Resources
Information Services 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to repair an outdated system.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.
Information Services 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 if 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.
