So, you know that you can give money to a nonprofit. That is a given. But, what is not commonly known is that people can give "things" to a nonprofit...which you can see and touch. That is called "tangible personal property," and it can be donated "in-kind," which means intact, without selling or liquidating it first. These gifts-in-kind can come as "related-use," meaning the gifts are in sync with the mission and vision of the nonprofit, or they can be "unrelated use," which is likely to have different tax treatment, and the nonprofit may not keep it intact---so, the nonprofit will likely sell these and apply the net proceeds to its mission.
Today, we are focused on in-kind gifts. Like computers!
Did you know that almost five out of ten people in the U.S. have never owned a computer before, which is also to say they don't have access to the internet either? And, how many businesses retire the old computers and bring in new ones without any plan to dispose of the old ones?
PCs for People is a national nonprofit social enterprise working to get low-cost quality computers and internet into the homes of individuals, families, and nonprofits with low income. By recycling and then refurbishing computers, PCs for People provides a valuable service to businesses, families, and the planet by keeping computers out of landfills and repurposing them to advance digital inclusion.
So far, they have refurbished 13 million pounds (!) of what would have otherwise been e-waste. And, they have connected 92,000 households to the internet and distributed 260,000 computers to all fifty states, plus Puerto Rico. Read about Loren Williams and PCs for People here:
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