The donations are part of the Bank's efforts to enable more individuals and families to have the technological means to access education and employment opportunities.

In January the Kansas City Fed donated 125 used computers to PCs for People, a Kansas City-based non-profit organization that will refurbish and redistribute the computers to community organizations and lower-income households.

Since 2018, the Bank has donated more than 600 devices to community organizations, part of its continuing efforts to bridge the digital divide by enabling more individuals and families to have the technological means to access vital education and employment opportunities.

Laptop donations represent just one part of the Bank’s commitment to digital inclusion, said Kansas City Fed Community Development Advisor Jeremy Hegle. He chairs the Federal Reserve System’s Digital Equity Working Group, which seeks to expand the digital inclusion work of Reserve Banks and identify opportunities to pool knowledge and resources for broader community benefit.

In 2022, Hegle and the Working Group organized seven workshops across the country that informed state and territory leaders about billions of dollars in federal funding for digital equity programs. Some of the state staff members invited to the workshops were familiar with the Fed’s community development work in digital equity. Others were surprised to learn of the System’s interest in the subject.

“At a high level, the role of the Federal Reserve is to support a strong economy,” Hegle said. “Most people see this through our work regulating banks, managing payment systems, and setting monetary policy. But we also know that that the economy is strongest when everyone has access to jobs, education and commerce. This is where the Federal Reserve’s community development efforts come into play.”

Learn more and follow the Bank’s digital inclusion work.