Frequently Asked Questions

First, join TechSoup as an individual member. Then, register your organization, or become an authorized agent for an already existing organization. Finally, TechSoup must qualify the organization as a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit or public library. Click here for a copy of our Qualification Checklist (PDF 51 KB).

For an overview of the process, visit Getting Started at TechSoup.

If your organization already has an account with TechSoup, you'll need to become an authorized agent on the existing organization account to request product donations. To become an authorized agent, you'll need the organization's association code. If you do not know this code, the registration page includes options for obtaining it. You can also check How can I retrieve my organization's association code?

1. Log in with your TechSoup member name and password (or join TechSoup if you do not already have a TechSoup member profile).
2. Click Register Organization at the top of the home page, or in the Manage My Account section on the upper-left side of the Get Products page.
3. Select your organization's status, enter its EIN, FSCS, or tax ID, and click Find Your Organization.

If your organization is listed on the next page, it's been registered on TechSoup. You'll be able to become an authorized agent of the organization by entering the association code. See: How can I retrieve my Organization's Association Code?

You can make individual donation requests for each branch.

Each location should have its own account and order history, which means each should be registered individually. If your branch or affiliate has its own EIN, tax ID, or FSCS number, you should register it using that number. If all branches share the parent organization's EIN, use that number when registering your location. There's no limit to the number of affiliates or locations for an organization.

You can register more than one location for the same organization.

Nationally affiliated organizations with branch locations and regional nonprofits with satellite offices can have multiple TechSoup accounts. Having separate accounts for each eligible branch means that each qualified account has its own donation limits. TechSoup bases the qualification of multiple accounts on its review of an organization's structure and the relationship between local offices and the parent organization. Please note that we may require additional information from you to determine branch or satellite eligibility.

Follow this procedure to register an additional location for an organization. The new location will have the same tax ID as the parent organization but a different organization name, address, and association code.

1. Log in to TechSoup.
2. Click Register Organization at the top of the home page, or in the Manage My Account section on the left side of the Get Products page.
3. Select your organization's status, enter its tax ID, and click Find Your Organization.
4. Click the Register the New Branch or Location link.
5. Complete the registration forms beginning on the following page, using a different name, address, and association code from those of the parent organization.

What about registering a branch of my nationally affiliated religious organization?

If your local church or other religious institution has been granted its own tax-exempt status, and you have a copy of the 501(c)(3) IRS determination letter with your organization's name displayed on it, simply register your organization with the tax ID (EIN) on the IRS letter.

However, if your local church or other religious institution has its tax-exempt status through its national parent organization, register your organization using the parent EIN and your local shipping address. We will verify that your organization is part of the parent organization and validate your shipping address. We may need additional documentation from you to do so.

Please consult the Serving Faith-Based Organizations with Technology Donations page for guidelines and instructions.

No one can obtain products through your account unless you give them your organization ID and password and they become authorized agents for your account.

An organization's annual operating budget is an estimate of what it will cost to run its programs for the coming fiscal year. This estimate is approved by a nonprofit organization's board of directors and documented in the minutes of the board meeting.

"Qualified" means TechSoup has verified your organization's status and information. You can request product donations even if your organization has not yet been qualified, but the request will be held until qualification is complete.

"Eligible" means your organization conforms to the donor partner's requirements for the program and products requested. To determine your eligibility, see the rules listed on each product page or take the Check Eligibility Quiz.

If you have your member email address, you can use it to access the Password Reminder Tool to receive a new password by email. This email will contain instructions for changing your password once you are able to log in. You will also be asked to answer a security question in order to receive your password reminder. Security questions can be changed after logging in to your account.

If you require both the member email address and password, please contact Client Services for assistance.

First join TechSoup as an individual member. Once you have created your member profile, it can be linked to the organization account through the association code. We use this code to verify that other individuals who associate with your organization are authorized to make donation requests on its behalf.

If you're currently a TechSoup member and have access to your association code, log in to TechSoup and follow the steps below to link your member profile to your organization's account.

1. From the TechSoup homepage, click on the Register Organization link at the top of the screen.
2. Select your organization's status, enter its tax ID number, and click Find Your Organization. If your organization is listed on the next page (Select Your Organization), it has been registered on TechSoup.
3. Click your organization's name.
4. Enter the association code and your role in the organization. (Note: The association code is case sensitive.
5. Click the Submit Code button to complete this process.

