Tool Lending Program

The heart of the ToolBank is the tool lending program. Organizations have year-round access to the ToolBank's inventory of tools and equipment for a nominal fee. ToolBank tools are inexpensive, convenient, and fully functional, maximizing agencies’ service projects and empowering them to improve community engagement and achieve greater impact for those they serve.

First-time borrowers must complete our brief online membership application, provide the requested documentation, sign and turn in the membership agreement and pay their annual membership fee prior to borrowing tools. This process captures documentation of an organization's not-for-profit or charitable intent status and creates a user account for the agency contact in our online tool ordering system.

Member Agencies log in to their ToolBank account and submit a tool order online. Member Agencies pick up their tool order at the ToolBank at their scheduled pickup time. ToolBank staff provides the member agencies with usage and care guidelines along with an itemized receipt.

After the completion of the service project and the member agency has a confirmed tool return scheduled, the tools are returned to the ToolBank at the scheduled time. ToolBank staff check tools back into inventory to ensure all tools borrowed are returned and in good working order.

Agencies are required to pay a tool handling fee to borrow tools and equipment from the Atlanta ToolBank. This tool handling fee is due when the agency picks up their tool order. The tool handling fee equals 5% of the retail value of each tool borrowed x # of weeks borrowed. In addition to tool handling fees, agencies may also incur late fees, replacement fees, and cleaning fees – all of which are easily avoidable.