June, 2019
Welcome to Cristina Connections

Honoring our Partners in the Cristina Network
Machines you can write off. People you can't.©
Introducing Scot Henley, Executive Director, National Cristina Foundation
For many reasons, it’s a new day for the National Cristina Foundation.

For its entire 35-year existence, NCF has been powered by the generosity of its co-founder, Dr. Bruce McMahan. Even after his 2017 passing, his generosity continues to fuel our work, and will for decades to come. Dr. McMahan had the foresight to make an extraordinary gift of real estate to NCF during his living years, and that asset has recently sold. The result is an endowment that will provide NCF with annual revenue that will help fund the day-to-day operation of the Foundation.

On June 10, I began my tenure as NCF’s new Executive Director. Outgoing Executive Director Dr. Bud Rizer, having completed a long, successful run leading the organization, is headed towards a much-deserved retirement. Bud’s work, together with the small-but-mighty staff team and our passionate Board of Directors, has put NCF on a rock-solid foundation. I am so grateful and fortunate to be joining co-founder Dr. Yvette Marrin and this amazing team at a truly exciting moment in NCF’s organizational journey.

The work of closing the digital divide, advocating for technology re-use/proper recycling, and using tech to empower those in need is absolutely critical, and we have big aspirations: To maintain and improve our technological backbone, expand awareness nationally, establish new corporate relationships and collegial alliances, and build technological service platforms that will help support our nonprofit partners around the country. In the coming months, we’ll be working towards building a fundraising program to engage individual donors, grant makers and corporate partners with our work. We’ll also be expanding our Board of Directors and strategically adding staff resources to ensure that NCF is on a path of ever-increasing impact.

We do all of this with YOU in mind. Wider reach, more awareness and more corporate partnerships will result in more donated tech equipment that you can put to work for your constituents. After all, lifting people up and helping those in need to reach their full potential is why we’re all in this fight.

Thanks for being part of the National Cristina Foundation community, and for the hard work you contribute to your own community, too. I’m honored to be a part of it, and I look forward to working with you. I’d love to hear from you; feel free to reach out to say hello anytime.

Scot Henley
Executive Director
Congratulations to AFTRR for another successful national conference!

AFTRR members have recently returned from the third national conference organized by the National Cristina Foundation in coordination with its AFTRR community. AFTRR , the Alliance for Technology Refurbishing and Reuse , was formed as a National Cristina Foundation community in 2016. AFTRR member organizations are partners of the Cristina Network . There are currently 80 nonprofit technology refurbishers registered in the AFTRR community, which was established to target the elimination of the Digital Divide as their ultimate goal.

A special thank you to Dave Sevick, the executive director of Cristina Network partner, Computer Reach for his wonderful support in helping to coordinate the conference. We were pleased that Scot Henley, National Cristina Foundation’s new Executive Director, was able to attend. Scot looks forward to working closely with AFTRR in support of its further growth and development.

All of us working together in the Cristina Network believe that access to computers and related technology is essential for acquiring the skills needed to succeed in a digitally connected world. AFTRR member organizations, as all of the partners in the Cristina Network, vary widely in size, organizational model, populations served, and staffing and related resources. Extending the life cycle of previously used technology helps our environment and creates low cost wonderful tools for training. Refurbisher support within member organizations include professional technicians, staff who have acquired technology skills, and volunteers whom they train, all gain the ability to disassemble and reassemble equipment designated for refurbishing.

The conference was held at Google’s impressive Chicago office on June 13 and 14. In support of NCF’s mission, Google generously donated the meeting space and meals. The various panel discussions by AFTRR members shared their expertise about topics such as computer refurbishment, distribution and support. A featured guest was Kyle Wiens , Editor in Chief of iFixit. iFixit is a wiki-based site that teaches people how to fix almost anything. He produces free repair manuals. Kyle thinks ”technology will make life on earth dramatically better if we take the care to do it right.” All enjoyed the opportunity to network and share promising practices with their peers.
AFTRR is just three years old, but many of the members of the Alliance have been involved in nonprofit refurbishing for decades as members of the Cristina Network. They would welcome hearing about sources of used equipment in your area of the country that companies might donate. The involvement of AFTRR members could increase your options to obtain donations of serviceable equipment and could benefit as well the work of the AFTRR member. Check the locations of all members on the AFTRR map . Contact information is provided or NCF can help you with an introduction. 
2019 National AFTRR Meeting Google Chicago
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