Gemmis is refurbishing old computers this year so that we can donate them to Peace Corps Volunteers stationed in remote, underdeveloped countries. These volunteers work as ambassadors for America, tackling sustainable development issues while promoting understanding between America and the assigned country. The computers will be used by volunteers to teach basic computer skills to young adults with limited access to most modern technology.
If you’re looking to contribute, take the following steps to get your computer donation ready.
Backup Important Information
Document, music, spreadsheets, photos, videos- get all of this off your computer and stored on a hard drive or flash drive. Make sure you check for any bookmarked sites or archived emails you might need. If your computer is set to remember passwords or stores your other passwords, make sure to back these up as well.
Leave Nothing Behind
You are less likely to find a CD in your drive today than you would have been 10 years ago, but check there just in case. You don’t want to leave a copy of Jurassic World behind. Don’t forget about any SD cards or USBs that might be attached.
Tax Deduction
You may be able to deduct a portion of the value of your computer from your taxes. To do this, you’ll need to determine a fair market value. Data collected should include CPU type and speed, RAM, graphics card, sound card, and hard drive space and speed.
Wipe the Hard Drive
If you’re worried about accidently sharing personal information or data, make sure you wipe your drive completely clean. Deleting files won’t always work as there are files that are hidden or can be attained by file-undeletion software.
Gemmis Picks them up
We take your old computer, reinstall necessary programs and then ship them to the people that need them most.
Not only does donating your computer help those in need, it lessens the environmental impact and clears up shelf space in your office. It’s a win, win, win.
