The TechSoup model provides several benefits over a corporate-managed international donation program.

TechSoup efficiently draws together:

• Corporations with the technology products
• Community of consultant and assistance resources
• NPO and NGO organizations

The value chain can efficiently distribute knowledge, products, and services targeted to the NPO and NGO community. Similarly, TechSoup can channel NGO needs to the creators of technology products, funders, content developers, and those engaged in global issues affecting the sector (e.g., disaster relief).

TechSoup creates value for both the suppliers of technology products and for the NGO recipients of those products. TechSoup provides a platform for technology corporations to see their products distributed to the organizations they want to serve, at little to no cost, with aggregated reporting of use and impact.

They see their donations leveraged as part of an entire solution set offered on TechSoup including customer support by phone, on email and in discussion forums as well as in articles and information.

Participating corporations become part of a greater social initiative to strengthen the global NGO sector whose collective results they can reference. Through the partnership model, TechSoup creates a worldwide network of NGOs providing NGO capacity building services and donations, a success story told by the NGOs.

 

Corporate responsibility is central to Cisco Systems’ culture and history. Cisco established its Product Donation Program in 1998, distributing new and refurbished networking equipment, including switches, routers, and firewalls, to nonprofi ts doing important work in its focus areas.

In order to optimize its Product Donation Program, Cisco enlisted several internal and external partners. One of the cornerstones of the optimized program is TechSoup Stock, which serves as the virtual donation platform for Cisco’s new program. Thanks to this partnership with TechSoup Stock, thousands of nonprofits have been able to improve their service to their communities.

Donation recipients have reported the following operational benefits:

• 76% saw a signifi cant increase in network performance
• The number of nonprofi ts rating their network reliability “great” grew from 25% to 75%
• The savings in operational costs averaged 7%
• Ultimately, because of these remarkable operational improvements, recipient organizations were able to increase the number of clients served by 14% on average

 

At TechSoup Global, our vision leads to the enrichment of global citizens. Here's how.

Vision: Global civil society platform that can connect social benefit organizations everywhere to ease significant social issues

Opportunity: Grow TechSoup platform to serve 75-100 countries by 2010 to facilitate sustainable technology product philanthropy

Offer:

• For donors: Make it easier and more effective to donate technology and resources
• For recipients: Make it affordable and accessible to apply technology to mission work
• For local country partners: Build technology capacity with support and sustainability
• For partners: Gain access to a global civil society platform to benefit social causes of interest

TechSoup Global Collaboration

• Donors: Corporate donors can donate more products at lower cost in a standardized way.
• TechSoup: TechSoup’s extended international impact and revenue growth help fund its mission of improving technology capacity in the NGO sector.
• PNGOs: Expanded PNGO impact in their local NGO community increases their capacity through revenue growth.
• Recipients: Recipient NGOs save critical funds for their missions and are enabled with technology tools
• Supporters

The result: More global citizens served.

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TechSoup Stock welcomes corporate and nonprofit technology providers that are interested in donating or distributing their products or services to the nonprofit community.

Benefits to Providers:

• Gain access to a central resource that connects nonprofits nationwide to succinct information about their donated products and services.
• Be part of a national platform for product philanthropy.
• Gain opportunities to maintain, grow, and promote their corporation's giving program.
• Save budgets and staff time by outsourcing their product donation programs.

TechSoup Stock currently works with 25 corporate and nonprofit technology partners. Since our launch in January 2002, TechSoup Stock has served about 20,000 nonprofits organizations, and saved the sector close to $160 million.

Note: This service is not a traditional store or a reseller of products. Our service is a national distribution platform for technology product philanthropy. We charge a small administrative fee for our services to the nonprofits we serve through the program.

If you'd like to discuss contributing technology products to TechSoup Global, please contact:

Gayle Samuelson Carpentier
Business Development Director
Voice: 415.633.9344
Fax: 415.512.9629
Email: gaylec@compumentor.org

If you would like to make a financial contribution to this service, a project of CompuMentor, please fill out our "Contact Us" form.

CompuMentor is a San Francisco-based nonprofit organization specializing in technology assistance for community-based organizations. CompuMentor is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, and any contribution is tax deductible.