Calling on Companies to Help Expand Computer Access Across the South

Across Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, thousands of people still lack some basic tools needed to participate fully in modern life. Although the internet is essential for education, employment, healthcare, and everyday tasks, more than one in five households in these states lack a home computer.

This creates barriers that no community should face, especially given the thousands of usable computers retiring from corporate IT cycles every year.

Today, Digitunity is calling on companies to be part of a simple, powerful solution: directing retired computers back into communities where they can open doors to learning, work, telehealth, and connection.

A Simple Shift with Big Impact

Every year, businesses refresh their laptops and desktops as part of standard IT asset management and lifecycle processes. Most of these devices still have years of useful life left, and with small adjustments to existing workflows, they can be redirected to trusted nonprofit refurbishers and community organizations.

“Businesses have the power to support local communities by making a slight change in their IT asset management practices. With each refresh cycle, a portion of decommissioned computers could instead be leveraged to help folks impacted by the digital divide. It’s a corporate social responsibility win, an environmental win, and a social impact win.”

This approach reframes computer donation as more than a one-time gesture. It becomes part of a long-term, sustainable practice that strengthens communities and reduces unnecessary e-waste.

How Digitunity Helps Companies Donate Responsibly

Digitunity’s Corporate Concierge Donation Service is designed to make participation simple, secure, and environmentally responsible. The service supports companies at every step:

  • Secure handling and data safety
  • Chain-of-custody transparency
  • Connection to trusted nonprofit refurbishers
  • Placement with community organizations in need
  • Environmentally responsible reuse and recycling

 

This streamlined model ensures that each donated device is handled properly and given a meaningful second life.

Why This Matters Now

Computer ownership is fundamental to digital opportunity for thousands of people.
Without a reliable computer:

  • Students can’t complete assignments or access digital learning
  • Adults face barriers to applying for jobs or building skills necessary for the modern workforce.
  • Families struggle to access telehealth, benefits, or essential services.
  • Communities miss out on the long-term gains of digital participation.

A second-use computer can change what’s possible for someone, right away and for years to come.

How Companies Can Help

Donate Technology

If your business, or one you are connected to, has retired laptops or desktops available, Digitunity makes it easy to direct them where they are needed most. 

Make a Contribution

Financial contributions are also welcome and help expand computer access across the South.

About the Need

According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey, approximately 22% of households in Arkansas, 21% in Louisiana, and 23% in Mississippi lack a desktop or laptop computer, among the highest rates in the nation.

This gap represents not just a lack of technology, but a lack of access to opportunity.
Digitunity is committed to changing that by connecting the power of corporate IT refresh cycles with the communities that benefit most from them.

About Digitunity

Digitunity is a national nonprofit working to make computer ownership possible for everyone. Through partnerships with corporations, community organizations, and government agencies, Digitunity connects donated technology with people and programs that need it most.

Other Recent Posts

An older woman speaks into a microphone while sitting with a walker in front of a screen displaying her photo and an award announcement.

From One Classroom to a National Movement: Dr. Yvette Marrin on Digitunity and Computer Ownership

“Hold fast to dreams, For if dreams die, Life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly.” — Langston Hughes For over four decades, Dr. Yvette Marrin has been at the forefront of a movement to make computer ownership possible for everyone. Her journey began with a powerful moment at a children’s rehabilitation center in 1981, when she witnessed how a simple switch could unlock a world of possibilities for a child with disabilities.In her

An adult and a child sit at a computer in a library, with the child pointing at the screen and the adult using the mouse. Bookshelves are visible in the background.

Digitunity and AT&T Partner to Expand Digital Navigator Services and Computer Ownership in Rural Communities

Digitunity is proud to announce a new collaboration with AT&T, which will connect more than 13,000 people across rural Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi with the tools they need to fully participate in today’s digital world. Through $725,000 in support from AT&T, this 12-month initiative will strengthen community-based organizations by equipping them with resources to expand computer ownership, digital skills training, and affordable internet access. Why This Matters Nearly 1 in 4 households in these three

A digital flyer promoting a report titled “Large-Screen Computer Ownership: A Call to Action,” with a download icon and the Digitunity logo.

Previously Unpublished Data Highlights Persistent U.S. Computer Ownership Gap in Detail

In Digitunity’s new report, we uncover who is most affected by the computer ownership gap – and why smartphones alone are not enough. A limited amount of  public data focuses only on large-screen computer ownership. Most national data combines computer and internet access, making it difficult to determine the actual need for computers. This report analyzes previously unpublished Census data on people who either have no computer at all or rely only on a smartphone

Translate »

The need for computers has never been greater.​ Sign up for our newsletter.