libraries talk about advocacy, fundraising, promotion, and sustainability. And learn their tips and tricks for other libraries considering participating in a grant like this. NCompass Live - Dec. 7, 2011.

1. Gates Foundation
Opportunity Online
Hardware Grant Program
NCompass Live – December 7, 2011

2. Gates Foundation Opportunity Online
Hardware Grant
• 2009, NLC applied for and awarded
grant
• 3rd round of Opportunity Online hardware
grants offered by the Bill & Melinda
Gates Foundation
• Last Gates Foundation hardware grant

3. Gates Foundation Opportunity Online
Hardware Grant
• Help libraries upgrade old and add new
public access computers
• Communities with high concentrations of
poverty and vulnerable to having their
technology services become obsolete
• Sustainability – libraries raise matching funds
and attend advocacy training

4. Eligibility
• 1) data on poverty concentrations, free
school lunches and unemployment which
were compiled by the Foundation, and
• 2) data provided by each library on its
public access computers in the TechAtlas
Computer Inventory through
WebJunction.

5. Library Requirements
• TechAtlas Computer Inventory
• Raise matching funds
• Purchase the equipment
• Public Library Funding & Technology
Access Survey
• Turning the Page advocacy training
program, in-person or online

6. Gates Foundation Opportunity Online
Hardware Grant - Nebraska
• 37 libraries participated
• Funding for 122 computer workstations, valued at
$317,200
• Turning the Page: Building Your Library Community
– November 17-18, 2009, Sioux Falls, SD
– Online
• http://nlc.nebraska.gov/grants/gates/
gatesfoundationopponlinegrants2009.aspx

7. Turning the Page –
Advocacy Training
• What did you think?
• What did you learn?
• Turning the Page 2.0
http://www.ala.org/pla/
education/turningthepage

8. Fundraising –
Raising Your Local Match
• What did you do?
• How did it go?
• Community reaction?
• What would you do
differently next time?

9. Promotion
• What have you done to
let your community know
about the new
computers?
• What has been their
reaction?

10. Sustainability
• How are you planning on
maintaining the
computers after the grant
ends?
• What have you done with
the extra grant funds?

11. Questions??
Comments??
More Ideas to Share??
Christa Burns
christa.burns@nebraska.gov
800-307-2665