i have two older macs that i would like to donate.
it is not worth selling them, and i am hoping some organization might be able to do something with them.

one is a beige g3 266.
the other one is an old powermac.

from what i've been able to find out, most places don't seem to accept anything older than g3s, but it would be nice to get rid of them both. and nice to get a tax receipt, however small.

reboot seems to be the only place in toronto that would take at least one of them.
would that be my best bet? opinions?

dude, I just came back from an event that reBoot held this evening. They would be the one to deal with - I would say. Although I did not see any Macs when I was in their warehouse, I would certainly send it their way. I met many of the staff tonight oddly enough...

I ironically worked with a sattelite organization who also does the same/works alongside reboot. PM me and I will tell you more about it...

Anyhow, lemme know what you decide dude. ;)

H!

if there is a school computer donation over there (there should be, its over here in small Victoria), most of the time they will take anything that is a powermac and up. Or used to at least...they took my 386 last year :D

There's some controversy I've read surrounding ReBoot (http://www.rebootcanada.ca/) in Toronto and whether or not they're profiteering from the donations they receive. That is, stripping parts and selling good systems through an associate business.

gmark, that's very interesting to hear. Where did you get the info?

I know that many shelters in the Toronto area are happy to take old computers (as long as they still run). I know that the Yellow Brick House in Aurora (905 727 1944) has taken computers as old as Mac Classics in the past year.

I know that many shelters in the Toronto area are happy to take old computers (as long as they still run). I know that the Yellow Brick House in Aurora (905 727 1944) has taken computers as old as Mac Classics in the past year.

Do you get a tax receipt for donating there?

gmark, that's very interesting to hear. Where did you get the info?
I read this on RFD:
reBOOT Canada has recently also setup store fronts which are supposedly not for profit organizations which they use to sell their low-end donated equipment to the public sector, and in turn claim to be taking the proceeds of the sales and giving it back to reBOOT Canada.

Check out : http://byteme-computers.com/

Now what I have a hard time understanding is, lets say you donate a computer to them which is a Pentium 100Mhz, and in their mandate is clearly states they are to redistribute equipment and computers to charities and non-proft organizations, but instead they turn around and sell it for a buck to some guy on the street using byteme-computers as their front!

I have a problem with this because when you take your tax reciept to the government at the end of the year you find out that they only give you half of what the reciept says; so you take your computer to reboot, then turn around and sell it for what its worth, if not more, yet you only get half back? Who's really coming out on top here? I would rather find a organization in need of a computer system who has charity status that would get some use out of my machine, or give it to someone who is very thankful of having a computer at all!
Original thread: http://forums.redflagdeals.com/showthread.php?t=80648

Do you get a tax receipt for donating there?

Not sure. You could call and ask.

I haven't used it, but the government has a program for donating computers so that they can be used in schools (http://cfs-ope.ic.gc.ca/).

What you've read about reBoot is true. They are not what they claim to be.

As for donating to schools, please don't inflict a 266 Mhz computer on someone's children. Even if the school would accept it, which is, one can hope, unlikely.

Thanks for the link, gmark but this is old news to me. I'd actually forgotten that they had a storefront. When, reBoot first started up in the late 1990s they had a storefront on Queen St. West. I went there because I was curious about finding a 486 to run Linux on.

They closed that location and, for quite a while, did not have a storefront but that big warehouse off of Dupont past Bathurst. (Geary?)

They seem to go through phases of having a storefront and not having a storefront. Looking at the ByteMe page you can clearly see that all proceeds go to reBoot. And you have to remember that reBoot's mission is not simply as a distribution point for old computer equipment. I really don't think that there is anything sinister going on.

Thanks for the link, gmark but this is old news to me. I'd actually forgotten that they had a storefront. When, reBoot first started up in the late 1990s they had a storefront on Queen St. West. I went there because I was curious about finding a 486 to run Linux on.

They closed that location and, for quite a while, did not have a storefront but that big warehouse off of Dupont past Bathurst. (Geary?)

