Grant Declination: Computers for Learning

BDPA Richmond chapter and BETF submitted an in-kind donation request to Computers for Learning (CFL). The chapter sought to have eight personal computers donated to them for use in the Student IT Education & Scholarship (SITES) program.

CFL exists to promote the reuse of computers. Federal agencies transfer computers and related peripheral equipment excess to their needs directly to schools and some educational nonprofit organizations. The CFL program specifically matches the computer needs of schools and educational nonprofit organization with excess equipment in Federal agencies.

CFL informed us that the request from BDPA Richmond chapter was denied. They wrote,

"This denial notice has no bearing on your eligibility and does not mean that you are not eligible for other equipment in CFL. The most common reason for an equipment denial is competing requests for the equipment from other organizations. A competing organization may have been allocated the equipment because they:

a. Could have been from an empowerment zone or enterprise community or
b. May have applied for the equipment before you did.

In the event there is no response from the activity or activities receiving the allocation, your request will be reconsidered."

The CFL program's ambitious goal is to make modern computer technology an integral part of every classroom so that every child has the opportunity to be educated to his or her full potential. I anticipate that BETF will partner with BDPA Richmond and any of the other 50 chapters on future requests!