Columbia University Donates New Printers to 75 MWL and Non-Profit Organizations

As part of its commitment to supporting minority-, woman-, and locally-owned (MWL) businesses, Columbia University has donated new HP all-in-one printers to 75 MWL businesses and local non-profit organizations.

The donation was part of an initiative launched in 2018 by Columbia’s Central Purchasing in partnership with Facilities and Operation's Construction Business Initiatives team that gives printers – obtained through Columbia’s relationship with Hewlett-Packard – to organizations in need. Each printer comes with a complimentary three-year service warranty.

This year’s recipients include 64 minority-, woman-, and locally-owned businesses who were randomly selected from current and recent cohorts of Columbia’s CU Grow and Ascend NYC vendor development programs, as well as 11 local non-profits who received grants from the West Harlem Development Corporation.

“We appreciate this generous donation from Columbia University," said Maria Fernanda Baquerizo, director of education at Qualitas of Life Foundation, one of the local non-profit organizations that received a printer from the program. "The printer will be utilized by our team, especially by our Education Department for a variety of activities, including printing study materials, and diplomas, for the participants from the community who benefit from our workshops."

“Thank you, Columbia University, for the many ways you help small businesses!" said Deb Romain, founder of Deb Romain Consulting.

“We are always looking for ways to support our community partners and the small businesses that we work with. We are so pleased to have been able to offer these organizations a resource that will help their day-to-day operations run more smoothly," said Tanya Pope, assistant vice president, university supplier diversity for Construction Business Initiatives.

Columbia has distributed 152 printers to organizations since the initiative began and is one of the many ways that the University uses its resources to support local charities and MWL businesses.