Sustaining the eRider’s project
Sierra eRiders can get funds for sustaining the eRider’s project through any of the following funding models:
Membership Model
Clients pay a membership fee for services. This may be a yearly fee, and the type and amount of services may be limited. Additional services may require additional fees. Fees are consistent, and a client can easily plan and budget for eRider costs associated with this model. Sometimes, the initial membership fee is higher than subsequent years, since a new client receives more benefits in the first year.
Shared Costs Model
In a shared cost model, the costs of the program are divided among the eRider's clients. Some fair system is established in advance, and the clients agree to the payment system in order to receive services. The clients would be billed monthly or quarterly and the charges usually vary from period to period.
Fees-for-Service Model
In this model, the client pays only for the actual eRider services it uses. The eRider program establishes either a fixed fee for services or a daily rate for service. For example, if the client would like the eRider program to help it design and deploy a simple Web site, the eRider program might charge a fixed fee to do the project.
In another example, an eRider program might charge a rate of certain amount per day. A client might have an eRider visit its office once a week, for the entire day, to do various tasks like training, anti virus updates, and workstation repairs. Based on a 50-week year, the client would end up paying a total amount a year for these services. If an emergency happens that requires extra time from the eRider, those fees are billed based on the appropriate daily rate.
Mixed Mode Model
In this model, the eRider program covers its expenses by using several methods. For well-funded clients, it may charge fee-for-service based on a daily rate that is higher than the normal daily rate of the eRider. For other clients, it may offer a discrete list of services under a membership model. For poorly funded clients, the eRider program may subsidize its services by providing them at rates lower than actual costs.
Funded Model
A funder (or multiple funders) supports all or part of the entire eRider program, and services are provided to clients free of charge or at a low cost. This model presumes that a funding community -- either private or corporate foundations -- will serve as informed and willing partners in the provision of technology services to the non-profit sector. Often, the services are provided for a limited period -- one or two years -- to allow the client to make best use of immediate intervention, but without burdening the funder with a long-term commitment.
Last Updated on Saturday, 28 November 2009 21:22
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