They seem to go through phases of having a storefront and not having a storefront. Looking at the ByteMe page you can clearly see that all proceeds go to reBoot. And you have to remember that reBoot's mission is not simply as a distribution point for old computer equipment. I really don't think that there is anything sinister going on.

Where do the proceeds go then? Is it now a registered charity, or is it a business? Why would a charity charge a drop off fee ($10 to $50) and then sell off surplus instead of donating it?

The proceeds all go to reBoot but they are also seem to be mixing in a bit of two different "business" models...they redistribute equipment and they also sell equipment...all proceeds ultimately end up supporting their work.

I know the founder's, Devon's, best friend. reBoot Canada is a business.

First, you ask whether it is a charity or a business and now you're saying that it's a business. What would you call Goodwill? A business?

Value Village is definitely a business despite its core business of selling thrift goods.

I am irked that the clothes that I drop off in a donation box more than likely won't make it to backs of someone on Jarvis Street. It's being sold for profit by the owner of the donation box (not necessarily a charity). There was a huge article in the Toronto Star about Toronto being the capital of the worldwide used clothing market and how my donation is being sold on the streets of West Africa diminishing the craft and economy of the third world country.

I know the founder's, Devon's, best friend. reBoot Canada is a business.
I wonder where this guy lives and what he drives. There's no limitations on how much non-profit executives can be paid.

First, you ask whether it is a charity or a business and now you're saying that it's a business. What would you call Goodwill? A business?

Goodwill employs people who need the work and sells clothes etc. that have been cleaned up, for little cost. I don't care if it's a business or a charity.

Value Village has a big sign that says they accept "Donations." It isn't a charity. And it isn't goodwill.

reBoot Canada states that it is a charity, but it makes a ton of dosh on people's old computers. It's in the Value Village camp, and really no better than all those clothing drop boxes that simply take old clothes and sell them by weight to third world countries, at a profit, for profit, the way reBoot takes your old computer, charges you to take it, and then sells it.

Every year, reboot takes its surplus and sells it, as is, in the parking lot outside its store. If your computer is old enough, that's where it's going.

Value Village is definitely a business despite its core business of selling thrift goods.

Not sure where Value Village comes into this conversation...are you trying to say that it's a charity despite its core business of selling thrift goods?

I am irked that the clothes that I drop off in a donation box more than likely won't make it to backs of someone on Jarvis Street. It's being sold for profit by the owner of the donation box (not necessarily a charity). There was a huge article in the Toronto Star about Toronto being the capital of the worldwide used clothing market and how my donation is being sold on the streets of West Africa diminishing the craft and economy of the third world country.

True...but, the article also pointed out that your clothes had better be in top condition and still fashionable or else. :D

I wonder where this guy lives and what he drives. There's no limitations on how much non-profit executives can be paid.

Are you implying that non-profit executives should be limited as to their paycheques? Should they wear a hairshirt...that they walk to work...that they live in a tar paper shack in order to meet your level of what's appropriate for a non-profit? LOL!

Do you have any idea of how hard it is to run a non-profit organization? You've not only got to sell your message to an often uneducated and uncaring public but you've also got to be able to recruit, manage and retain a staff that is often unpaid.

Goodwill employs people who need the work and sells clothes etc. that have been cleaned up, for little cost. I don't care if it's a business or a charity.

Value Village has a big sign that says they accept "Donations." It isn't a charity. And it isn't goodwill.

reBoot Canada states that it is a charity, but it makes a ton of dosh on people's old computers. It's in the Value Village camp, and really no better than all those clothing drop boxes that simply take old clothes and sell them by weight to third world countries, at a profit, for profit, the way reBoot takes your old computer, charges you to take it, and then sells it.

Every year, reboot takes its surplus and sells it, as is, in the parking lot outside its store. If your computer is old enough, that's where it's going.

