How to Handle Computer Donations
Breathe new life into your collection

By Steven Wyatt

"Computer." We hear the word everyday, usually more than once. Today, almost every company has more than one computer, and all employees are asked to have computer skills. In the United States, there is almost one computer per every man, woman and child. Are you one of the Americans without one? Well, surveys indicate that more than 61 percent of American households have them, and over 39 percent of these households have more than one--the average is three. According to Microsoft Corporation, more than 100 million PCs were sold last year--that's a lot of computers! So, as businesses and individuals purchase and set up all these new computers, what happens to all the old ones? Where will they go? Do not assume they will all be reused.

In a report to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Washington, D.C., last year, Stanford Research reports that each month, more than two million computers end up in United States landfills. At this rate, this figure could grow to exceed 10 million a month by 2004. When this happens, the friendly desktop computer turns into a toxic waste polluter. Computer equipment contains lead, tin, nickel, copper and gold. As rain and runoff pass over these elements, trace amounts are carried into the groundwater and our drinking water. This makes it extremely important to find ways of responsibly disposing of old computer equipment.

Schools, churches and nonprofit organizations that accept donated computers can reuse them in some traditional areas--classrooms, day care, youth centers, libraries and after-school programs. New programs also donate computers to individuals--youth, families and elderly people--who want to write letters, do homework and go on-line to research and send/receive e-mail. These recycling/reuse programs create second, third and even fourth lives for cast-off computers.

It sounds simple: collect computers and redistribute them from the haves to the have-nots. That's exactly what I thought 10 years ago when, along with Wil Marshman and Mark Hass, we started the first computer recycling program in the nation, the Computer Recycling Center. In our first year, we recycled 2,000 computers; last year, this figure exceeded 100,000. Whether your church already has a similar program in place or is just starting one, reusing and recycling computer equipment is a very dynamic industry, always changing at the speed of the market. Newer, faster and cheaper is the order of the day. Programs come and go, so I'll examine some areas to watch for, plan for and develop on the way to maintaining a successful computer recycling/reuse program.

Know what you're dealing with

Ask the question, "Why do I get rid of things?" One of the primary answers is, "It doesn't work anymore." Remember, the church will be receiving items that do not work or have intermittent problems. Your church must have three different and interrelated plans in place. How will it manage the distribution of computers? How will it process the computers it takes in? And how will it provide follow-up training, service and maintenance for the computers it gives away?

To begin with, what sort of units are donated? If all your church gets is obsolete, outdated equipment, you will be in the recycling--not reuse--business. In this instance, there will be no equipment worth placing.

The most commonly donated computers are "win-tel" PCs (Windows-Intel, previously referred to as IBM PC compatibles). The other most popular donation is Apple, also known as iMac, Mac and older models including Lisa, GS and the Apple IIe and Apple III. The percentage of win-tel machines being donated is between 94 percent and 96 percent, and PCs and Macs are donated about 4-6% of the time.

In this article, all the facts and figures given will refer to win-tel machines. If your church receives any non-DOS or non-Windows computers (Osborne and Kaypro, to name a couple), these will not work in your program. You will likely receive everything from original IBM PCs to XTs, 286s, 386s, 486s, AMD 586s, Cyrix 686s, Intel Pentiums, and maybe some Pentium IIs. Our organization reuses only Pentium and Pentium II class machines including Intel, AMD and Cyrix processors. We dismantle 486, 586 and 686 computers to reuse as many parts as possible, and we recycle the rest of the machines. This includes dismantling and recycling the plastics, metals and other elements.

It is important that your church use only reclamation recycling companies with licenses and permits. This assures the greatest confidence that the items will be recycled environmentally. This approach poses the least threat of the church being held responsible in the event that items are dumped or disposed of improperly.

What's "in the box" & who gets it?

After you determine the kinds and quantities of computers your church receives, you will know what you can distribute. You will, more often than not, get what you ask for when it comes to computer donations. Have a "line" you always use to tell businesses, individuals and the media about what kind of equipment you want--namely, "complete and working computers with no parts removed." I often explain that older parts will not fit or function in newer machines (they are too slow or the capacity is too little), so they should leave all the parts in to ensure a better chance of the machine being reused. If you fail to put everyone on notice, the result is usually stripped, non-working machines.

Use a licensed program like Troubleshooter to boot up the computer, then review the contents and capacity electronically. If the program does not "see" one of the parts in the computer that you eyeball (CD-ROM, Modem, Sound Card), chances are, that part is not working. You will not even have to open the case or take the unit apart to evaluate the computer. This is not always the final say, but it is a good educated guess at what is "in the box."

Also, get a licensed virus protection program. If you determine that this computer is of value to your program, run a virus check. Clean any viruses off the hard drive before moving the computer to the next workspace. Sometimes the only thing wrong with a computer is that it was exposed to a virus that has wiped out files or changed settings. After virus removal, a clean load of the operating system will restore the function of these types of computers.

