1,000+ devices · loaned free

Equipment lending library

Laptops, networking gear and rack equipment, lent to participants at no cost and shipped both ways at our expense.

Why CCA lends equipment

Learning to run enterprise systems means having enterprise hardware to work on, and that hardware costs more than someone in a low-wage job can reasonably risk on a chance.

The average replacement cost of a device in our library is $1,500. Someone who had to buy a switch, a firewall and a capable laptop before their first lesson might never take it. So CCA owns the equipment, lends it free, and pays for shipping in both directions.

More than 1,000 devices circulate through the library. They go out to participants, come back when they are no longer needed, and go out again to the next person.

What is in the library

The library includes:

• laptops for coursework and for connecting to CCA systems
• monitors, phones and other peripherals
• networking equipment, including switches, routers, wireless access points and firewalls
• rack equipment for participants working on infrastructure

Some participants are lent a small network of their own: a switch, a wireless access point and a security appliance, managed through CCA and connected to the rest of our network over an encrypted link. It works the way a branch office network works, and the participant can see each device’s status, its internet connection and its link back to CCA from the participant portal.

How borrowing works

1. A participant asks for it

   Participants browse the equipment catalog in the participant portal and submit a request. Some items have a limit per person.

2. We ship it

   CCA staff fill the request and ship it with tracking. The participant gets an email with the tracking link.

3. It is assigned to them

   The device is recorded against the participant by serial number, so our records show who has it and where it is.

4. It comes back

   When it is no longer needed, we send a prepaid return label and follow the return until the device arrives. The participant pays nothing at any step.

How we account for every device

A donated device only helps if it reaches someone and does not go missing on the way. We built our own system to keep track.

• Every device has a record of what it is, its serial number, who has it and where it is.
• Shipments in both directions are tracked from the label being printed to delivery.
• Each return is followed as a case until the device is back with us.
• Inventory audits use barcode and RFID scanning to check that what is on the shelf matches the records.
• Changes to records are logged, with who made them and the values before and after.

Those records let us account to an equipment donor for what happened to their equipment, without relying on anyone’s memory.

Donating equipment

Enterprise equipment your organization is retiring can go back to work training someone.

We are usually looking for:

• enterprise switches, routers and firewalls
• servers and rack equipment
• laptops

We cannot use everything, so please check with us before you send anything.

1. Tell us what you have

   Email info@coopalliance.org with the type of equipment, the make and model if you know them, how many units there are and roughly how old they are.

2. We confirm and arrange delivery

   We tell you whether we can use it, then arrange collection or shipping.

3. Clear your data first

   Before equipment leaves your hands, remove or wipe any drives that held your data, and reset network equipment to its factory settings.

4. We acknowledge your gift

   We send you an acknowledgment letter for your records.

Tax deductions for donated equipment

Equipment given to a charity can be tax-deductible. Our acknowledgment letter describes what you gave but does not put a dollar value on it, because under IRS rules, valuing a noncash gift is the donor’s responsibility. If your noncash gifts for the year add up to more than $500, you will also need to file IRS Form 8283 with your return, and a gift valued at more than $5,000 generally needs a qualified appraisal as well. Your tax advisor can tell you how this applies to you.

Common questions

Who can borrow equipment?

Enrolled CCA participants. The library exists so that not owning the right hardware does not stop someone from starting.

Does borrowing cost a participant anything?

No. The equipment is lent free, and CCA pays for shipping in both directions, including the prepaid label for the return.

Do you collect donated equipment?

We can arrange collection or shipping, depending on what you have and where it is. Email us first so we can confirm we can use it.

Will I get a receipt for donated equipment?

Yes. We send an acknowledgment letter that describes what you donated. It does not state a value, because the IRS leaves valuing a noncash gift to the donor.

Put retired equipment back to work

A switch your company no longer needs can teach someone how a network runs. If you have equipment to give, tell us what it is and we will tell you whether we can use it.