Donate Your Electronics to Charities Across Canada

You can donate electronics to a specific charity by booking a pickup with ERA and telling the team which charity you would like to support. ERA maintains a list of partner charities in need of devices, ranging from community health centres to youth services and educational programs. Your donated devices will be refurbished, then routed to the cause you selected when possible.

The list of recipient charities is large and changes over time, but recent partners include Calgary Dream Centre, Souls Harbour Mission in Halifax, the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Halifax, WoodGreen Community Services, Calgary Drop In Centre, Aunt Leah’s Place, and many more across Canada. Browsing the donate to charities page on the website gives you an up to date snapshot of organizations that are currently looking for equipment.

Donations through ERA go to registered charities, non profit organizations, care facilities such as hospitals and seniors homes, and educational institutions. Faith communities, Indigenous programs, immigrant settlement services, mental health centres, and animal welfare groups have all received donations in the past. Organizations interested in receiving donations apply through ERA and are reviewed before being added to the active list.

Yes, you can request that your donation go to a specific charity from the active list of partner organizations at ERA. The team does its best to match your request, though final placement also depends on what each charity needs at the time and whether your devices fit those needs. If you do not have a preference, ERA will direct your donation to organizations with the greatest current need.

Donating working electronics through ERA puts functional technology directly into the hands of people and groups who can use it. Recycling for raw materials still has environmental value, but it ends the useful life of the equipment well before it has to. Donation extends the device’s life, multiplies its social impact, and keeps it out of landfill for several more years on average.

ERA can issue a Donation in Kind Certificate that documents your contribution to the program. Whether this functions as a Canadian tax receipt depends on your specific tax situation and the type of donor you are, so it is worth asking the team about your paperwork options when you book the donation. Businesses often pair the certificate with their corporate giving and sustainability reporting.

Working laptops, desktops, monitors, and tablets are the most useful donations because charities can put them to work right away after refurbishment. Newer devices with at least an Intel Core i5 processor, 8 GB of RAM, and an SSD are especially valued, since they can support modern software and remote learning environments. Even older or partially working equipment can still be valuable for parts and refurbishment.

Every charity that receives donations from ERA has gone through an application process and is either a registered non profit, a charity, a care facility, or an educational institution. The charities we helped page on the website lists specific organizations that have received refurbished electronics over the years. You can also follow ERA on social media, where the team regularly shares updates about donations being delivered to community partners.

If your preferred charity is not on the active list, the team can usually share information on how to refer them. The charity can then apply through the application process at ERA and, if eligible, be added to the network of recipient organizations. This is a great way to bring more support to a cause that matters to you while also expanding the impact of ERA.

Once your devices arrive at ERA, they go through data destruction, testing, and refurbishment before being matched with a recipient. The timeline depends on the condition of the equipment, the queue of devices being processed, and the current needs of partner charities. In many cases, refurbished devices reach their new home within a few weeks to a couple of months after donation.