If you do not have access to your association code, please see section How can I retrieve my organization's association code? and follow the steps above.

Ask around your organization to determine who the current authorized agents are. They'll be able to see the association code in their Member Profile page after logging in. You can also view the list of authorized agents by initiating the organization registration process and entering your organization's country, status, and tax ID.

If the association code is not retrievable, you may contact TechSoup Client Services. Please have the following information available and the representative will assist you in becoming an authorized agent for your organization.

• Tax ID #
• Organization name
• Organization address
• Organization phone number
• Your name
• Your job title
• Your email address
• Your TechSoup member name
• Name of previous authorized agent (if known)

You can view an organization's list of authorized agents on the Enter Association Code page during the organization registration process. Initiate the organization registration process and enter your organization's country, status, and tax ID. To become an authorized agent, please see How do I become an authorized agent?.

Follow these steps to modify information in either your member profile or your organization account.

1. Log in with your TechSoup member name and password.
2. Click on My Account at the top of the page, to the right of your login welcome message.
3. Under My Account, you will see two headings, My Member Profile and My Organizations. These sections provide access to update either your member profile or your organization's account.
4. Choose your organization's name from the list displayed below My Organizations.
5. Inside the box titled Organization Profile, click on the Edit Organization Profile link.

You can update the majority of your organization information on the Edit Organization Profile page. To update your organization's tax ID number, you will need you to contact TechSoup Client Services .

Note: Any changes to your organization address, organization type/subtype, or annual budget will require a requalification of your account. These changes must be reviewed by our Client Services department before any donation requests can be processed. This may require a faxed or emailed explanation of the updates made to your account.

Organizations can request donations if they are registered, qualified, and eligible.

Nonprofits with valid 501(c)(3) status and public libraries listed in the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) database can register with TechSoup. Individuals and nonprofits with other status types are not currently eligible to request donations.

Once your organization is registered, TechSoup Account Management Specialists will review and qualify your organization to receive donations, in most cases by verifying documents you send us by fax, mail, or email.

Finally, to request products, your organization must also meet the eligibility requirements of the donor partners that offer the products through TechSoup. Qualification as a 501(c)(3) or public library by TechSoup does not guarantee eligibility with all of our donor partners.

Your organization's location, annual operating budget, and the type/subtype selected during registration will aid in determining your eligibility. Our donor partners select which of these types/subtypes align with their donation philosophy. See the complete list.

To determine if your organization is eligible to receive donations from a given partner, please review our Nonprofit Eligibility Requirements and Donor Partner Restrictions page or log in take our Check Eligibility Quiz.

Please consult the Serving Faith-Based Organizations with Technology Donations page for guidelines.

Donation program eligibility requirements are sometimes modified by our donor partners and can change periodically. Consult the restrictions page or the restrictions listed on each donor product page for current information.

Charitable organizations in the United States that are fiscally sponsored by parent groups, foundations, or business incubators are not eligible to participate in our donation programs.

TechSoup requires — in almost all cases — that each organization have its own federal tax exemption, as documented by an IRS determination letter declaring 501(c)(3) status. A conditional recognition letter is also adequate, but mere evidence of having applied for exemption will not be accepted.

We do recognize eligibility conferred under an IRS group exemption, as is the case with certain national service organizations or church denominations that list their subordinate members. If you are still uncertain as to whether or not your organization is eligible to obtain products from TechSoup, please contact us before you begin the registration process.

Several of our donor partners make products available to nonprofits and public libraries in U.S. territories. TechSoup cannot ship physical products to U.S. territories at this time. However, we can supply some electronically downloaded or "virtual" donations based on donor partner restrictions

To find out if territories can receive a specific virtual donation, consult our restrictions page or the restrictions listed on each product page. Unless the partner's restrictions specifically exclude territories, products are available there. U.S. territories include American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, Federated States of Micronesia, Northern Mariana Islands, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands, and U.S. Virgin Islands.

Many of the donation programs at TechSoup allow organizations to receive a fixed quantity of technology products between July 1 and June 30 of each year (TechSoup's fiscal year). Then, on July 1, organizations again become eligible to place requests for these products. For more information, see our list of donation programs affected by fiscal year limits.

TechSoup product pages provide basic information about product features and the system requirements to install and use the software. They also have links to resources like comparison charts, articles, webinars, and forum threads discussing certain products or types of products.

