| Once a year everyone has to dress like a grown up. |
| It's a lonely job, but someone's gotta do it. |
| A quiet moment. Good thing the lab floors are FDA clean! |
| Project Managers and Technicians communicate daily. |
| Collaboration in the Bull Pen. |
| Regular Project Meetings synchronize all departments. |
| On-site testing and repair facilities. |
| It's either the Lab Rats, or the Wait Staff from the Olive Garden. |
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Let's All Give A Little More.
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Welcome to a web site of The Cherokee Group. Cherokee is a private company that provides
advisory and testing services to government agencies, primarily related to Information
Technology Acquisition Support.
In addition to our regular "business" of helping government agencies,
we're also passionately involved in helping non-profit organizations through the
use of these same technologies. This web page, and the links from it, are not
associated with Cherokee's for-profit business.
Our Charitable Mission:
Cherokee initiates and facilitates the transfer of surplus information technology
... from the private sector to charities in Central New Jersey. Cherokee is not a charity,
nor the recipient of any donation. We're a conduit, making the process more efficient, and the gifts more effective.
We make no profit from our involvement in this process.
Background: Charities and other social service and non-profit
organizations (called "non-profits" or "charities" on this
web site) often lack the skills and funding necessary to acquire, fix up, and successfully
use computers and other information technologies ("IT"). Consequently
they often waste precious resources, like paid or volunteer staff, working
inefficiently.
Just A Box. In some instances, corporations donate their used or surplus
computers to charities; but with no planning, training or support. It's better
than nothing, but like giving someone fishing gear, but no lessons or bait. If
the reel works, they'll probably catch something ... but not nearly as easily,
or as many as if they were given gear appropriate to their fishing skills and
the locality where they'd fish, and were given lessons, and had someone to ask
for advise on an ongoing basis. Make sense?
Cherokee's Contribution: We help both the donor and beneficiary by
acting as a Match Maker. (Not for profit!) We retrieve surplus computers from
corporations, securely delete any data, thoroughly test and re-configure the
equipment, and then distribute them in the most appropriate configurations to
needy charities, complete with training and support.
Cherokee raises awareness in the corporate world that much of a firms
surplus IT inventory is better donated to charity than sold to a
"jobber" for pennies on the dollar. Often the tax deduction is
comparable to the sales price ... while the societal benefit is considerably
higher, and the publicity is equally valuable.
Why Don't More Companies
Donate?
Many private corporations do not donate
their surplus computers and related material for several reasons:
1. They didn't consider it, or don't realize how much surplus inventory is in
storage;
2. Concern about the security of data remaining on the equipment;
3. They believe the charities won't have the skills to refurbish and install the
computers;
4. They're concerned about future liability for the equipment (or data on them);
5. They need one reliable vendor to handle everything, including environmental
recycling requirements.
As this web site is further developed, we'll
explain how Cherokee seeks solutions to some of these issues, and enables corporate citizens to
more fully support their communities without additional cash contributions.
Cherokee donates our technological resources by acquiring and
refurbishing new and lightly used computers and related peripherals and
technologies, and then distributing them at no charge to not-for-profit
organizations throughout Central New Jersey. We primarily focus on organizations
involved with affordable housing, community
development, and battered women ... in Central New Jersey.
We also encourage you to review the Code of Ethics by which Cherokee is
run, manifested in our "No Influence Policy"
and our "Ethics Policy".
For immediate information about how Cherokee can help your non-profit
organization acquire free computer equipment and software, or how your
corporation can easily and safely convert your surplus computers into tangible
benefits for your local communities, please contact Jay Wolfkind in our New Jersey office by email at
Jay@Cherokee.to
By using this web site you are agreeing to abide by our
"Terms of Use."
Cherokee
Group is an ethical, socially responsible, family-friendly professional services firm.
Cherokee
Group, Inc.
133 Maple Avenue
Red Bank, N.J. 07701
(732) 741-2000
Fax (732) 741-2009
Click here to send
Jay Wolfkind an email
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