January 19, 2010 - In the first six months of the program’s functioning, TechSoup Slovakia supplied 35 software gifts in the market value of almost 98 000 EUR, for administrative payments barely adding up to 4000 EUR. This means that an eligible applicant, who files a request, receives for one EUR a gift for almost 25 EUR. The administrative payment represents 4-6% of the market value of the donated software and is used to cover partial expenses of the TechSoup program.
The TechSoup Slovakia program focuses on building up technological capacities of non-governmental and non-profit organizations, foundations, civic associations and non-investment funds, organizations of the Slovak Red Cross and public libraries, if they offer access to the internet for the public. The program is not intended for individuals, schools, or museums.
The TechSoup Slovakia program is currently being implemented by four organizations working in partnership: TechSoup Global San Francisco, Fundacja TechSoup Var¹ava (Warsaw) and the Non-profit organization Pontis Bratislava. Microsoft Slovakia donates technological products, being currently the only donor of the TechSoup Slovakia program. It provides free of charge 116 software products, including the newest operation system Windows 7. An applicant for a gift would pay, for example, for a licensed operational system Windows 7 an administrative payment of 6 EUR, for a package of the Office 2007 Standard programs 12 EUR, etc.
The program was launched on July 1st 2009. Since then, 169 organizations have registered on it. These organizations work in the area of education, culture, sport, leisure time for children and the youth, caretaking of the seniors, aid for the disabled or socially underprivileged people, protection of the environment, protection of human and civic rights, regional development, etc.
“The TechSoup Slovakia program is realized online, on its website www.techsoup-slovakia.org. It is easily accessible, effective and transparent. You cannot order products on the website, but can apply for a gift of technological products in the form of software, hardware, or IT services according to the current offer of the donors” says Maro¹ Silný, manager of the Non-profit organization Pontis that administers the program for Slovak organizations.
Organizations interested in technological gifts available on this webpage can register on it, free of charge, as future recipients of gifts. After sending all the necessary documents the administrator verifies whether the organization fulfils all the criteria allowing it to receive gifts (legal form and the organization’s scope of activities) and if necessary, suggests changes. After this, the organization can apply for a technological gift, use the assistance and counseling of the program when choosing products, or apart from other services, the organization can extract information from the educational centre on the TechSoup website. The program’s website www.techsoup-slovakia.org, as well as all the registration and application forms are in Slovak. All email communication, as well as communication regarding aid with solving problems is in Slovak.
The TechSoup program was created in the USA in 2002. In 2009 it started to expand to countries of Central and Eastern Europe. TechSoup is now present in 32 countries of the world, including African, Asian and South American countries.
“The offer of technological gifts depends very much on the circumstances in the country, on the possibilities and willingness of local and global companies. In the USA, for example, there are 43 such companies, in Canada – 29, Australia – 12, Great Britain – 10 and in India or Poland – 5. In 2010 we hope to introduce another donor of modern technologies in Slovakia” says optimistically Maro¹ Silný.
All information on the current offerings and news on the TechSoup Slovakia program are available on the website www.techsoup-slovakia.org.
For more information on the TechSoup Slovakia program please contact the manager of the Non-profit organization Pontis - Maro¹ Silný on the following numbers: 02 5710 8132, 0948 016 123, or write him an email to: maros.silny@nadaciapontis.sk, or techsoup@nadaciapontis.sk.
The Non-profit organization Pontis provides generally beneficial services, mainly organizational and technological support of non-governmental and non-profit organizations, securing for them access to modern technologies (software, hardware, IT services) and employing disabled and socially underprivileged citizens. The Non-profit organization Pontis was created by the Pontis Foundation at the beginning of 2008.
TechSoup Global (http://www.techsoupglobal.org) is a technological platform of the organization CompuMentor, one of the oldest and biggest agencies focused on providing technological support for non-governmental organizations in the USA.
The TechSoup program was created by CompuMentor in the USA in 2002. Since then it has provided technological gifts to more than 50 000 non-profit organizations worth more than 250 million US dollars. In 2004 it expanded to Canada and in 2006 to Europe (Great Britain, Belgium and Poland). In the first months of the program’s operation in these three European countries, software gifts worth more than 1 million US dollars were allocated through the TechSoup program. Today TechSoup is present in 32 countries of the world, including African, Asian and South American countries. In 2009 it started to expand heavily to countries of Central and Eastern Europe.
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