Donations and charities

[mavhc]

Pay someone to write some open source software we need/to replace some old aging software that needs manually installing and only works with Administrator access and really wants to use Win3.1

[contink]

Can I suggest that the EduGeek management talk to an accountant as to what's actually involved first so you can ensure than options are realistic and not just wishful thinking (not matter how common sensical they might be).

 

Having worked as a fundraiser in the past and still active in the Uni/College Rag fraternity I can assure you that charity law is a royal pain in the backside so best to be sure you know what's involved before the warm fuzzy gets stamped all over.

 

Just a thought...

[russdev]

Don't worry we will

 

We know charity law is pain (hence why EG never started off as charity as was too much work).

 

 

 

Russ

[contink]

Don't worry we will

 

We know charity law is pain (hence why EG never started off as charity as was too much work).

Good good... Carry on

[RabbieBurns]

Ive not read the donations thread, but having read this one and seeing that the Donate button has gone, does that mean that us Blue users are now a crowd that will never get bigger?

[dalsoth]

Just a suggestion and maybe not exactly what is discussed here and maybe not even feasable but..

 

Edugeek puts some money aside for some project with special needs schools for example. At the same time arranges via the forums for anyone who is interested to volunteer to come and help install configure any kit and at the same time improve their CV and contribute. They get paid some travel fee or something. Might be too much hassle but might work for specific projects that require some manpower and a bit of planning. Just trying to think of ways that the guys on these forums between work or hoping to get into IT might be able to benefit from and help at the same time.

 

I would also say standard contributions to IT related charities could happen alongside such things.

[joe90bass]

Just a suggestion and maybe not exactly what is discussed here and maybe not even feasable but..

 

Edugeek puts some money aside for some project with special needs schools for example. At the same time arranges via the forums for anyone who is interested to volunteer to come and help install configure any kit and at the same time improve their CV and contribute. They get paid some travel fee or something. Might be too much hassle but might work for specific projects that require some manpower and a bit of planning. Just trying to think of ways that the guys on these forums between work or hoping to get into IT might be able to benefit from and help at the same time.

 

I would also say standard contributions to IT related charities could happen alongside such things.

 

Sounds like a good idea to me, also like the idea of supporting charities promoting Internet Safety

[russdev]

Ive not read the donations thread, but having read this one and seeing that the Donate button has gone, does that mean that us Blue users are now a crowd that will never get bigger?

 

The idea is that we will open the donate button again to fund this charity work...

 

Russ

[chilbs]

This charity,Macclesfield and District Disability information Bureau IT Centre, is a disability information charity but have a specific IT function.

 

As an example would is it possible to tie the donation to the IT side of things for similar charities.

 

 

Chilbs

[Hollie1985]

Here are details of a UK based charity IT Schools Africa which I am trying to create awareness for

Hollies Blog: Christmas giving to IT Schools Africa Charity

[enjay]

@hollie1985 - my reservation with such charities (and speaking in general terms, not with specific reference to this one) is whether the kit actually gets used at the other end. Is there anyone who knows how to set it up, use it, train others in it, maintain it, fix it when it breaks, etc.

 

Also, what software do they even have to run on the donated computers? Volume-licensed Office installs are likely retained by the school, so all these PCs are likely to have is any OEM Windows licences and Wordpad...

 

I'm all for the principle behind these charities, but one needs to make sure donations are actually benefitting someone at the other end, and not just making the donor feel good while the PC sits gathering dust or in African landfill.

[IT_Schools_Africa_Phil]

Hi Chris, have a look at our website - I.T. Schools Africa - Home and there's a video showing the results of our work - YouTube - IT Schools Africa has given 5 million African children access to IT.

 

Our flagship project is in Zambia, where we've supplied 500 schools with a 10 PC computer lab. We've also supplied 150 schools in Malawi, 300 in Zimbabwe,70 in Tanzania and about 90 in Madagascar (resource centers) . All in all, over 20,000 systems in 5 years. We've also trained more than 650 teachers.

 

These countries are amongst the poorest in the world, and our stated aim is to transform their IT education by providing them with the equipment they need. We rely on donations from Uk Educational establishments for around 60% of this. We estimate that we've given more than 5 million of the world's poorest children the oportunity to begin their journey to IT literacy.