If you don't have a specific product in mind, you should consider logging in and using the TechSoup Check Eligibility Quiz. The quiz will automatically reference your organization's information and provide a list of donation programs you're eligible for. From here you can click on each program to see a list of available product donations.

If you're looking for a specific type of product but are unsure which products are available, you should check out the Browse by Tasks section on the left hand side of the Get Products page.

We also offer learning resources, including articles, blogs, free webinars, and forums on nonprofit and technology-specific topics led by expert hosts. The community forums can be a great resource for organizations looking for information from other nonprofits or libraries.

Check out TechSoup's download resource page for tips and information on downloading and backing up your new software and to find out if downloading donated software is the right choice for your organization.

If you have chosen to download your software donation, please note that either TechSoup or our donor partner will send the software keys and download instructions to the email address of the recipient organization. If you do not receive this email, please verify your organization email address is accurate, and contact Client Services if you need to have the information re-sent.

Most product donations from TechSoup are available as downloads (sometimes called ESD or electronic software delivery) or physical media (sent through the mail). We encourage you to choose downloadable products if you can — you'll get your software more quickly and go a little greener in the process.

Every product page displays the availability of the product.

• Available: The product is available.
• Temporarily Out of Stock: Although TechSoup does not have the product on hand, more products are expected. If you place a request for a Temporarily Out of Stock product, your credit card will not be charged until the product is available and ready for delivery.
• Out of Stock: The product is not available. It may or may not be available again in the future.
• Discontinued: The product is not available and is not expected to be available again in the future. This might mean that it has been replaced by a more up-to-date product.

For an in-depth description of the status of each product in your request, see our Donation Status Glossary. Sign up for our New Product Alert newsletter for updates on product availability, and check the site regularly.

• Browse by tasks: Go to the dropdown menu in the right-hand Find Solutions box or the navigation bar on the left side of the screen, and click the task you want the product to help you with. For most tasks, you will be given several subcategories from which to choose.
• Browse by partners: On the dropdown menu in the right-hand Find Solutions box or the left navigation bar, click the name of the technology partner whose donations you're interested in. Here you'll find information about the partner's donation program as well as a list of available products.
• Search: In the search boxes at the top of all TechSoup pages, type the product name or the TechSoup product ID, and click Search or Go.

Software donations and their posted administrative fees typically represent a single operator's license unless otherwise specified within the product description. When requesting products, you must calculate the quantity and the administrative fee for each license you require.

Some of our donation partners will sometimes provide multi-license packs of a particular software title. Requesting a quantity of one multi-license pack will assure that you receive the total number of licenses depicted in the description, for example 5-, 10-, 20-, or 50-license packs.

It is important to review the rules and restrictions of each of our donation partners to determine how often you can make donation requests from that partner. This will help you plan your donation requests with regards to quantity and availability.

The fastest way is to place your request is on our secure web site, using your credit card. TechSoup cannot process requests over the phone. While it is not as fast as placing orders online, you may alternatively submit orders via fax (415 633-9414) using our Donation Request Form (PDF 46 KB).

Note: Your donation will not be processed until TechSoup has verified your organization's status and qualified your organization. You can check your organization's qualification status online by going to My Organizations under My Account.

Donation requests are processed after your organization has been qualified and payment has been received, either by credit card or check. After a request has been processed, its status will display as Fully Shipped. This means that our fulfillment work at TechSoup has been completed, but it doesn't necessarily mean that the product is on its way to your door or inbox. Processed donation requests are fulfilled in one of the ways described below.

Note: If your organization is not yet qualified when you request donations, further instructions will be provided in the email confirming your donation request.

Fulfillment for Microsoft Product Donations

For Microsoft products, within one week you will receive two emails from TechSoup:

• An initial email confirming your donation request and number of licenses
• A second email with instructions for obtaining your product license

If you requested an installation disc during checkout for your Microsoft products, Microsoft will send the media directly to you within two weeks of your request being processed.

Fulfillment from TechSoup

Products being shipped to your organization directly from our TechSoup warehouse are usually shipped within two business days. Products shipped directly from TechSoup include:

• Most products listed as "boxed" or identified as "hardware" available through TechSoup Limited
• Donations from Seagate and DYMO
• Adobe special donations
• Intuit Client Education and Support software

Fulfillment by Electronic Software Distribution (ESD) or Web-Based Subscription Services

When your requested donation is either a subscription or is fulfilled via download or ESD (as identified on the product page), a fulfillment email is sent to the main email address listed on your organization's TechSoup account. The fulfillment email explains how to access the subscription or download the product. When subscriptions or products require keys for installation or activation, that information is usually included in the fulfillment email. In most cases, the email is sent within one business day of your request being processed.

