Advocating for environmental responsibility since 2006
Computers Across Borders (CAB) is a non-profit charitable foundation that is recycling used computers to teachers and classrooms in underserved areas. We particularly target schools that are employing renewable energy to power their classrooms and reduce their carbon footprint and reduce global warming.
How it works: Corporations and individuals donate used but still operating computers. CAB assesses their viability for recycling, refits them with any new equipment, such as batteries for laptops or necessary software, and donates them to worthy teachers in underserved areas, utilizing NGOs in developing nations to assist on the ground with targeting recipients, basic training, and assistance. CAB will also gratefully accept cash donations to help defray the cost of computer batteries, parts and software to adapt the computers to their new uses and home countries.
Scope: CAB will distribute desktop computers to classrooms in the U.S., and laptops (because of their portability and lower power consumption) to teachers in developing countries where the village is powered by renewable energy. We are initially targeting programs overseas on three continents: Asia (India), Africa (Senegal), and South America (Ecuador), as well as domestic areas. See more detailed information by checking the news page.
Why participate? It is a way for an environmentally conscious firm or individual, since these computers are donated to schools that employ renewable energy, to make an environmental commitment to reduce global warming gases otherwise emitted by traditional fossil fuel electric plants, and at the same time promote worthwhile educational objectives.
CAB, The organization: CAB is a new incorporated charitable corporation, registered as an operating foundation in Massachusetts, with a pending Internal Revenue Service application for 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization status. 501(c)(3) status allows donations of computers or money to be credited as tax-deductible charitable donations for the giver. CAB will provide the giver for his or her tax records a letter documenting and verifying all gifts.
How CAB Got Started: CAB is a foundation started by its primary volunteers to achieve two goals: Promoting renewable power/sustainable development and computer learning. Older computers can be a problem to dispose correctly because of their electronic components; yet even today’s “obsolete” computers can serve quite well in basic classroom or Internet-based learning environments. Particularly, computers can make a real difference in developing countries.
Staff: All staff volunteer their time. No person associated with CAB receives any compensation, so 100% of all donations go directly to charitable purposes.
What you can do: Become a partner joining us in recycling your used computers for these charitable purposes. Please contact us if interested.