OK, be nice to me, this is my first message, and I hope the question I am about to post is not meant to offend.

My question - Is the computer time (and/or the computers themselves) something I can deduct on my taxes? I live in the US if you must know.

I ask you to bear with me while I explain:

If I were to purchase at my own cost, 10 computers (and assorted accessories like switches and other equipment) and set them up in the basement of my house and use them exclusively for the purpose of donating computer time to the grid, could I consider this as a donatable tax deductable expense for the cost of the computers, electricity used, internet costs, personal time for maintenance on the equipment, etc? What does anyone suppose the value of this donation would be worth, and how would I go about proving it?

Has anyone done this?

I beleive I could use the "Work Done" amount as the computer time - does this sound reasonable? Would it be a true measure of the time I have "donated" the project?

Dont mean to offend and if I have, I am sorry. I believe in this project very strongly - to the point that I am considering doing what I have described above. I just wonder if it would be something I could get a donantion for to help offset the startup and ongoing costs.

Thank you for your consideration