A Unique Proposition - High Quality Furnishings to Charter School at No Cost
We work for organizations that have surplus furniture –including public school systems, corporations, colleges and universities. There are many reasons they have surplus. They may be building a new school, replacing old furnishings, renovating, or clearing out storage space.
Our job is to assure that their excess furniture is reused, and doesn’t end up in a landfill. We do this by networking with nonprofit organizations that can use the furniture for relief, development, and education projects.
How We Work: Pride Prep Charter School, Spokane, WA
PRIDE Prep is the first of two charter schools approved in Spokane. It will open its doors to its first students in September 2015. PRIDE’s mission is to create Spokane’s future leaders, combining high-level core academics with an emphasis on supporting students to solve new problems, adapt to new situations, and interact with one another. PRIDE will open with 150 students, a total that will grow to approximately 500 students by 2021.
Like any new charter school, PRIDE faces budget challenges. In addition to public funding, PRIDE is raising $2 Million in startup and initial operating funds. Every dollar saved is one less dollar that needs to be raised.
When PRIDE’s CEO Brenda McDonald heard about IRN through the Washington State Charters Schools Association, she called immediately.
Making a Match for Pride
IRN is managing a series of reuse projects for a Seattle-area corporation, which is refreshing multiple buildings on its campus. The core of the inventory consists of adjustable-height desks, which are ideal in a school setting because they can be cranked down for students in the youngest grades, and raised for older students or for adults.
| Item | Count |
| Bookcase or Storage Cabinet | 42 |
| Desks, Adjustable Height | 216 |
| Seating | 271 |
| Total: | 529 |
When IRN and PRIDE connected, it was immediately apparent that the desks were a great match for PRIDE. In addition, the company is replacing seating, bookshelves, white boards, and storage cabinets – all of them well-matched with PRIDE’s needs.
Making the Shipment
IRN and our client pay all the costs to remove furnishings from the client’s location and pack them securely into tractor trailers. The only cost IRN asked PRIDE to cover was transportation. Because IRN manages hundreds of trailer loads annually, we were able to secure the best possible shipping rate for PRIDE.
Through the end of March 2015, IRN has provided PRIDE with three full truckloads of furnishings valued at more than $220,000. On February 25 IRN packed its first load for PRIDE, including 75 desks, 50 chairs, and 20 bookcases, storage cabinets, and other items. On March 9 and March 23 IRN shipped two more loads, with an additional 139 desks, 221 chairs, and 30 other pieces.
Through the end of March 2015, IRN has provided PRIDE with three full truckloads of furnishings valued at more than $220,000. On February 25 IRN packed its first load for PRIDE, including 75 desks, 50 chairs, and 20 bookcases, storage cabinets, and other items. On March 9 and March 23 IRN shipped two more loads, with an additional 139 desks, 221 chairs, and 30 other pieces.
On the receiving end PRIDE staff and volunteers have met and unloaded each trailer, and packed the furnishings into PRIDE’s 15,000 square foot facility in downtown Spokane. With one more shipment scheduled for mid-April, PRIDE will be furnished with nearly all the desks and seating it will need to open its doors in September.
PRIDE staff and volunteers Jonny, Anne, Jim, Craig, and Bob with furnishings from IRN unloaded and ready to deploy.
“This donation provided high-quality furnishings at just the right time and eliminated more than $200,000 in costs. The savings will be invested directly in staff, equipment, and technology for our students. This is truly a stroke of good fortune.”
Brenda McDonald,
CEO, PRIDE Prep Charter School