Human-I-T diverts 15.1M pounds of e-waste while connecting 37K people to technology

Highlights

Challenges

• Coordinating pickups, processing, and delivery for 700+ donors is complex; delays hurt community impact and donor satisfaction.

• Each device goes through five renewal stages, and tracking progress demands strong coordination across partners, facilities, and systems.

• Clear impact tracking is essential for funding, showing how refurbished devices and training translate into real-world social and environmental value.

Solutions

• The Device Renewal Pipeline in Asana tracks assets and streamlines QA, boosting reuse and reducing e-waste with automation and integration.

• Asana Forms and workflows speed HR, IT, and team requests, freeing time for mission-critical work.

• Asana AI enhances decision-making and self-service, guiding staff and community with smarter tools and faster access to information.

• Asana connects teams across operations, surfacing insights, improving collaboration, and helping share Human-I-T’s impact story.

• Human-I-T is embedding AI into services and workflows to create faster, smarter, and more accessible experiences for all stakeholders.

Outcomes

• 15.1 million pounds of e-waste diverted: Keeping toxic materials out of landfills while establishing Human-I-T as the nation’s largest nonprofit refurbisher.

• 523,000 technology products distributed to people in need: Providing the essential tools individuals and families need to learn, work, and participate in civic life.

• 110,000 households connected to affordable, high-speed internet: Opening doors to opportunity by removing one of the biggest barriers to digital access.

• 30,000 tech support tickets resolved: Ensuring every device leads to real impact by helping people use their technology confidently and consistently.

• $20 million in revenue generated: Fueling the mission through efficient reuse and resale—stretching the life of every device and the reach of every dollar.

Since 2014, Asana has evolved far beyond a simple project management tool for us at Human-I-T; it’s become the fundamental backbone of our operations. It’s the engine that empowers us to scale our mission-critical initiatives, allowing us to efficiently connect hundreds of thousands of technology devices with those who need them most.”

Work Innovation Award Winner, 2025

Human-I-T earned Asana’s Social Impact Visionary award for redefining what it means to close the digital divide. By turning e-waste into opportunity, they provide underserved communities with devices, access, training, and long-term support. Their work transforms barriers into bridges, connecting people to education, jobs, and vital resources. Human-I-T isn’t just scaling services; they’re scaling impact, with a bold, sustainable model that empowers individuals and communities alike.

Asana for request tracking

Turning e-waste onto opportunity, one device at a time

With high stakes for both environmental sustainability and equitable digital access, managing the refurbishment and reuse of donated technology at scale is complex, and impacts tens of thousands of lives each year. Without a centralized system, tracking devices through multi-phase workflows risks delays, data loss, and inefficiencies.

With Asana as the engine behind the Device Renewal Pipeline, Human-I-T brought greater accountability and measurable impact to every stage of a complex operation, supporting the refurbishment and redistribution of over 523,000 electronic products to date.

End-to-end workflow for refurbishment

• Every donated device is logged in Asana as its own task, creating a digital twin that follows it through each of the five key refurbishment stages, from initial testing to final packaging.

• Automations and rules keep the process moving, assigning the right people, setting deadlines, and flagging anything that’s off track.

• With a clear, centralized view of every item’s status, the team works more efficiently, delivers on time, and captures detailed data that proves impact at every stage.

Matching refurbished tech with community needs

• Community partners like schools, senior centers, and grassroots nonprofits submit requests for tech via Asana forms, making it easy to capture exactly what’s needed.

• These requests are funneled into dedicated Asana projects, where teams can track, prioritize, and fulfill them quickly and accurately.

• This seamless process ensures refurbished laptops, desktops, and hotspots are delivered where they’ll make the most difference, helping thousands of students, job seekers, and seniors stay connected and thrive.

Asana is central to our Device Renewal Pipeline, where every donated item is meticulously tracked as a task through our five-phase refurbishment process. This detailed workflow management, complete with automations and clear accountability, allows us to quantify our impact and enhance our efficiency.”

Asana for business reviews and reporting

Turning detailed tracking into smarter resource allocation and bigger impact

Scaling programs without clear data visibility risks underestimating impact and misallocating resources. Manual reporting can’t keep up with demand or ensure accuracy.

Asana’s reporting and dashboards give Human-I-T real-time insights into productivity, throughput, and outcomes, which powers informed decisions and program growth.

Going beyond intention to prove impact at scale

• Asana tracks the full lifecycle of each device, enabling Human-I-T to measure and verify the refurbishment process with greater accuracy—contributing to the successful renewal of more than 523,000 donated products to date.

• Live dashboards provide instant visibility into inventory levels, workflow stages, and throughput, keeping teams aligned and leadership informed.

• With this level of transparency, Human-I-T can confidently report progress to funders, partners, and donors, turning anecdotal wins into quantifiable impact.

Doing more with less effort

• Automations built into Asana reduce the need for manual checks and approvals, freeing up teams to focus on higher-value work.

• Accurate, real-time data helps identify trends, allocate resources, and replicate success across new programs and locations.

• This system supports a shift toward reuse over recycling—keeping devices in circulation longer and reducing e-waste without slowing operations.

We’re maximizing resource utilization and ensuring every donation contributes meaningfully to shrinking the digital divide or promoting environmental sustainability. Asana is truly integral to our success in creating a future where everyone can thrive in the digital age.”

Asana for project management

Connecting workflows and people to maximize social good

Cross-functional coordination is essential in a mission-driven org, but without a unified system, miscommunication can stall impact and waste valuable time.

Asana acts as a shared operating system for Human-I-T, breaking silos, tracking requests, and resolving issues in real time.

Keeping teams in sync, from intake to impact

• Asana doubles as a ticketing and triage system, giving every team—from warehouse to logistics—a centralized place to log, track, and resolve issues as they arise.

• Tasks are assigned, deadlines are set, and updates are visible to all, ensuring nothing gets lost in email or chat.

• This transparency strengthens cross-functional collaboration and helps teams respond quickly to operational needs without missing a beat.

Total visibility into every device’s journey

• Asana gives Human-I-T item-level insight into where each donation ends up, whether refurbished and delivered to a student or recycled to recover materials.

• That visibility is essential to ensuring every asset contributes meaningfully to digital equity or environmental sustainability.

• With clear tracking and centralized data, Human-I-T can maximize the value of every donation and continually improve how they serve people and the planet.

My tenure at Human-I-T began in 2020, and Asana has been a constant point of truth, ensuring that I’m able to seamlessly collaborate with other departments and access company data with ease and efficiency.”

Conclusion

Looking ahead to smarter operations and bigger impact

As Human-I-T grows its mission, they’re harnessing Asana’s AI tools to enhance the digital navigator program, expand self-service options, and streamline operations, all while staying deeply committed to closing the digital divide and fighting e-waste. With Asana as their trusted operational foundation, they’re poised to transform even more lives by making technology access faster, easier, and more impactful than ever before.

As Asana’s AI Studio begins to roll out, Human-I-T will be able to further optimize information retrieval processes and reduce administrative burdens. The time dedicated to duplicative or non-essential tasks will significantly diminish, opening up capacity to focus on more mission-driven tasks. In short, Asana has consistently innovated over the years, paving the way for our team to achieve our goals and connect more people to critical digital resources than ever before.”