New site to enable individuals to donate PCs
Howard Lake | 18 June 2003 | News
UK charities can now apply for free, donated computers on a new Web site, donateapc.org.uk.
Donateapc.org.uk acts as a free ‘matchmaking service’ to enable individuals and organisations to donate their unneeded computers, printers and IT equipment to a UK charity. Charities can therefore browse through the database and contact the donors directly if they are interested in receiving the equipment.
In addition, charities themselves are also encouraged to donate their old computers for other charities if they are upgrading their own PCs. The service is free for donors and charities alike.
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For donors, the service is primarily intended for people who only have one or two computers they want to donate, or for anyone who can’t find a recycling organisation who will take their unwanted equipment. There are plenty of recognised recycling organisations that will handle donations of multiple computers or IT equipment.
Ivan Wainewright, one of the site’s founders, explained: “There are many people who would like to give their old and unneeded computers to a charity but for various reasons they cannot do so through one of the standard recycling organisations. For example, they may not live near enough to such an organisation, or it may not be convenient for their local recycling organisation to accept just one or two items. Or they may wish to donate the computer to a particular type of cause.
“Donateapc thus increases the ways in which people can give their old IT equipment to a good cause. Items such as computers, printers, scanners, hubs, screens and even photo-copiers can be made good use of by a charity or non-profit organisation.”
The site also includes tips for charities on what they should consider before accepting a used computer and articles on what donors should do before donating their PC to charity.
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.