A: InterConnection is a nonprofit organization based in Seattle, Washington in the United States. Established in 1999, InterConnection gets people the technology they need to create the futures they want. They help underserved and disadvantaged communities around the world by making computers and communication technology available to those who wouldn't otherwise have access. Focused on refurbishing computers for charitable reuse, InterConnection has shipped tens of thousands of refurbished computers to organizations in 38 countries since it first opened in 1999. Learn more.

A: InterConnection is a nonprofit organization focused on charitable computer reuse. Recycling is good. Reuse is even better. By donating a laptop to InterConnection.org, you help organizations around the world get connected while keeping toxic computers out of landfills. It's safe & secure. Plus, your donation helps non-governmental organizations around the world by getting them high-quality refurbished computers that they could not otherwise afford. Check out some of the organizations that have benefitted from receiving refurbished computers.

A: Unfortunately, InterConnection can only accept donated laptops from within the United States due to the high cost of shipping laptops internationally. If you are outside of the US, visit the Microsoft Authorized Refubisher site to find a PC refurbisher near you.

A: As a nonprofit organization, InterConnection needs all kind of help! You can make a cash donation to help InterConnection offset its costs to refurbish computers, you can organize a laptop collection drive at your office, you can help spread the word about InterConnection, or you can volunteer your skills and time for InterConnection.

A: Yes, InterConnection can accept both business and personal laptops. If you are interested in donating multiple laptops, please consider requesting a laptop collection box, which holds seven laptops.

A: Yes! InterConnection will take more than one laptop, and can even help you organize a collection at your workplace or a collection of your company’s surplus laptops. Learn more about sending InterConnection several laptops from your business.

A: InterConnection recommends packaging your laptop in a sturdy cardboard box that is several inches larger than the laptop. Pad the laptop with bubble wrap, Styrofoam or other packaging material. Make sure to include the power charger. For complete laptop packaging instructions and a how-to video click here.

A: Laptops are InterConnection’s highest demand item, so they we are focused on collecting those items that they we know will be of greatest value to their our beneficiaries. For this drive with Microsoft, InterConnection is accepting donated laptops from around the world.To encourage participation, InterConnection is paying shipping costs to receive any laptop less than seven years old. It is simply too expensive to receive desktop computers and monitors from around the world country given their heavy weight and the corresponding shipping costs. If you live in the greater Seattle, Washington area and you want to donate your desktop computer, server, monitors, printers or other peripherals, you can bring them to the InterConnection drop off site.

A: If your laptop is functional (i.e. it turns on and boots) and is less than seven years old, InterConnection can reuse it. If it cannot be reused, InterConnection will recycle it responsibly based on our strict R2 and ISO14001 certified recycling standards

Yes. InterConnection uses professional software to erase data on hard drives once they are received. InterConnection carries professional liability and CyberSecurity coverage which guarantees up to $1,000,000 that your laptop’s data will be completely destroyed. They are experts at IT asset destruction and management. Hard drives on laptops that aren’t reused will get securely destroyed. If you prefer, you can wipe data on your own laptop before sending it to InterConnection. Request a laptop donation kit to help you do this, or learn more here.

A: Laptops that can’t be reused are sent to a U.S. based certified electronics recycler that has been audited by InterConnection. InterConnection is the only nonprofit organization in the U.S. that holds two electronics recycling related certifications, R2 and ISO14001. No computer scrap is ever sent to a landfill nor shipped to countries that don’t legally accept the material.

A: Do not include the manuals, software CDs or disks with the laptop.  InterConnection is a Microsoft Registered Refurbisher and gets licensed software directly from Microsoft to install a new operating system. It is fine to leave the software installed on your laptop since the refurbishing process will wipe away all software and files.

A: The laptop and the power supply.

A: InterConnection knows that laptops are so valuable to recipients that they absorb the shipping and refurbishing costs. These costs are off-set by donations and grants. If your laptop is not functional or more than seven years old, you will have to pay the shipping costs to send it to InterConnection.

A: Yes. InterConnection is a registered nonprofit organization in the United States with 501c3 status from the Internal Revenue Service. If you are a US taxpayer, your donation may be tax-deductible. If you include a legible email and mailing address with your donation, InterConnection will send you a receipt.

A: If your laptop is in good enough condition to be refurbished and reused, it may go to a nonprofit, school, or non-governmental organization around the world. See a list of some of the organizations that have received refurbished computers from InterConnection.

A: Due to the costs involved with customizing one-off shipments, InterConnection cannot accept requests to ship donated laptops to a particular end recipient. If you want to partner with InterConnection to coordinate a laptop collection drive to benefit a particular school or nonprofit organization, please visit their web site to learn more.

A: InterConnection is a social enterprise. We sell the refurbished laptops at cost to off-set some of our costs. It’s expensive to safely and securely refurbish computers to the highest standard, which is why InterConnection has to charge for most of its refurbished computers. InterConnection keeps costs to the beneficiaries low by only charging enough to cover costs, which include sourcing and refurbishing costs, software licensing fees and shipping costs. Unlike for-profit companies, InterConnection is able to provide the highest quality product at the lowest prices available.

A: Email InterConnection with any detailed questions.