Through the HP Technology for Community, HP intends to provide a special wireless package for mobile use to up to 100 nonprofits in the USA and Puerto Rico. Your organization needs to meet certain criteria to be eligible for the HP grants for nonprofits.
HP wants nonprofits to use the grant to help bring new technology into their organization. This could mean buying new software, getting help from local tech experts, or training your team more.
When it comes to what HP expects in terms of reporting, HP will require awarded nonprofit organizations to report on their progress. This reporting will be done online, and it won’t be too frequent – just about once every 3 months. HP plans to keep an eye on this information for up to 2 years to understand the impact of the HP grants for nonprofits.
HP Grants for Nonprofits
What organizations are included in the areas of focus for the program to get the HP grants for nonprofits?
Health and Human Services
This area is all about organizations that help people in different ways, including offering medical care, and support for young people, adults, and the elderly. Your nonprofit organization should also be such that helps people with disabilities.
If your organization works in various areas like making sure families are safe, helping with family planning, dealing with drug problems, and helping people during disasters, you are eligible for the HP grants for nonprofits.
Workforce development
This includes nonprofit groups that teach people job skills. Your organization should be focused on helping individuals learn new trades or improve their abilities so they can find better jobs or start a new career.
Environment
This category of groups eligible for HP grants for nonprofits includes groups that care about nature and the planet. They give special attention to programs that:
- Educate people about environmental issues.
- Promote the construction of eco-friendly buildings.
- Encourage companies to be more environmentally responsible.
- Focus on climate change and energy issues.
- Address unfair environmental practices that affect certain communities.
- Work on preserving nature, including land, water, and various species of plants and animals.
- Design products that are better for the environment.
- Handle electronic waste and recycling.
Community and economic development
Here, the focus is on organizations that help develop small businesses, improve housing, and rejuvenate urban areas. They also include community groups that work at the neighborhood level to make things better for local residents.
Arts and Technology
This area combines the arts with technology. It includes arts groups that use technology in their work and non-profit organizations that offer programs mixing arts and tech.
Examples are digital storytelling and media production, where technology is used to create and tell stories in new and innovative ways. So, if yours belongs here, you could qualify for the HP grants for nonprofits.
HP Grants for Nonprofits Eligibility
HP is aware that charities and similar nonprofit groups haven’t been using technology as much as for profit businesses and government. Thus, what counts as a new and exciting change can be different for each group.
For one group, it might be letting their teamwork from different places. For another, it could be using software to find out where a lot of crimes happen, so they can push for better police methods. HP wants to help with all kinds of new ideas and improvements. This way, each group can do better, and the charity world as a whole can grow stronger.
Also, HP has an Employee Giving Program where the company matches the donations made by its employees, whether in cash or equipment. Organizations that have previously received assistance through this program are welcome to apply again for the HP grants for nonprofits.
Moreover, organizations that have HP employees or retired HP employees actively involved will be given extra attention in the consideration process. Also, receiving support from HP in 2005 doesn’t mean an organization can’t apply again; they are still eligible to apply for new support.
Who is Not Eligible?
Some groups, such as those for trades and professions, are part of the member agencies and they are not eligible to apply for the HP grants for nonprofits. It’s meant for nonprofit groups that assist people directly.
How to Apply
HP has a special interest in supporting organizations that are located in or near certain areas where they have significant employee presence. These areas include multiple cities and regions across the United States, as well as in Puerto Rico.
The list includes various cities in California like the Bay Area, Roseville, Sacramento, and San Diego; cities in Colorado such as Fort Collins and Colorado Springs; Boise in Idaho; Alpharetta and Atlanta in Georgia; Andover and Marlborough in Massachusetts; Nashua in New Hampshire; several locations in the New York Metro area including Albany and others; cities in New Jersey like Bridgewater and Paramus; Melville and New York in New York; Corvallis in Oregon; Houston in Texas; Vancouver in Washington; and Aguadilla in Puerto Rico.
Also, HP grants for nonprofits are targeted at areas around the DC Metro, including Columbia, Rockville, Linthicum in Maryland, Washington DC itself, and cities in Virginia such as Falls Church and Reston.
When applying for HP grants for nonprofits, you will be asked to provide your zip codes for HP to determine how closely the organization aligns to support communities where their employees live and work.
HP has a straightforward rule regarding applications: they will only look at the information you provide directly in your online application. If you include a link (a URL) to give more details about your project, it won’t be considered. The review team will remove any links before reviewing applications.
Can You Apply if Your Organization is Outside the Preferred Areas?
Organizations that are not located in the areas prioritized for HP grants for nonprofits can still apply. When reviewing these applications, HP will focus mainly on different aspects such as how innovative the organization’s ideas are and whether the organization can keep its technology up-to-date and running.
Are Schools or Churches with 501(c)(3) Eligible?
Unfortunately, schools can’t apply for the HP Technology for Community Grants Initiative. Instead, schools can look into the HP Technology for Teaching Grant Initiative, which is more suitable for them.
As for churches, they can be considered for HP grants only if they have a 501(c)(3) status, which means they’re recognized as a nonprofit organization. Also, the church’s program that needs support should be nonsectarian, meaning it shouldn’t promote any specific religious beliefs.
Specifications of Equipment by HP
As for the equipment that HP is giving out, specifically the mobile wireless package, there are no exact models. This is because HP picks the models based on what’s available at the time they give out the HP grants for nonprofits.
So, the organizations will know the model numbers of the equipment they receive only when the awards are actually made.
Can You Select a Different Award of the Same Value?
No, that’s not possible in this case. The set of awards has already been established, and there’s no option to exchange them for other items. But if you’re interested in buying different or additional equipment, there’s a solution for you.
HP has specific websites for small and medium businesses, and another for public sectors, health, and education. On these websites, you can find a wide range of HP products that might meet the needs of your organization. So while you can’t swap the awarded item, you still have access to a variety of other HP products that could be just what you’re looking for.
Conclusion
The HP Technology for Community Grant Initiative is a program that’s only available in the United States. HP isn’t planning to offer HP grants for nonprofits in other countries right now. Therefore, only nonprofit organizations located in the U.S. can apply. Don’t bother sending in your applications if your organization is based outside the US—HP won’t review them.
