Where can I purchase supplies, software and hardware at low cost?

Summary:

Here's information about firms that negotiate discounts for NPOs or specialize in meeting their needs.

Answer:

On January 29, 2002, Gayle Carpentier of ComputMentor wrote to suggest that people should look also at TechSoup's offerings:
DiscounTech offers essential technology products at the best possible prices — only for nonprofits. Leading technology providers have generously donated their products to help us create this new resource. With DiscounTech, we can offer nonprofits even more technology solutions to achieve their missions.

http://www.techsoup.org/DiscounTech/

On May 31, 2001 501click (http://www.501click.com) wrote to announce its website:
The 501Click Marketplace is a new way for nonprofits to purchase the
products and services they already need, while saving time and money.
Become a Member of 501Click and enjoy these benefits:

• There is no Membership fee or other cost to participate. Your
  organization only pays for the items it purchases.
  
  
• Privacy guaranteed - 501Click will never sell or trade your personal
  information.
  
  
• Special prices exclusively for nonprofits: 501Click has negotiated
  special discounts from each of its vendors on the products and services
  that you need most.
  
  
• Lowest Price Guarantee: If you see an item that you purchased from
  501Click at a lower price somewhere else, let us know and we will refund
  you the difference between what you paid and the lower price, PLUS a 10%
  discount. (Please visit http://www.501Click.com/mk_priceguarantee.html
  for details.)
  
  
• Delivery, right to your door: Once you place an order, you're done.
  Items are then delivered directly to you. And shipping is free on most
  products.
  
  
• Online catalog of 28,000 products to meet all of your office needs.

On 20 Nov 1994, Putnam Barber wrote:
Consistent Computer Bargains was an exhibitor at the recent National
Council of Nonprofit Organizations conference in San Francisco. They
offer deep discounts (comparable to those available at educational
institutions) on many name-brand software packages. They require a copy
of the IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter.

You can contact them at
Consistent Computer Bargains, Inc
6220 Washington Avenue Suite D
Racine, WI 53406
Ph: 800-342-4222 / 262-886-4222
Fax: 800-440-5036
e-mail: office@ccbnpts.com
website: http://www.ccbnonprofits.com

Arthur Buto added on Nov 20, 1994:
We've placed a couple of orders (and are about to place another fairly
large one with them). Our museum, and non-profits in general, doesn't
qualify as an educational institution (degree-granting is a common
criterion), and so usually can't get the academic pricing and licensing
agreements that are available at most universities. Microsoft is one of
the biggest and toughest to deal with. However, CCB has secured an
arrangement with Microsoft and others (Borland, Aldus, Novell
[limitations here, though], to name a few) to sell certain titles to
bona fide 501(c)(3) nonprofits at academic pricing.

This means that we can get the latest MS Office (Standard) in a
25-license pack priced at under $60/license (we have to buy one license
at the 'regular' price of $199 -- still pretty reasonable)! There is
similar pricing available for Novell Office(?), I think. Thanks to this
type of pricing, we'll be able to maintain most of our PC's with the
same version of Office (ditto the Macs), and not break the budget.

Their selection of titles is limited, and you should still shop around
-- sometimes their pricing may not be the lowest, but if you can get
this academic-type packaging/pricing, it'll be tough to beat. I've found
their Microsoft pricing to be excellent (although the offerings seem to
change, depending on what Microsoft allows/wants them to sell). Aldus
pricing is about what you can get at many discount places; WP pricing
seems to be pretty good.

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Revised 5/31/01; 1/31/02 -- PB