Civic Geek Catalog Update 12/27/2014

This week’s big focus is on electronic recycling – which will be a theme of my upcoming column.  Plenty of ways to get involved, recycle electronics, and go good at the Civic Geek Catalog.

And don’t forget you can find causes sorted by Geekery or by Focus!

Computing

  • Electronic Reuse and Recycling
    • Close The Gap – Takes computer donations from european countries and refurbishes them for emerging nations. Also works to recycle unusable equipment safely.
    • Computers With Causes – Takes donated computers and either gets them to charitable programs, or sells them for funds used to go to programs
    • PCS For Schools – Refurbishes and upgrades donated computer equipment and uses it to bridge the technology gap in schools
    • World Computer Exchange – A US and Canadian non-profit that reduces the digital divide with education, donated computers, and more.

Technology

  • Electronic Reuse and Recycling
    • AZ StRUT – Arizona chapter of Students Recycling Used Technology, an organization that supports learning, refurbishing and donation of electronics, and proper recycling of electronics.
    • Cell Phone Bank – Takes donations of cell phones and recycles them for use as emergency phones.
    • Cell phones For Soldiers – Provides refurbed cell phones and more to soldiers so they can keep in touch.
    • Green Electronics Council – A nonprofit focused on environmental leadership in electronics
    • Hope Phones – Outfits global health care workers (part of Medic Mobile) with donated cell phones
    • Komputers4rkids – Focused on Southern California, the goal of Komputers4rkids is to bridge the digital gap in technology, and they accept electronic donations to help do it.
    • National Center For Electronics Recycling – A nonprofit that works to build and coordinate initiatives to improve electronic recycling.
    • Silicon Valley StRUT – California/Silicon Valley chapter of Students Recycling Used Technology, an organization that supports learning, refurbishing and donation of electronics, and proper recycling of electronics.
    • Step Initiative – The Step Initiative takes a long-term view of understanding, planning for, recycling, and avoiding e-waste.
    • The Christina Foundation – Promotes technology reuse and helps connect people with local organizations and individuals that need their donations.
    • Wireless Foundation – Recycles used cell phones and focuses on stopping family violence

– Steven Savage

Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach.  He blogs on careers at http://www.musehack.com/, publishes books on career and culture at http://www.informotron.com/, and does a site of creative tools at http://www.seventhsanctum.com/. He can be reached at https://www.stevensavage.com/.