More donated technology available to organizations

TechSoup Global distributed $37 million worth of technology products to nearly 10,000 religious organizations last year — now offers more products to additional recipients

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (Christian News Service) — TechSoup Global, a nonprofit that donated $37 million worth of technology products and services to nearly 10,000 churches and other religious organizations last year, is now able to offer more products to additional recipients due to an expansion of donation eligibility rules by major technology companies.

A full list of technology donations and other services for religious organizations through TechSoup, as well as detailed eligibility requirements applying to individual programs and products, is available at www.techsoup.org/religious-organizations.

The recent expansion of donation eligibility rules means a broad spectrum of U.S. churches, synagogues, mosques, temples and other religious organizations, are now eligible to receive an even broader range of donated desktop and office software. The software, from some of the world’s leading technology companies, including Microsoft and Intuit, covers a wide range of accounting, fundraising and donor management products.

In addition to product donations, TechSoup Global provides free resources that assist fellow nonprofits in making informed decisions about their technology needs. The organization also provides free learning resources, including detailed articles and how-tos, resources and toolkits on specific technology topics, and free weekly webinars.

“The changes to the eligibility requirements have allowed us to help more churches and other religious organizations than ever before,” said Dan Webb, vice president of technology solutions and services at TechSoup Global. “Just imagine what donated and discounted software and hardware can do for a small nonprofit struggling to effectively raise support or reach its community with a compelling online message.”

To date, churches, schools, nonprofits and a host of other religious organizations have taken advantage of the new eligibility rules.

“TechSoup has been instrumental in providing economically feasible software to upgrade our computers to allow us to continue our services to our community,” said James Davis of Bethany Presbyterian Church, Sacramento, Calif. “Our computers allow us to communicate via email with our members about not only worship activities, but also service activities. Computers also facilitate not only our financial activities, but also communications between our various co-operative organizations… It is amazing what can be done more efficiently when better communication is facilitated by the use of computers.”

Michigan-based Hope Endeavors aims to bring hope to those suffering from extreme poverty in Malawi. The parachurch organization connects U.S.-based volunteers with opportunities there. One of the challenges that faced the nonprofit was how to integrate financial reporting between the U.S.-based and Malawian arm of the nonprofit. TechSoup Global delivered a donated copy of Intuit’s QuickBooks to the organization, which has allowed Hope Endeavors to sync its financial reporting.

“We are able to have our accountant in Malawi do the books and then send us the QuickBooks file,” said Darcy McLane, executive director of Hope Endeavors. “Donors want to donate to a specific cause. They want to know that they are donating to a maize mill or a fishery or goat farm. QuickBooks has helped us manage our financial records, so we can report on those funds individually and accurately.”

TechSoup Global is an international network of 53 partner NGOs in Africa, the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East. For over 25 years, it has leveraged technology to build NGO capacity toward solving problems in local communities and fostering global social change. TechSoup Global’s core competencies include running one of the world’s biggest technology philanthropy programs; providing NGO validation services to funders and corporations; gathering, analyzing and distributing global social-sector data; and catalyzing community-oriented technology innovations.