The Curious Case of Donating IT Equipment
Among the essential findings of our Islands in the Wastestream report covering the state of the non-commercial computer refurbishing field was the realization that a steady lack of donated computers remains one of the primary inhibitors to computer reuse. It remains true in recessionary times when companies are either extending the leases on their IT equipment or simply holding on to the computers they own beyond the three- to four-year period often considered a customary life-span.
Companies and institutions are key to supplying five-year-old-and-newer computers to the reuse sector. They ordinarily discard computers when warranties run out after three years and account for the majority of the computer install base. On the other hand, individuals tend to hold on to computers much longer and frequently do not discard equipment until five to seven years have passed. This means that individual donations can’t resolve the shortage of donated equipment.
The business research companies IDC and Gartner have consistently found that donating computers can be significantly risky in terms of data security or difficult in terms of finding the right donation partner. It certainly works best for everyone involved if companies or individuals donate their five-year-old-and-newer equipment to a certified refurbisher rather than give computers directly to a charity or school, especially when hard drives must be wiped of personal or customer information or donors are uncertain of the condition of their equipment.
Refurbishers ensure that equipment intended for nonprofits and schools is in top working order and able to run legal copies of software. Certified refurbishers also know how to sanitize data and properly dispose of non-usable parts and electronic waste so they are not a detriment to the environment.
There are a number of Microsoft Authorized and Registered Refurbishers, many of which are nonprofit refurbishers that do this work very well, and are easy to find via a zip code searchable listing of them. We've also advocated computer donations with our Ten Tips for Donating a Computer, which is a perennial top ten article on TechSoup Global.
One of our most concerted efforts to fix the computer donation problem resides in our RCI effort, where we have designed a program that supplies companies with very high-end asset management services, including data security guarantees via our refurbishment partner, Redemtech. The RCI program accepts bulk donations of 100 or more computers at a time.
The added bonuses of participating in a donation program include tax incentives and social benefits associated with donating to a nonprofit organization that can truly use the equipment. The environmental benefit of adding life to IT equipment is very strong; it is roughly 25 times more beneficial environmentally to reuse computers than to recycle them after only three to five years of use.
Some of the best information on the value and benefits of donating IT equipment originates with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), such as the public awareness campaign titled Do the PC Thing for both corporate and individual equipment donors. The EPA also produced a great short video titled Pass IT On, featuring corporate leaders talking about donating IT equipment.
TechSoup Global has a complete roster of donation benefits provided through its RCI program. U.S. tax laws pertaining to donations to non-profits, libraries and schools are in Section 170 of the Federal Income Tax Code. Business donors can deduct the un-depreciated value of a computer, and individuals can deduct the current market value of donated equipment.
If you're interested in donating your computers to a refurbishment program, please visit TechSoup Global's Refurbished Computer Initiative web page to learn more.
Information from this blog appeared previously on TechSoup Global’s website.
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