As the year winds down, many enterprises look for ways to meet their social impact, ESG, and sustainability goals, while also managing tightening budgets and rising operational expenses. One of the simplest and most high-impact actions organizations could take is donating used laptops, smartphones, and IT equipment to nonprofits, schools, and community programs.
And yet, for most companies, those devices don't get donated at all. Instead, they get physically destroyed.
Why? Because cybersecurity leaders often see end-of-life assets as too risky to give away. Even a single data-bearing device containing residual customer data, regulated information, or intellectual property can expose an enterprise to devastating consequences.
But as Blancco highlights in its blog, "How to Securely Channel Your Charitable Spirit with Data Erasure," many organizations operate under the misconception that "giving away devices automatically increases security and compliance risks," when in reality, proper data erasure can eliminate those risks entirely and verifiably. When leaders default to shredding and destruction instead of data sanitization, they unintentionally:
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Reduce social-good contributions, including donations that could serve underserved communities
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Harm sustainability progress, as e-waste remains the fastest-growing waste stream in the world
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Miss out on tax deductions tied to asset donation programs
As we approach year-end donation season, it's time for cybersecurity teams to rethink this tradeoff.
Blancco's guidance is clear: certified data erasure can remove data completely, irreversibly, and in a compliance-audited way that surpasses even physical destruction in accountability. As their blog states, secure erasure provides "a verified, tamper-proof audit trail that proves a device was sanitized," giving enterprises the documentation they need for GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS, CCPA, and SOC 2 compliance.
This is essential because contamination risk—not the hardware—is what holds organizations back.
Once data erasure is complete, the devices become safe to reuse, donate, redeploy, or sell. Better yet, the erasure report allows security teams to:
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Prove compliance during audits
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Maintain full lifecycle visibility
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Support corporate tax reporting and ESG documentation
This is a powerful combination at a time when sustainably managing device lifecycles is no longer optional.
Case studies show it's not only possible, it's scalable
Three nonprofit-focused case studies demonstrate how secure data erasure not only protects donor organizations but dramatically increases the number of donated devices.
Computers for Community (United States)
The nonprofit emphasizes that data security uncertainty is the number one barrier to donation. After implementing Blancco erasure workflows, it was able to significantly grow laptop donations while giving corporate donors "full assurance that no data would ever be recoverable." This directly increased the number of devices put into circulation for low-income individuals and community programs.
Source: Computers for Community Case Study
Salvation Army Trading Company (United Kingdom)
The Salvation Army needed to securely process computer donations from enterprise partners. By standardizing data erasure processes, the organization enabled tens of thousands of computers to be given a second life. The case study notes that full data sanitization allowed the program to expand and build new donor trust, ensuring that all reused devices met rigorous security requirements.
Source: Salvation Army Trading Company Case Study
Litehaus International (Global)
Operating across developing regions, Litehaus International relies heavily on donated devices for school computer labs and youth empowerment programs. With secure erasure in place, the organization successfully repurposed thousands of computers, ensuring student privacy and maintaining donor confidence. The case study highlights that verifiable erasure was essential for global-scale reuse.
Source: Litehaus International Case Study
What cybersecurity teams need to consider before year-end donations
For CISOs, CIOs, and IT asset disposition (ITAD) leaders, year-end donation season presents unique risks—but also high-impact opportunities.
Here's what should guide decision making.
Treat end-of-life asset reuse as a security-controlled process
Security teams should manage device sanitization with the same rigor as patching or change management. Automated erasure with documented reports ensures no data (structured or unstructured) remains.
Recognize that destruction is a sustainability failure
When equipment ends up shredded rather than reused:
Destruction may feel "safer," but it is environmentally—and reputationally—costly.
Formalize donation pipelines with trusted partners
Nonprofits like the ones cited above rely on secure erasure workflows to uphold donor data protection. Cyber teams should identify organizations that:
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Provide certificates of erasure
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Meet regulatory criteria for sanitization
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Provide transparency into reuse and recycling outcomes
Use verifiable data erasure standards
Following industry-standard erasure methods (e.g., NIST SP 800-88) assures regulators and auditors that data was fully removed—no gray area, no residual risk.
The idea that donating devices is inherently unsafe is increasingly outdated. As the Blancco blog emphasizes, security and sustainability are not competing goals: secure erasure enables both.
By implementing validated data sanitization practices, enterprises can:
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Strengthen ESG performance
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Reduce e-waste
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Support digital access for underserved communities
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Unlock tax benefits
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Reduce storage and disposal costs
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Protect data with provable compliance integrity
And they can do it without compromising cybersecurity.
A CISO's year-end checklist for secure device donation
Before donating used hardware:
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Verify all data-bearing components (HDD, SSD, eMMC, mobile storage) undergo certified erasure.
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Ensure the sanitization tool produces tamper-proof audit logs.
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Align erasure standards with NIST SP 800-88 or higher.
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Validate chain-of-custody documentation with the receiving nonprofit or ITAD provider.
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Remove BIOS passwords, mobile device management (MDM) profiles, and enrollment locks.
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Ensure devices are factory-reset after erasure for reuse readiness.
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Document erasure events for internal compliance and tax purposes.
Partner considerations:
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Confirm the nonprofit or ITAD partner uses certified erasure tools.
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Request sustainability reporting for ESG tracking.
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Ensure devices are repaired, repurposed, or recycled responsibly.
End-of-year recommendations to leadership:
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Establish an annual donation workflow.
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Conduct a quarterly device-retirement review.
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Replace default destruction policies with a "reuse-first" model.
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Integrate inventory management with erasure/ITAD systems.