Next, identify who really wants and needs your computers. Schools, community programs and individuals all want and need different equipment, training and support. The right computer for a typing class is not the same as a library computer used to perform research. And both of these are different than a game computer for an after-school community program or an e-mail machine an elderly person uses to keep in touch with grandchildren. If the computers the church receives do not match the needs of its customers, it will not be doing a service but creating unnecessary headaches and problems. If you can identify a particular group that would benefit from the type(s) of equipment and software your church is most likely to receive, and you have volunteers or staff knowledgeable enough to work them, you are in business. In technology, trying to be all things to all people minimizes effectiveness and spreads resources too thin. Make sure to include the element of "shared responsibility" with the group or individuals with which you plan to place the computers. At CRC, we require groups or organizations to appoint a person to take responsibility for the technical side of maintaining the computers and software. Although we back the equipment we place, we do not hold hands to maintain and upgrade, and we do not answer questions about (or provide support for) software programs and operation. Publications are out there (the For Dummies series of books and the Video Professor line of CDs, for example) that guide even the novice in how to use the software on their computer.

Speaking of software...

With recycling comes the question of software copyright infringement. What software is legal to install in a computer? This issue is being revised by software companies to recognize that programs currently installed on a computer may be transferred legally to the new owner if one of the following conditions is met:

1. The license and all disk media is turned over to the new owner, and the original owner does not retain any programs or copies of programs. This does not include the instance in which the original owner purchases and currently uses an upgraded version of the previous software.

2. The original license, media or both has been damaged or destroyed and will not be used again. The original owner can provide a statement letter to the new owner, gifting the software and license use to the new owner. Remember, in most instances the user never "owns" the software; he is simply granted license to use it. Software remains the intellectual property of the company that issued it and/or its author. Licenses can be revoked for misuse.

The most useful software found on win-tel machines is Windows 95 and Windows 98. Windows 95 C version looks and feels very much like Windows 98 and is an excellent, bug-free operating system. Most of the software you will want to use runs on 95 C. To run this program, a computer should have a minimum configuration of Pentium 75 MHz or higher and 16 or more megs of RAM. It should possess a 500-megabyte or higher hard drive to run Windows 95 for use as a word processing machine and at least 1 gigabyte for Internet-ready e-mail. The computer should also have at least 1 meg of video RAM and an EIDE controller that sees a hard drive with a capacity of greater than 500-megabyte storage space. If the computer has a CD-ROM, it should be a 4-speed or greater and the modem should be at least 28.8K--preferably 33.6K or 56K. (Note: Anything better than the minimum configuration is a bonus.)

Make it happen

At this point, you have identified your machines, who is best served (i.e., your customers), the type of programs you will be supporting, and likely even the hardware configuration needed as well as the software to be used. Now, how are you going to make your recycling program happen?

Now is the time to define the technology program, the blueprint for your operation. This can be shared with the public to let them know what you will be doing and used internally to govern the operations. This is when you state your objectives--including the level of equipment and accessories necessary--along with a timetable or timeframe to accomplish each goal. Do not create a far-reaching, long-term plan. Look at what you want to get done right now and over the next year. Since this industry changes twice a year, planning far into the future is futile. Deciding what you hope to accomplish identifies the software and training required to make it happen. This software, in turn, dictates the kind of equipment you can use. Examples: Going on the Internet will require a modem. Being on a network will require a network card. Text documents will require a simple video. Extensive graphics will require additional video RAM memory. The list goes on. Games, for instance, are demanding, so unless you have educational games that specifically require a computer, a dedicated game machine is a better use of equipment and resources. It poses far fewer technical problems.

Don't forget the details

If you're just starting out, here's how to make the collection process run smoothly.

Attract donations. Insert write-ups in your church bulletin. Make announcements at services and events and run public service announcements on local radio and TV stations. Announce your collection in classrooms and pass out fliers for students to take home to parents.

Collect the computers. Make it easy for people to unload their computers with a drop-off event. Plan this at least two to four weeks in advance of the day and use every avenue of communication to get the word out. Make sure the site enables vehicles to pull up, drop off and continue on with a minimum of turning around and backing out. Be sure you have enough space to store and sort all the items you get. (This stuff is bulky and it takes up a lot of space.) Make sure enough people are recruited to accept donations. Train volunteers in proper lifting (no bad backs) and make sure they wear gloves. Show them how to avoid crushing equipment by stacking too much and be sure they do not scratch monitor glass.

No computer recycling program can operate without donations. Now that you know how it's done, here's hoping your church is one of the success stories.

Steven Wyatt is the Executive Director of Computers & Education and The Computer Recycling Center, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization. Visit www.crc.org for more information.