Fundraising from Silicon Valley
With the incredible explosion of dot.coms and other hi-tech firms in Silicon Valley, comes a new sources of philanthropy for non-profits. However, don't get too excited -- many technology firms are just getting up to speed on the concept of corporate giving. And, while they may be rich on paper, most Internet companies are still bleeding red ink, so don't expect a lot of cash, especially from startups. However, these philanthropy newcomers could be a great resource in other ways (see Inkind Donations) Big players such as Microsoft and AOL or computer and hardware manufacturers tend to have more well established giving programs. Make sure you stay on top of industry news as mergers and acquisitions can happen fast and frequent.
One plus of researching hi-tech companies - quite a few post their grant guidelines online and may even accept your grant application online as well. Most only give to 501 c3 organizations, and many have a preference for funding educational programs and in places where they do business. Here are a few links to check out:
| Organization | Target Areas of Giving | Geographic Areas | Deadline(s) | Grant Range |
| Adobe Systems | disadvantaged youth, homeless, people with disabilities, minorities, the elderly, and victims of abuse; disaster relief, medical and hospice care, and meal service; education and literacy programs; human rights; arts; environment; animal rights. | SF Bay area, Seattle | ? | $1,000-$25,000 |
| AOL Foundation Interactive Education Initiative Rural Telecommunications Leadership Awards Digital Divide Initiatives |
K-12 students, Underserved populations, children and families, healthcare (especially senior citizens), online non-profit activities, education |
1/18 7/14 |
up to $7,500 $2,000-10,000 |
|
| Apple Computer | Note: Apple has temporarily suspended its formal grant program for individuals and institutions. Most of its giving has been targeted to schools. | National | ||
| Aspect Telecommunications |
Children and youth K-9, primarily at-risk populations, especially science, math or technology. | GA, IL, TX, MA, CA, NY, UK | 1/15, 4/15, 7/15, 10/15 | $1,000-10,000 |
| AT&T Foundation | Focus on education, civic and community service, arts and culture. Only gives to 501 c3 organizations. | National | ongoing | |
| Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation | Education, global health | Global | lots | |
| Cisco Foundation | Education (no grants to schools) | 4/30, 11/30 | $10,000 avg. | |
| CNET | Education, health and human services, arts and culture, civic affairs | |||
| Compaq | Education K-12, healthcare, environment, culture and arts | Major Compaq business areas | ongoing | |
| Dell Foundation | Funds collaboration, innovative solutions, community, childrens issues | Central Texas | ||
| Hewlett Packard/ Agilent.com | Focuses their giving to universities | |||
| Intel | Education, community, disaster relief, arts, environment. Online grant guidelines. | National, Intel facility locations | ongoing | |
| IBM | Education, adult training, arts, community, environment | National | ongoing | |
| Lucent Technologies | K-12 youth, women and minorities in science and engineering | National | ongoing | |
| Micron Technologies | Math and science. Online grant guidelines | ID, UT, TX | ongoing | |
| Microsoft | most areas including arts and culture, education, human services, environment | National, WA | ongoing | |
| Oracle | medical research, endangered animal protection, math, science and education | 6/1, 12/1 | ||
| PeopleSoft | technology for underserved communities, math and science education | NA | NA | NA |
| Sun Microsystems | Youth grades 8-12 | CA (Silicon Valley), MA, CO, Scotland | ||
| Texas Instruments | Civic, research, educational, health, welfare, cultural | National | ongoing | |
| Other Resources | ||||
| US Nonprofit Gateway | An online source for government grants and RFPs. | |||
| WebCharity | ||||
| Foundation Center | A terrific online version of an essential research resource for all grantseekers. | |||
| Foundation News and Commentary | This is a publication by the Council on Foundations and targeted more at foundation executives, but helpful for finding out who's who in the foundation circles. | |||
All contents on this page ©Websprouts --updated 2/12/01