Shelby County Schools - Used Computer
Donations
Resources
- Share
the Technology offers advice
to schools concerning donations.
- "Free" can have a high cost if you are not able to use the
donation or if it will cost too much to repair an outdated
system.
- If you accept equipment which does not meet your needs, an
"asset" could become a liability.
- Depending on your circumstances, some donations may not be
worth accepting.
- You should be prepared to thank a potential donor and tell
them politely that you simply cannot use their gift.
- Share
the Technology urges schools
to answer these questions to help evaluate the situation
and to avoid accepting items which may not be
useful.
- Do you have staff members with computer repair skills?
- Are your staff repair people experienced enough to evaluate
potential donations with a careful and skeptical eye?
- Even it the computers you've been offered are in perfect
working order, are they suitable for your needs?
- Are the offered computers able to run the software you
need?
- Can you purchase the older software you need at a
reasonable price? Is it still available?
- If you accept computers which need repair, and/or repair
parts, do you have someone available to perform the repairs in
a reasonable time and at an affordable cost?
- Are repair parts readily available and at a reasonable
price?
- If you don't have a skilled staff member, do you have the
money to pay for repairs at a local computer repair shop?
- If you must pay for extensive repairs, you should ask
yourself if it makes any sense to spend the money to repair
older systems. If not, does it make any sense to accept the
donation?
- Proper
Disposal and Recycling of used
computer equipment can be complicated and costly. This information
comes from a company which has been in the electronic asset
recovery business for years.
- Computers
for Schools is a nonprofit
organization which receives, refurbishes, and distributes used
computers to schools. This organization has relatively high
standards for donated equipment, accepting only pentium PC's and
PowerMacs. The program is active nationally, but it is still in
the planning stages in the state of Tennessee. It appears that
Tennessee schools have nothing to gain at this point by
registering for donations at this site.
- Jericho
Road is a Memphis based nonprofit
group that accepts donated equipment, refurbishes it, and
redistributes it to nonprofit organizations in the local area.
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