Donor Partner Fulfillment

Products from the following donor partners are not sent directly from TechSoup. They are shipped either physically or via e-mail after a delay of several days or weeks after the status of your request is displayed as Fully Shipped on the Donation Request History page. The list below shows the usual time lag between the date the status of the request was changed to Shipped and the date our partners actually ship the products.

Alpha Software
After receiving a fulfillment email from TechSoup, you will receive an email from Alpha Software within two business days containing a license key.

BetterWorld
TechSoup will send you a fulfillment email confirming your donation request has been approved. BetterWorld will then contact you within two business days to conduct a needs assessment to determine the specific package of services and equipment your organization will receive, and to negotiate your service agreement.

Cisco
Cisco donation requests are subject to approval, which takes less than a week if TechSoup has all necessary qualification information from your organization. Once approved, requests are forwarded to Cisco and generally take six to eight weeks for shipment.

Shipping details provided by Cisco are available on your organization's Donation Request/History page. See How can I check the status of a request? below for details on finding this information. Occasionally, supply issues may result in longer lead times. Check our Cisco pages for any statements about potential fulfillment delays.

DonorPerfect
Within three days, you will receive an email from DonorPerfect with instructions for setting up your account. Within two weeks, you will receive a phone call from a DonorPerfect representative to make sure that you have been able to log in to the system properly and that you understand its capabilities.

Esri
Once an Esri request is approved, Esri will send your organization an email within five business days with authorization numbers and instructions on how to download the software. Esri will send a separate email with instructions on how to register for your online training course.

Esri Advanced
When you place an Esri Advanced product request, you will receive an email from TechSoup Client Services within two days asking you to submit additional information substantiating your request. This information will be reviewed by Esri, who may request further details or clarifications.

Once the request is approved, Esri will send your organization an email with authorization numbers and instructions on how to download the software. Esri will send a separate email with instructions on how to register for your online training course if your donation includes one.

FileMaker
Within two business days of receiving a fulfillment email from TechSoup, you will receive an email from FileMaker with links to a download page with a FileMaker order number (which is different from your TechSoup request number), installation links, and product keys. The download link provided in this email expires after 14 days. You must call FileMaker if you do not download before the link expires.

GrantStation
Subscriptions to GrantStation's online service are activated by GrantStation. Activation emails are sent to you by GrantStation within 10 business days after you receive your fulfillment email from TechSoup.

Headsets.com
TechSoup will send your organization an email with fulfillment and warranty information. That email also indicates that Headsets.com has received your donation request, and they will ship your equipment within the next two business days. After that, it may take up to three business days to receive your shipment.

IKON
TechSoup forwards your request for discounted rates to IKON, which will work directly with your organization to finalize your product needs and payment coordination and will then send you contract documents. After you sign and return the contract, order processing and shipping will take 10 to 12 business days.

NPC
TechSoup's fulfillment email contains a link to downloadable application documents to set up your credit card processing account with NPC. These documents must be filled out and sent to NPC before you receive your service and products. NPC generally authorizes and activates the credit card processing account and ships out the card reader within two to four weeks from the date you submit the application.

RCI
Refurbished computer equipment through RCI is generally shipped within 10 business days. TechSoup can track your RCI shipment 10 days after your request is marked as Shipped. After that it will take approximately five business days (longer for Alaska and Hawaii) for the product to arrive.

Sage Payment Solutions
TechSoup will send you a fulfillment email with a link to Sage's online merchant application. The expected processing time for the Sage Payment Solutions online application is two business days. Sage will notify you once your application has been approved.

Sage Timberline Office
TechSoup will send your organization an email with instructions for completing your donation request and an order form that must be completed and sent directly to Sage. The donation will be shipped from Sage one to two business days after they have received the order form. After that, it will take approximately five days (or longer for Alaska and Hawaii) to receive your order.

SlideRocket
When your donation request has been approved, TechSoup will send an email to your organization email address containing account activation instructions, and requiring completion of an online registration form. To add additional seats to an existing TechSoup account, SlideRocket will validate your account using the organization registration information in the fulfillment email. SlideRocket will activate additional seats within two business days, and send a confirmation email with instructions for user login.

