Minister Ritchie launches £20million charities donation programme

Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie MLA, today launched a £20million technology programme for charities in Northern Ireland.

The Charity Technology eXchange Programme will provide eligible charities with access to computers and other donated technology. It is estimated that up to 4,000 Northern Ireland charities could benefit from this new initiative. The programme is run by the Charity Technology Trust and supported by major IT companies Microsoft, Cisco and Symantec.

Commenting at the launch Minister Ritchie said: “I strongly welcome the Charity Technology eXchange Programme as IT equipment can be an essential but expensive resource for non-profit organisations. The increased access this initiative provides will give such organisations the opportunity to further develop services to the benefit of their customers.

“I congratulate the Charity Technology Trust and all those responsible for establishing this programme in Northern Ireland. This is an outstanding example of private and voluntary sector partnership and I would commend Microsoft, Cisco and Symantec for supporting the initiative with substantial amounts of technology and grants.”

William Hoyle, Chief Executive of Charity Technology Trust said that feedback from the non-profit sector to the donations programme has already been strong. He said: “Having access to standard technology is vital for every non-profit organisation in order to offer their services at the high standard people deserve. However budgets are often under too much pressure to allow the necessary investment in Information and Communication Technology. Charity Technology eXchange will give these organisations access to critical technology to more efficiently deliver services to the most needy and better use donor funds. The technology donations also open the door to delivery of new and innovative services with better communication and participation with those who benefit from their service.”

Speaking about the strong level of industry support Peter Russell, Regional Manager for Microsoft Northern Ireland said: “We see on a daily basis the impact that access to technology can have on people and on organisations - our primary objective is to ensure that everyone can reach their potential by providing access to technology for as many people as possible. We believe that Charity Technology eXchange is the right vehicle to help us achieve this objective and would encourage and welcome all eligible organisations to apply for a donation and would encourage other technology companies to join us in supporting this important initiative.”

The programme is being run in partnership with US based TechSoup, a non-profit technology assistance agency that has been supporting non-profit organisations in the area of technology for 21 years. Microsoft, Cisco and Symantec have actively been involved in making technology donations for non-profits in the US and in other parts of the world through their involvement with TechSoup. Since 2006, TechSoup has expanded its software donations platform to 12 countries around the world including the Republic of Ireland last year which saw the launch of ENCLUDEit.

For any organisation seeking to secure a donation they should log on to the ctxchange website for details. There is a small administrative fee of between 4% and 8% of the value of the donated products payable upon receipt of the donation. The administration fee ensures that the service is sustainable for the long-term and helps to fund Charity Technology eXchange.

Notes to Editors:

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