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Looking for a computer? Applications are by mail only. How to apply
Computers with Causes

Where your computer goes

From the day you send the form to the day someone opens it for the first time, here is the path your donation takes.

A volunteer hands a refurbished laptop to a student

The path

  1. You send the form

    You tell us about your device, add a few photos and an estimated value.

  2. We review it

    Our team looks at every donation case by case and replies with next steps.

  3. It arrives

    You ship it after approval, or we pick up bulk donations.

  4. It's wiped

    Every device is wiped with Acronis before it's reused.

  5. It's refurbished

    Devices are tested, cleaned and prepared for a new owner.

  6. Someone new gets online

    It goes to a person or organization that needs a computer.

Inside each step

Review

Before anything ships, we look at what you're donating and its condition. The photos and estimated value on your form help us plan where it can go.

Wiping

Every device is wiped with Acronis before it's reused, so nothing from your old computer goes with it. Businesses can request a certificate of data destruction.

Testing and refurbishing

Devices are tested, cleaned and repaired where possible. Batteries, drives, memory and screens are checked. Parts from devices that can't be repaired help fix others.

Matching

Requests come from individuals, families, schools and nonprofits through our mailed application. Each one is read and checked. Computers are matched to requests based on what people need and what we have.

A new owner

A student finishing a degree, a veteran searching for work, a grandparent learning video calls, a school building a lab. Your donation becomes the computer they use every day.

Who receives them

Students, job seekers, seniors, veterans, families, schools and nonprofits. We place thousands of computers a year.

People apply by mail, and our team reviews each request before a computer is matched to it. A student might get a laptop for homework, a job seeker a desktop for applications and video interviews, and a senior a tablet for calls with family. Equipment that can't be reused is never placed. We responsibly dispose of electronic waste through standard recycling and processing procedures, which are then handled by downstream facilities that process any e-waste material.

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