Let's go over some points:

A. You don't care that Goodwill states that it's a charity running a business yet you have a problem when reBoot does the same thing. Give me an "H"...give me a "y"... ;)
B. Again, I don't know where VV comes into this.
C. You say that reBoot makes a "ton of dosh"...ok, prove it. If you're concerned about their profits you can simply go to the Canada Revenue Agency's website and check on the statements that they are required to submit every year since 2000. It's currently down at the moment but you can give CRA a call. :)
Alternatively, you can ask the charity to show you their books.
D. You're incorrect as to what reBoot charges. If you had bothered to check their website you will see that they charge you $10 per monitor (I gave them two about 4 years back and they did not charge me then so it must be a new policy.) which is reasonable given that they will have to dispose of it somehow if it doesn't work. They will charge you $50 for a pickup of old equipment. This is not the same thing as your assertion that they will charge you to take old equipment. If you want to avoid being charged..drop it off yourself...a simple enough conclusion.
E. And, if they have a surplus of old equipment (Nubus cards anyone?) which cannot be used otherwise, what should they do with it? According to you, it's a charitable sin if they should try to sell it and put whatever they can get for it towards their programs.
So, it's much better if they simply throw it into the garbage bin. Or better yet maybe they should simply let it pile up in their warehouse. No no...maybe they should give it away? ;)

I don't know but you seem to believe that "profit" is a sin when it comes to charities. What do you mean by profit? When a charity receives an item...and sells it for $20...let's say costs are $10...which gives it a "profit" of $10...is it a "bad" charity according to you?

List for us the charitable actions of reBoot then. From what I know this so-called charity provides a cushy existence for Devon.

I'm not saying that officers of charities shouldn't get paid, even paid well, I just think that calling this a charity is at best a misrepresentation. This place sells the computer you drop off.

And I do distinguish between a place like reBoot and one like Goodwill. Goodwill runs a business to maintain its operations, give people who may not otherwise have work jobs and sell repaired items for a pittance. reBoot does none of that.

List for us the charitable actions of reBoot then. From what I know this so-called charity provides a cushy existence for Devon.

I'm not saying that officers of charities shouldn't get paid, even paid well, I just think that calling this a charity is at best a misrepresentation. This place sells the computer you drop off.

And I do distinguish between a place like reBoot and one like Goodwill. Goodwill runs a business to maintain its operations, give people who may not otherwise have work jobs and sell repaired items for a pittance. reBoot does none of that.

A. I don't need to list the charitable actions of reBoot. You can easily see what they've done in the past 8 years of their existence on their website.
In fact, if you don't believe that they are a charity then I suggest that you take it up with the Canada Revenue Agency whose mandate includes:

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) registers qualifying organizations as charities, gives technical advice on operating a charity, and handles audit and compliance activities.

Registered charities are required to file an annual return with the CRA, a portion of which is available to the public, and must meet certain requirements of the Income Tax Act concerning their expenditures and activities.

B. You're extremely contradictory...first, you allow that officers of a charity can be paid "well" then you criticize Devon MacDonald for a "cushy existence". Really...how do we know what is meant by a "cushy existence"? All we know is what you have heard from a friend of his. And, it's all relative in the end isn't it?

C. As for your Goodwill runs a business to maintain its operations, give people who may not otherwise have work jobs and sell repaired items for a pittance....it sounds almost exactly what reBoot itself does.
They train people in computer repair and they sell items for a pittance. Comprende?

Reboot's mandate is to distribute computer equipment to registered non-profits and charities. They issue tax receipts. You have to be a charity in order to issue tax receipts.

Byte Me is not a profit scheme, but an opportunity for anyone falling outside of Reboot's mandate (registered non-proft or charity) to purchase a working Pentium II or III with Windows for about $100-200. They don't sell a whole lot of stuff out of the store from what I can tell.

Most of the work at Reboot – the stripping of computers, the installation of OSes, the recycling of parts – is done by volunteers and coop students (most of whom are at-risk youth). There area only a few paid staff. The largest part of Reboot's work and also their greatest expense is the recycling of computer parts. They get such a high volume of old computers that they end up selling off bags of parts like RAM by the pound to resellers. They don't have the space or the means to cope with doing much else.

