Charities You Can Give a Computer To
When you get a new computer, you have a few options for your old one. Keep it in the closet to gather dust, try to sell it or donate it to charity. The third one helps the community--plus, you can take a tax deduction. Here's how to find a charity that welcomes old computers--and how to make your donation most effective.
- Difficulty:
- Easy
Instructions
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Call your favorite charity to find out whether it accepts used computers. If it doesn't, contact your local United Way, which deals with with many charities. You can also go through an online organization such as Computers With Causes (see Resources below).
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Clean your equipment before you donate it--that will save the charity a lot of time. Wipe off the surface and use compressed air to spray the inside of the computer and the keyboard. Make sure your mouse is clean, too.
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When you donate your computer, include the power cord and any other necessary cords and cables. This makes it easier and less expensive for an organization to put your computer to good use.
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Only donate computer equipment if it's good shape. Make sure your monitor works well and the keys on your keyboard are all intact. If everything doesn't look good, recycle rather than donate your computer. You'll be doing the charity a favor so it doesn't have to pay recycling fees.
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Tips & Warnings
Erase your hard drive before you donate your computer (see Resources below).
