Call your local middle school principal to discuss your computer donation. Do not purchase anything before you speak with the principal because he or she may not need or want them, depending on the level of technology already in place, plans in progress and the size of the school's techology budget.
Be prepared to donate, in many cases, at least 20 computers, which is the minimum some schools with a limited technology program in place might be willing to accept, according to a middle school principal in New Hampshire. Many principals would prefer the full set-up. This includes laptops housed in a secure re-charging cart with a printer and LCD projector. In order to be functional, the school would need to have a network already in place, otherwise the Internet may not be accessible.
Donating a single new computer to a middle school without an established technology program might be a possibility, but it really depends upon the administrator and the school's needs. One commonality among all schools regardless of the level of technology they have in place is that the computer must be five years old or newer.
Donating new computers to a middle school with an established technology program would mean your donation, in most instances, must match the current platform, such as Windows, Mac or Linux. The computers would most likely all need to come on a secure computer re-charging cart and have a printer and LCD projector. Again, it depends on the needs of the individual school.
Contact the middle school and ask if they would like the donation or not. If they decline, they may suggest an organization who might be interested. It never hurts to ask.