Reboot is poorly run and its public relations stink, as can be attested to by this thread. Few people know what they do. I ended up helping out a day or two a week for a few months. They get far more Macs in than they have a demand for, so most of them get recycled.

Reboot is poorly run and its public relations stink, as can be attested to by this thread. Few people know what they do.
Thanks for the post. Your quote above sums it up.

To IronMac: I didn't want to turn the thread about donating computers into a reBoot bashing thread. I guess you'll find that contradictory again. I also didn't want to immediately spill what I know about what happens to the best "donations" there. I still don't.

Each year, the government reviews the charitable status of many corporations. So long as you meet certain conditions, or appear to, you keep your status. There are radio stations that fit, there are food banks, there are volunteer organizations, and so on. Some keep their status in perpetuity, some others get reviewed and lose it. They aren't all reviewed every year.

It doesn't seem to me like reBoot is a great place to recycle your Mac or PC, and it still applies that a 266 Mac isn't going to be appreciated there, or at a school.

What's amazing is that people are so willing to think the worst of a charity and to make unsubstantiated accusations or spread innuendo simply because:

A. Hearsay or gossip
B. They don't understand the "business" model
C. They don't bother looking up what the charity does, in fact

From what avalonian is saying it seems as if reBoot is a victim of its own success. Corporations (and others) are desperate to find a place to dump their old computers while at the same time potential recipients want to avoid receiving really old and obsolete computers. A lot more computers and peripherals are going in than going out because of this.

If anyone can think of a better place to bring an old computer to then by all means suggest it.

For some reason, I feel a need to address this point by point:

I also didn't want to immediately spill what I know about what happens to the best "donations" there. I still don't.

Still don't yet you are insinuating something sinister here? I don't see why you don't come right out and say it.
As a lawyer would ask...is this something that you know from personal experience or is it something that you've heard?

Each year, the government reviews the charitable status of many corporations. So long as you meet certain conditions, or appear to, you keep your status. There are radio stations that fit, there are food banks, there are volunteer organizations, and so on. Some keep their status in perpetuity, some others get reviewed and lose it. They aren't all reviewed every year.

You'd think that the reBoot would get reviewed once a decade wouldn't you? Again, if you think that there is something improper going on...prove it. Otherwise, what you're doing is gossip-mongering and slandering a charity.

It doesn't seem to me like reBoot is a great place to recycle your Mac or PC, and it still applies that a 266 Mac isn't going to be appreciated there, or at a school.

As I said before...suggest an alternative.

i had looked into computers for schools (http://cfs-ope.ic.gc.ca/), but they don't have a donation centre in toronto. and i was unsure about reboot, which is why i asked about it here. i don't want to get into the charity vs. business debate. that's already been done at length. shelters are a good idea. i'll get in touch with some. in the meantime, i now own the world's largest pair of paperweights.

I can take all the computers you want to Give me! I'd be happy even with old macs!

From the Globe and Mail:

E-INSIDER Business IT garbage is a goldmine for charities

BY DAN MCLEAN
THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 2005
PAGE B11

One organization's computing trash is another's information technology treasure.

There is a trove of IT waste that exists among larger organizations -- stockrooms filled with old computing hardware deemed no longer capable of supporting the processes and applications of the business. It's electronic trash that typically ends up being stored or, worse, discarded in a landfill or offshore "recycling" facility. Few would imagine there's any use for such obsolete gear.

But there is.

Consider those for whom IT is a scarce commodity -- charities and non-profit groups. Most don't need the advanced computing power of large enterprises or even some smaller businesses, and they'd love to get their hands on this goldmine of computing garbage.

That's what reBOOT Canada is all about. The non-profit organization provides refurbished computer hardware, training and technical support to charitable organizations. According to reBOOT executive director Devon MacDonald, there's typically no budget for IT among charitable organizations. The reason is simple: Charities direct all of the scarce resources they have to front-line social services.

