Skip to Content

Hardware Grants

Hardware Grant Application Deadline

Applications for hardware grants for non-profits are now being accepted! Applications will be considered on a rolling basis, so apply now and get your computers quickly!

Program description

The primary computer distribution goal of Freegeek Columbus is to provide computers to individuals who help us provide our services through their volunteer efforts. However, sometimes the amount of computers that are needed for this purpose is less than the amount of computers that are donated to Freegeek Columbus. When this happens, we are able to grant computers to other non-profit organizations.

Who is eligible?

Any organization that is recognized as a non-profit by state or federal governments is eligible to apply for a Hardware Grant. The FreeGeek Columbus board of directors, or a committee appointed by the board of directors, will make the final decision about recipients of the grants based on the following criteria:

  • Will the computers be used in or around Central Ohio?
  • Is an active FreeGeek Columbus volunteer sponsoring the grant application?
  • How effectively will the grant computers further the FreeGeek Columbus mission?
  • How has the organization used FreeGeek Columbus grant computers in the past?
  • Will the available computers satisfy the applicant's needs?
  • Will the applicant be able to support the computers after they are delivered?

How often are Hardware Grants available?

Hardware Grants are available when FreeGeek Columbus has more computers than are needed to give to volunteers who complete their service requirements. The availability of Hardware Grants depends on the frequency, quantity, and quality of donated computers, as well as the participation rate of volunteers. It is quite likely that Hardware Grants will be available several times per year.

Hardware Grants will be announced on this page (http://freegeekcolumbus.org/hardware_grants)
and on the FreeGeek Columbus mailing list when they are available.

What equipment is available?

Hardware Grants typically consist of entire systems. That is, each grant computer will come with the processing unit, a monitor, a keyboard, a mouse, and all of the cables necessary to connect everything. These systems are typical desktop computers. They are the same type of machines that are available to individuals participating in the Adoption Program. These machines are donated to FreeGeek Columbus when their previous owners no longer need them. As a result, they are not state-of-the-art, but they are more than capable of typical daily tasks such as word processing, web browsing, and email.

Other options might be available for organizations who wish to use the computers for computer labs, IT infrastructure, and other atypical situations. Please clearly describe your intended uses on the Hardware Grant Application so that the review board can take this into consideration.

What software will be loaded on the grant computer?

All of the computers that are distributed by FreeGeek Columbus are preloaded with the Ubuntu distribution of GNU/Linux. Ubuntu is a Free Software operating system, and performs all of the same functions of proprietary systems like Microsoft Windows. The computers also come preloaded with hundreds of software packages, including:

  • OpenOffice (office productivity suite)
  • Mozilla Firefox (web browser)
  • Evolution (email and productivity)
  • The GIMP (image manipulation)
  • Totem (media player)
  • and more!

Thousands of other software applications are available at no cost over the Internet. Of course, if this tremendous range of software still doesn't satisfy your needs, you are welcome to erase the software on your own and install other software that will. We understand that some organizations have requirements that must be satisfied by proprietary software. However, please keep in mind that FreeGeek Columbus cannot provide support for proprietary software, and that using proprietary software will make your grant application less competitive than another organization who has pledged to use Free Software.

How does one apply?

Please see Hardware Grant Application page for details.