My friends, we gather here today to say goodbye to old business hardware. We didn’t always get along, but these monitors and computers served us well. Weep not for their dusty, bulky shells. For these pieces can live again, as we donate these old computers to charity.
Donating is a great alternative to throwing out old IT hardware, as it can:
- Benefit someone else as low-cost hardware
- Give you free data-wiping
- Give you a tax deduction
- (Sometimes) involve free pickup
- Keep toxic metals out of landfills (ask your city’s waste department about recycling old hardware if you can’t donate it.)
As you clean house in the office this season, make sure to review these tips so you can make the most of your old equipment and avoid the security risks that come with donating old computers.
Charities that accept old computer donations
There are several good charities you can donate old computers and hardware to.
The National Cristina Foundation uses donated computer technology to help people with disabilities or economic disadvantages to lead more independent and productive lives. Their non-profit locator is a handy tool that lets you see exactly what hardware is needed near you. Many of the locations are happy to come pick up your items.
The Computer Recycling Center does the sorting (and heavy lifting) for you by picking up useful hardware and usable computers for public community programs. They also take care to recycle unusable items properly.
Goodwill Industries provides an extra (valuable) step in the process of donating old computers: They wipe the data off your machines. Many Goodwill locations also provide a pickup service, but they appreciate if you’re able to provide the original documentation, disks, and media, as well as proof of license that came with your hardware. Having the latter helps facilitate the legal transfer of the OS, so it can be used again.
Hot tip: Wipe (or encrypt) your data before donating old computers
Never donate, recycle, or dump old computers, phones, scanners, printers, or anything with a hard drive unless:
a. The data has been wiped, or
b. The hard drive was encrypted
You can read more about how to wipe data here (or let Goodwill Industries take care of it for you).
Don’t forget to write off your donations
Good deeds can be good for your heart and your taxes. You can usually deduct the fair market value of the old computers and equipment you donate. Just keep a list (many charities will provide a receipt) of your donations and their value and let your tax professional know about them.
Call us when it’s time for new hardware
Varay can walk you through the process of purchasing new hardware and installing everything so your business can run at peak efficiency. Plus, we can get you discounts through our valuable partnerships.
Contact us today to get the best business equipment at a great price.
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