In 2022 the Salt Lake City Council unanimously approved the donation of surplus computers to community organizations that provide direct services to Salt Lake City.

Mission

This program seeks to bridge the technology gap in underserved communities, increase digital literacy, improve student achievement, and reduce the City’s electronic waste output by donating the City’s surplus computers to the community.

About

Every year, Salt Lake City ends up with about 300-500 surplus laptops and desktop computers. The lifespan of a city device can be between 3-5 years. Previously, the City sold them at a public auction, which ends up being a net loss for the City. It costs more in software and staff time to wipe the computers than what the City receives.

Instead of selling these surplus computers, we obtained approval from our City Council to donate the devices to community members who need them.

This program is replicable and sustainable as it does not impact the City budget, plus it supports our residents and ensures less e-waste ends up in the land field.

Distribution Process

Community organizations with established digital literacy programs apply for the surplus computers and distribute them to their clientele. This ensures that recipients are set up for success as they will have the support needed to make the most of their device. Organizations must serve Salt Lake City residents.  

Community Partners & Communities Serviced

Application Process & Eligibility

Eligible organizations must complete an application and provide an overview of their computer distribution plan and digital literacy programming. The donated devices are to be given to clients that the organization serves – and are not be used for the organization’s staff, board, or administration purposes.

• Clients must live within Salt Lake City.
• The applying organization must demonstrate it can distribute a minimum of 5 devices to individuals/families. 
• The maximum number of devices donated to an organization is 25 per cycle. Laptops will be distributed based on surplus availability and applying organizations may receive less devices than requested based on demand. 
• The bulk of the surplus computers will be laptops and not desktops. Laptop brands and types will vary.
• Community organizations will be awarded surplus laptops based on the strength of their application and established computer donation and/or digital literacy programs.

How To Apply

Please check back here for more information on the next donation cycle or email:

hailey.leek@slcgov.com