60,000 Ways to Give: iPhones, iPads, iPods, and Smartphones

 iPhones, iPods, iPads & Smartphones

Here at Causes International, we pride ourselves on the fact that we accept 60,000+ items for donation. 60,000 is a big number! So, we’re starting a new series here on the CI blog, called 60,000 ways to give! This series will go through every category of what we take, giving you a brief overview and an example. I’m excited, this should be fun!

The thing with electronics is that new versions are coming out all of the time. You buy the newest iPhone or iPad, and within months Apple announces their "newest" model is in the works. What! So, staying connected with the latest and greatest, you upgrade and you put another device in your drawer to sit idle soon to be forgotten.  Let’s face it, that happens to everyone.  

I, personally, had my first 4 phones sitting in a drawer and I am only 16!  Why? Don’t ask me, I have no idea. Before starting at Causes,  if I was to get rid of them, what I would do is chuck them in the trash can and call it a day.  Now, after learning about the harm they do to the environment, I Upcycle them.  Upcycling keeps them out of landfills, plus it raises money for a cause that I’m passionate about. What isn’t there to love about that?

 Here’s the catch with Upcycling those electronics to your favorite cause. Yes, there are 60,000+ electronics that can be donated, BUT not  everything can be donated. So, the next few posts are going to go through everything that we do take, just to make the whole process easier for everyone. Okay? Awesome! Let’s start with  iPhones, iPods, iPads & Smartphones.

iPhones

Lets' face it, if you started buying iPhones you either got the iPhone bug or have moved on to other Smartphones.  Well if you are an iPhone buyer then this is really easy, because we take every single iPhone. Yes, even the oldest 1-2G iPhones we take. The 1^st Generation iPhone that’s, more or less, in good condition, has a donation value of  $22. The 3G which with the new iPhone 5 coming out next month will be 5 generations old has a $51 donation value!  The values only go up from there.  Even if your phones have a smashed face, as long as they power on they still have donation value and are worth something, and that something is still helping out a cause.

  iPods

With iPods, we take the iPod Touch, Mini, Classic, Video, Nano, and Shuffle. When I started camp in 7^th grade my green iPod Nano was attached to my hip. It was bright pink with 8GB and I loved it!  I went nowhere without it! So, let’s take a look at the 4th Generation 8G Nano.  If it powers on, the display isn’t cracked, the buttons and audio jack are working, and the back plate is dented, it’s worth $20.00. What! An iPod from at least 4 years ago, that you haven’t touched in ages, is worth $20.00! You’re getting it off of your hands, at no cost to you, and that money is still going towards a cause and it is 100% tax deductible!  That $20.00 is making a difference!

iPads

For iPads, we take the original iPad, second generation, and third generation iPads. Let’s look original iPad, 32 GB + Wifi shall we? If there are no cracks in the front, the back is not dented/scratched, power still works, all of the buttons still work, the wifi still works, the audio jack works, it isn’t engraved and doesn’t have the original box, it’s worth $150!  That’s the original iPad,now if it had dead spots and a cracked display and it was cracked and chipped on the back it is still worth $80.00!  How cool! Can you imagine what a fully functional iPad with wifi AND 3G would be worth? And, you’re doing a good deed because it’s all going to a cause. That’s pretty awesome, if I do say so myself.

 Smartphones

Smartphones are a broader subject than the iProducts. There are more types of Smartphones out there, so which ones do we take? We take Samsung smartphones, HTC smartphones, Blackberries, Motorola’s, Nokia’s, Sony Ericcson, Palm smartphones, and others too! That’s a lot of phone carriers, yes indeed. For at least a year, one of my friends used the Sony Ericsson X10 Xperia in white and I was absolutely astounded by it.  If it powers on, the screen is not chipped/cracked, still fully functional, the buttons work, and there’s no evidence of water damage, it’s worth $25.80.  If the screen is cracked it is still worth $12.90.   The phone is a few years old already and still has decent donation value.  

 That about wraps it up for the first edition of 60,000 ways to give. Next time you’re cleaning your house, look out for any Smartphones, or iProducts that may be lying around. They can make a true difference in helping others and definitely help change the world.

Coming Up Next: Calculators, Tablets & E-Readers, and GPS!

Stay Green,

Ashley