Are there companies that will donate a new/refurb computer TO me?

March 15, 2013 8:22 AM

I work for the Philadelphia chapter of a national nonprofit. We help people with a specific neurological disease. One of these people would like help getting a computer. How can I help facilitate this?

I work for the Philadelphia chapter of a national nonprofit. We help people with a specific neurological disease. One of these people would like help getting a computer. How can I help facilitate this? My coworkers approached me because I work in the IT dept. I've previously worked with organizations that would take my old PCs and re purpose them to schools and I have reached out to these contacts. Has anyone here ever worked with National companies to get donated computers? As a long shot, I'm thinking of emailing Newegg, Woot, and TigerDirect to see if they would be willing to donate a refurbished laptop but I don't really know how else to proceed.

posted by remthewanderer to Computers & Internet (6 answers total)

Tech Soup is a good place to start. You'd want a new computer. Does the national org have a grant pot to help clients buy equipment for home use?
posted by parmanparman at 8:32 AM on March 15, 2013

Response by poster: @parmanparman

Thanks for the lead with Tech Soup. I think my boss has used it to get software licenses in the past. Now we get all our software from our National Office.

We have nothing in place that revolves around helping clients buy technology. All of our equipment grants are related to resistive devices like wheelchairs and scooters.
posted by remthewanderer at 8:44 AM on March 15, 2013

These folks are in Ephrata which is not that near to you but they are likely to have an idea of what resources are available in your area for things like this. The public library might also have some ideas. I know that at the tech center (high school) that I work at we have a four year replacement plan for all of our IT and often donate what we have left. The same is probably also true for local banks and businesses. The most important part is that you get a computer that does what your client wants (gaming? internet browsing? word processing?) and that someone can set it up for them to be secure and at least a little bulletproof.

You do not need to start with a new computer if you can not afford a new computer but I would be mindful that the computer have at least a current browser and operating systems and software for whatever the client wants.
posted by jessamyn at 9:08 AM on March 15, 2013

Since you're in Philadelphia what about contacting an IT manager from CHOP and seeing if they can give you one of the many systems a large IT department replaces on a regular basis?

Since the PCs may have protected health information on them you can alleviate their security/privacy liability concerns by saying that you'd be OK with accepting a system with no hard drives. You'd then have a PC that would need a hard drive and OS installed.

I'd try contacting a specific department's IT group like radiology, cardiology etc.... instead of the general IT people because you'll be more likely to reach someone.

You can also try going through their public relations/marketing department and maybe work out a PR event where CHOP helps out a helpful organization etc.....
posted by eatcake at 9:11 AM on March 15, 2013

I'm not sure if this would work, but perhaps try contacting the local universities' IT depts and seeing if they'll do this. I know someone in one of these, MeMail me if you'd like me to ask him!
posted by DoubleLune at 9:24 AM on March 15, 2013

I would try to contact Dell about this actually. A nonprofit I used to work for in Ireland had (I think) a partner program with them doing exactly this, so they may be able to recommend a program in your area too.
posted by TwoWordReview at 4:33 PM on March 15, 2013