Finding IT Firms to Donate to Developing Countries?

A Peace Corps Volunteer asks: "I am currently serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Togo, Africa and we are looking for organizations to help us fund an IT project. Thus far we have only found orgs that like to either do their own projects or send old computers. There is a large group of experienced volunteers here who just need money to plan and execute projects with in country suppliers (it's amazing how much can be done with a couple thousand dollars on the local market). Does the Slashdot community have suggestions for organizations that like to help fund IT related projects in the developing world?"

Comments

You'd better say what projects you plan to do

[quiberon2]

Money's a difficult thing; are you planning to use it to deploy Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Word, or are you planning to use it to deploy Linux and OpenOffice.org ?

I imagine (though I don't know) that Microsoft might be willing to fund the former but not the latter; and that RedHat might be willing to fund the latter but not the former.

So before expecting to be given money, you'd better make up your mind what you will do with it.

Usually, corporations will give goods and services; and individuals will give cash.

looking in the wrong place?

[legoburner]

Instead of IT firms, why not organisations dedicated to it? www.computeraid.org are the biggest so perhaps they would help out with equipment. Perhaps some of the other larger agencies like the UN development team, oxfam (less likely since they focus on more basic needs), your own government, your current country's government, and then there are many others that like to be seen to give. Failing that phone Bono.

Money's a funny thing

[stevedcc]

Sorry to be suspicious, but whenever I see people asking for charity saying 'don't give us equipment or services, give us money', I get suspicious regarding what the money is really going to be used for. Maybe it's just me.

Help our own first

[DaMattster]

I am all for helping needy people. There are many needy people at home in the U.S. Why is it so en vogue to help foreign nations before some of our own starving people? There are some areas, like Flint, Michigan, for example, where most people are living below the poverty line. Are there any other people out there troubled by this? I, for one, am. Since we are in the season of giving, I implore you to consider donating to a charity that helps domestically. After all, how, in good conscience, can we help other nations when some of our own citizens suffer?

What kind of project?

[mspohr]

You just state that you want to do "an IT project". Not to discourage you but there are many eager techy people who want to parachute in and drop "an IT project" on a developing country without much thought to what they are trying to do and how it will be sustained after they leave.

You do seem to have a start in that you want to use local people and hopefully these people will be trained well enough to continue the project after you leave.

If you put together a thorough project proposal that includes all of the messy details of WHAT the project will do, HOW the information will be used to improve something, HOW it will do it, HOW it will be implemented, HOW it will be sustained, etc. they you may be able to apply for funding from the many NGOs and bilateral aid agencies that do have money and an interest in ----- (insert your project here).