Donating Computer Equipment
Determine its Condition
Before you decide where to donate your used computer, determine its condition. This is important because although schools, churches and community centers are grateful to receive electronic donations, extremely old or dysfunctional machines can cost hundreds of dollars to refurbish. As a rule of thumb, if your computer is more than 5 years old you should donate it to a recycling or refurbishing plant instead of an organization. These plants can determine the course of action for your machine based on its age, condition, speed and function. You should likewise donate your machine to a plant if it has numerous problems that may include non-functioning drives, extreme slowness or constantly needing to be rebooted. This applies to computer equipment and accessories as well.
Locating an Organization for Donation
Remember that not all schools, community centers, non-profits and refurbishing plants are dying to take your old computer off your hands. Some may already have enough computers; others may find that the money and effort it would take to get your machine up to speed isn't worth it. So call ahead to determine what a particular organization's needs are and what you can offer. Also note that most Salvation Army and Goodwill locations are no longer accepting old computers or computer accessories. Call Computers for Schools at 800-939-6000 to locate a school near you that can use your computer equipment. You can also call the National Cristina Foundation at 203-863-9100 for a list of non-profit refurbishers.
Document Your Donations
Donations--including electronics--are tax deductible, so keep a list of exactly what you donate. This should include the make/model and year of all computers, equipment and accessories. Remember, however, that if you're donating your equipment to an electronic recycling or refurbishing plant it must be a non-profit operation in order to claim it as a deduction. Most schools and non-profit community associations will be able to provide you with tax receipts, which can be convenient during tax season. When you buy electronics and accessories in the future, be sure to save your receipts, applicable software and disks in a safe place. This will make it easier to determine the value of your donations in the future.
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