 

I'll be at the BETT show on Wednesday 13th, and the Computer-Essentials stand will be showing our video. I'll also be hooking up with Hollie at the Network SI stand, and Tony Stanley of Trilby Multimedia (an old chum).

 

See you there!

[apoth0r]

Just a suggestion and maybe not exactly what is discussed here and maybe not even feasable but..

 

Edugeek puts some money aside for some project with special needs schools for example. At the same time arranges via the forums for anyone who is interested to volunteer to come and help install configure any kit and at the same time improve their CV and contribute. They get paid some travel fee or something. Might be too much hassle but might work for specific projects that require some manpower and a bit of planning. Just trying to think of ways that the guys on these forums between work or hoping to get into IT might be able to benefit from and help at the same time.

 

I would also say standard contributions to IT related charities could happen alongside such things.

 

Under the NorthantsIT.co.uk banner I would be more than happy to provide some kind of help with regards to this kind of work.

Will have a think about what sort of donation I can make. May not be financial but I do have time available on occasion that I would be more then willing to donate.

I also have a fair few (working) old PC's that I'd be willing to donate to the right cause.

 

Keep me in the loop Dos_Box

 

Kind regards

 

(ooh and 1,000 posts \o/ )

Edited January 7, 2010 by apoth0r

[IT_Schools_Africa_Phil]

Enjay - we have a sister charity called Computers for African Schools. They monitor everything to make sure the kit only goes to schools that are suitable (secure, dust-free classrooms, regular power supply etc) and run the distribution ngos, which include 5 day training courses for two teachers from each school supplied, and the technical support required. All our projects have representatives on the ground (typically local government and business-people and IT professionals).

 

Regarding software, we have previously negotiated free Windows 2000 licences from Microsoft. We have recently negotiated xp licences for our tanzania project for $5 each.

 

Our NGO's also monitor disposal of kit at end of life. Equipment is sent to a processing plant called DESCO in South Africa.

[creese]

Here are details of a UK based charity IT Schools Africa which I am trying to create awareness for

Hollies Blog: Christmas giving to IT Schools Africa Charity

 

Have you made your trip to Africa?

 

I fly out to South Africa on Thursday 4th for 3 weeks working with schools and other projects.

[enjay]

@IT Schools Africa. We have a number of PCs here which we have deemed are not cost-effective for us to repair, however with a bit of work and investment from you they may have life left in them still. They are P4 (typically 2.8GHz) which need new PSUs and mainboards (around £100 per PC).

 

Are you interested in taking these and getting them going again?

[IT_Schools_Africa_Phil]

Hi Enjay, sadly we don't have the time or money to refurbish to that degree - we look for working equipment - we can replace memory, but that's about it.

 

Thanks for getting in touch though. We're always keen to get donations of hard drives, memory optical drives and mains leads, but as we're based in Cheltenham you'd have to courier such items unless you can drop them in. We send out a van to collect monitors and machines, but only when there are several pickups of double figures, otherwise it's not cost effective.

 

If there's anyone out there who'd like to be a collection hub and who has storage space in the London area, that could be helpful.

 

Phil.

[enjay]

Fair enough, I suspected you'd say that but thought I'd offer them anyway.

 

We may well have some CRTs which I could send your way later in the year, plus the usual assortment of keyboards and power leads. I'll be in touch again in the summer...

[IT_Schools_Africa_Phil]

that's great, look forward to hearing from you. ph. 01242 228 800

[Hollie1985]

Have you made your trip to Africa?

 

I fly out to South Africa on Thursday 4th for 3 weeks working with schools and other projects.

 

 

Yes I have already made my trip to Africa.

 

I hope to go again on the 28th December for 2 weeks.

 

Let us know how you get on with your trip :-)

[creese]

Yes I have already made my trip to Africa.

 

I hope to go again on the 28th December for 2 weeks.

 

Let us know how you get on with your trip :-)

 

It's my first day back in work.

 

I had a great trip, apart from nearly being drowned and having to wait until the last friday before the network was finally up and running.

 

It was sad to see that in the secondary school all the laptops I took over were stacked in a cupboard unused to any acceptable degree, that the computer room is still in the state where if the network is switched on the fuses blow so is totally unused. That is about 50 PCs wasted.

 

The primary has 3 working, pupil PCs and could use more.

 

On the whole the most satisfyibg trip I have made, mostly due to the contacts I now have. Meaning my work doesn't have to stop now I have returned.