Symantec Products
For desktop products fulfilled through download, TechSoup sends your organization an email immediately. For enterprise products, you'll receive another email from Symantec sent within seven to ten days with a certificate required for installation.

TechSoup requests a credit authorization immediately upon receipt of the card information. This displays as a transaction on your credit card statement. Some credit issuers then place a hold on the amount of the total charges, which means that the amount has not actually been charged, but it no longer counts as available credit. The fulfillment time can vary, depending on the product's in-stock status and the organization's qualification status. But no matter how long it takes, the amount will be charged only when fulfillment is complete.

To ensure that shipments reach their proper destinations, requests are only shipped to the organization's physical address. We cannot ship to P.O. boxes except for the Microsoft Donation Program. If you live in an area where the local post office does not deliver to street addresses, please update your delivery address in your TechSoup account to include your P.O. box address (you can enter this information in the Address Line 2 field).

If you require that a donation be shipped to a different address, you may update your organization's shipping address prior to placing your request. Please note that account re-qualification may be necessary in order to validate your new information.

Yes. When you make your request, you can select from four shipping options, with the exceptions noted below. Prices for software are shown in the table below. Shipping prices for other items are calculated at the time of your request.

Not all products are available for expedited shipping. If this is the case, UPS Ground will be the only shipment option.

Important: Donations supplied by some donor partners are shipped directly from the manufacturer and not by TechSoup. When you are awaiting shipments from our partners, please allow for possible delays of up to two weeks from the date your request's status shows as Shipped on the Order Status page. For a complete list of average delays experienced between the Shipped date and the date when the donor partners actually ship the donation, please see When can I expect to receive my donation, and how will it arrive?

Yes. First, log in to your TechSoup account; then click Donation Request History/Status under My Account on the header or Manage My Account on the left-hand side of the Get Products page. After you update the date range to include the date on which your organization's past requests were placed, you will see a full list of the past requests from TechSoup. Click an order number to view details.

To check the status of a request or to cancel a request, log in to TechSoup, click on the My Account link and then click on the Donation Request History/Status link.

Please make sure the date range includes includes the date on which your request was placed. The processing, payment, and shipping status of your request will appear on this page. See our Donation Status Glossary for an in-depth breakdown of what each donation request status means.

Donation requests cannot be changed once they have been placed. If you need to change or cancel products in a request, or change the payment or delivery information, you must cancel your donation request and then place a new one. You can only cancel a request if it has not yet been processed.

You can see the status of your donation requests by logging in and clicking on Donation Request History/Status at the top of your My Account page.

Requests that can be canceled will display a Cancel link in the Status of Request column on the Donation Request History/Status page. Canceling your request will re-set your organization's eligibility for the products that were in the request. If you need to update the shipping or delivery email address for your donation requests, please update your organization profile before placing a new request. You can access an organization profile through the My Account link.

Donation requests are not processed until payment is complete. If you need to add credit card information, please see How do I change or add payment information for a donation request?

Donation requests are not processed until payment is complete — meaning a check is received or valid credit card is charged. If you need to add or change credit card information, you can cancel your request as described in How can I change or cancel a donation request? and place a new one with the appropriate credit card information. Or, you can send in your information by fax to our secure fax number: (415) 633-9414.

• Request#:
• Organization name:
• Name on credit card:
• Billing address:
• City:
• State:
• Zip:
• Credit card type (AMEX, MC, or VISA):
• Credit card number:
• Credit card expiration date:
• Cardholder signature:

Make checks payable to TechSoup. Be sure to write your request number on the check, and mail it to:

We understand that you might have requested the wrong product, or received the wrong one, or the product may have arrived defective or damaged. In most cases, if you notify us as soon as possible, we can make an exchange or refund the administrative fee. Please consult the TechSoup Exchanges and Returns page for guidelines and instructions.

In other cases, we may not be able to. For these situations, it's best to contact one of our Account Management Specialists (1-800-659-3579 x2). Please have your organization's EIN and donation request number ready.

TechSoup does not provide formal receipts. If you need a receipt for your records, you can either print the confirmation email which was sent to your organization's email address or find and print the details of a donation request by following these steps:

1. Log in.
2. Click My Account at the top of the screen.
3. Click Donation Request History/Status.
4. Edit the date range if needed.
5. Find your request in the list, and click on the request number to view it.
6. Click Print This Page to print the record.