Do the PC Thing: Managing Computer Donations from the Public

Your nonprofit organization has likely received generous donations of computers and other electronic equipment. While individual and corporate donors often mean well, donated equipment can sometimes arrive in poor working order or nearing the end of its life.

To help educate the public on ways to effectively donate equipment to schools and charities, various organizations — including TechSoup, Goodwill, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) — came up with "Do the PC Thing." These two documents can help you gracefully decline donations and direct donors to refurbishers and recyclers who are well equipped to properly dispose of non-usable PCs, printers, monitors, and other electronic parts (also known as e-waste). Resources for clearing data from hard drives and tips to extend the life of a computer are also included in these documents.

"The PC donation process works out well for everyone involved," said Robert W. Varney, regional administrator of EPA's New England office. "Schools get much-needed equipment to help them with online learning and computer education, and our environment benefits because computers are used for a longer period of time, and not scrapped or disposed in landfills."

These documents are free to download and distribute. One is geared toward individuals, while the other helps corporations wishing to make equipment donations to nonprofits and schools. Those seeking additional information on the topic may also want to watch the EPA's video Pass It On, where leaders in the technology industry discuss computer reuse, donation, and recycling options.