Ask TechSoup: Can I Donate Old Software?

Donated computers, monitors, and printers can be a boon to nonprofits with miniscule technology budgets. But in order to put that hardware to real use, your recipients will also have to get their hands on the necessary software — which can sometimes be a pricey proposition.

Just about every piece of commercial software on the market is governed by a license, a legal contract that outlines what you can and cannot do with a program you've purchased. To find out whether you can legally donate a piece of software to another party, you'll need to consult the software manufacturer's end-user license agreement ( EULA), the contract you consented to when you installed the program.

Although you can find a copy of the EULA on the program's original installation CD, it's likely you can also find it either online or within the installed application. For example, Symantec's Web site has a dedicated EULA page, while Microsoft Office's EULA is accessible from within Word, Excel, or PowerPoint. (To access it on your computer, click Help > About > View the End User License Agreement.)

Software licenses vary by product, but most manufacturers will allow you to transfer them to another organization at no cost, provided you follow certain rules. If you want to give your copy of Photoshop directly to another local nonprofit, for instance, you'll have to fill out a form with information like the product's serial number and the new licensee's contact information. (Full instructions on transferring Adobe and Macromedia product licenses are available on the company's Web site.) If, on the other hand, you want to donate Microsoft's Office suite you'll need to send the recipient the software package itself, including the program, all printed manuals and documentation, software keys, and the Certificate of Authenticity.

If you're donating old computers to a refurbisher or charitable organization, check to see whether they also accept software and what additional materials they'll need to install it on the revamped machine. Some refurbishers, like the Oakland Technology Exchange, will not accept donated software, while other nonprofits, such as the National Cristina Foundation, take applications installed on donated computers in addition to boxed software. One thing to note: You cannot legally donate Windows operating systems unless you are also giving away the computers on which the software was originally installed. One the other hand, you can perform a one-time transfer of a Mac OS X software license, provided you also give the recipient the original media and printed materials.

Keep in mind that the vast majority of software license transfers are one-time only, so your nonprofit won't be able to re-donate any software it acquired from another organization. Also, since license transfers are usually permanent, your organization cannot legally install the program again on one of its computers unless you purchase another copy. Finally, remember that if you've paid to upgrade to a new version of the software, you probably won't be able to donate the old version without forfeiting your rights to the upgrade.

— Brian Satterfield

TechSoup Staff Writer