"I don't think there is a single charitable organization that would rather spend less on IT equipment," he says, explaining that while charitable organizations often can't afford the latest technology, they definitely recognize IT as something that boosts efficiency. Technology ranging from simple e-mail systems and contributor databases right up to customer relationship management systems are ways for these groups to follow up and track donations and donors. IT also helps charitable organizations communicate with various levels of government and keep tabs on clientele.

"It would be difficult to do [these things] without IT," Mr. MacDonald explains. "Society as a whole relies more and more on IT, and when charitable organizations can't keep up [with technology], they aren't participating in society as a whole. Having refurbished or donated equipment helps them jump up and stay involved and stay communicating with people."

Celebrating its 10th anniversary, reBOOT is a major source of IT equipment for charity groups. During its history, reBOOT has reclaimed more than 50,000 PCs from Canadian businesses and individuals, and distributed them to 7,000 Canadian charity and non-profit organizations. But reBOOT still turns down more than one-third of the requests received each year for computing equipment.

"We guess that we've turned away 3,000 organizations because we didn't have the type of equipment they were looking for," Mr. MacDonald says, despite the fact that much of what is needed is sitting in corporate storage rooms or sent to landfills.

The largest shortfall is in notebooks. Since many charitable organizations today don't have office space and are staffed by one or two people, staff typically work from their homes. For them, a desktop is great, but a notebook would be even better.

Alas, Mr. MacDonald says, notebooks are scarce because companies tend to hang on to these longer than traditional desktops. He says there are more than 400 organizations across the country on a waiting list for reBOOT notebooks.

Higher-end desktops --machines able to run Window XP on Pentium 3 or Celeron processors -- are also in great demand. More than 80 per cent of the IT equipment reBOOT repairs and redistributes are stationary or portable desktops. The group manages a relatively high volume of reclamation, thanks to the fact that many IT donors contribute systems that are of a similar make and model.

"We look at each machine to assess the problems it has," he says. "Each may have some working parts, while others need repair or replacement. When you look at a machine, there's always something wrong with it."

Using the parts of one machine to fix another, reBOOT technicians are able to make fully functional about half of the desktop systems received from donors. Some machines may take 30 seconds to repair, while others may take a few days, Mr. MacDonald says. "If we got in 100 [cast-off desktop] machines from an organization, we'd get 50 fully functioning machines from that."

There's value for the businesses donating equipment, too. In addition to providing equipment pickup, reBOOT offers donors services such as certified data removal, and it issues tax receipts for the value of all working equipment.

Working personal computers are resold to charities, typically at a cost of between $100 and $200 per system, which Mr. MacDonald says pretty much covers the cost to repair them. A typical machine resold is a Pentium 3 class with "Internet-ready" dialup or network connection capability. Each system comes preloaded with Microsoft Office 2000 and Windows 2000, he says.

Among the organizations for which reBOOT has already provided IT equipment is the Learning Enrichment Foundation -- a resource program agency for new Canadians, providing them with daycare and job training. Another is the Sky's the Limit, a community group that works with inner city children in Toronto's Regent Park, offering mentor programs -- and hundreds of computer systems -- to "at-risk" children and teens.

As time goes on, ever cheaper hardware will probably reduce the need for an organization like reBOOT, and Mr. MacDonald says he's fine with that. "We don't see that as a bad thing," he says. "We'd see it as accomplishing our goal of getting technology out to people who need it."

In the meantime, many Canadian charitable organizations continue to struggle with dated equipment that is years behind current IT standards and is often incompatible with current technologies in today's workplace, even though businesses regularly decommission and dispose of the gear these groups need. If you can help, contact http://www.rebootcanada.ca -- it's a way of approaching the corporate technology upgrade cycle so that charities, business and the environment all win.

Dan McLean is editor-in-chief of publisher ITWorldCanada.