Microsoft Donates $7 Million in Software To Help Nine Innovative Nonprofit Organizations Improve Technology Infrastructure

REDMOND, Wash., Sept. 6, 2000 — Microsoft Corp. today announced the donation of $7 million in software to nine national nonprofit organizations. Microsoft Technology Leadership Grants, awarded annually, provide nonprofits with software solutions that improve their ability to deliver services and help them better meet the needs of their communities. Donations ranging from $105,000 to $2.3 million (based on the software’s estimated retail value) were awarded to The ASPIRA Association Inc., Goodwill Industries International Inc., the American Civil Liberties Union, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the International Rescue Committee, Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic, Girls Incorporated, Catholic Legal Immigration Network Inc., and the Alliance for Technology Access.

“Each of these organizations exemplifies the spirit of the Microsoft Technology Leadership Grant program,”
said Bruce Brooks, director of community affairs at Microsoft.
“By embracing technology and using it in innovative ways, these organizations are expanding their reach even further into the communities they serve. We are pleased that these donations will help them in their endeavors.”

The Microsoft Technology Leadership Grant program began in 1997 with three recipients. The program is part of the company’s mission to bridge the digital divide in underserved communities, bringing the benefits of technology to those who traditionally have had limited access and strengthening nonprofits through technology assistance.

“At Goodwill, adoption of the latest technology is vital to our ability to function effectively,”
said Fred Grandy, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International.
“This grant will enable us to expand the breadth of our programs, including our community technology centers and distance-learning opportunities.”

Recipients of this year’s grants include the following organizations:

  • Alliance for Technology Access, San Rafael, Calif. The ATA seeks to make technology a regular part of the lives of people with disabilities. ATA technology resource centers help children and adults with disabilities, parents, teachers, employers, and others to explore computer systems, adaptive devices and software. Centers directly serve over 100,000 people annually and impact the lives of another 300,000 people by working with teachers and other professionals. This $550,000 grant will help local ATA technology centers train clients on technology and improve their operational efficiency.

  • American Civil Liberties Union, New York, N.Y. The ACLU is the nation’s foremost advocate of individual rights — litigating, legislating and educating the public on a broad array of issues affecting individual freedom in the United States. The ACLU is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, 275,000-member public interest organization devoted exclusively to protecting the basic civil liberties of all Americans and extending them to groups that have traditionally been denied them. The ACLU will use its donation of $828,000 to more efficiently process Web submissions from affiliates and accomplish a greater level of organization.

  • The ASPIRA Association, Washington, D.C. ASPIRA is the only national nonprofit organization devoted solely to the education and leadership development of

    Puerto Rican and other Latino youth. ASPIRA takes its name from the Spanish verb aspirar, to “aspire.”
    Since its founding in 1961, ASPIRA has provided a quarter of a million youth with the personal resources they need to remain in school and contribute to their community. ASPIRA will use its $1.7 million grant to develop a national model program for training Hispanic parents and students in information technology at more than 40 community technology centers across the country, as well as to enhance its communications capabilities and organizational effectiveness.

  • The Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Washington, D.C. Founded in 1988, CLINIC provides legal immigration services to low-income immigrants and refugees through the nation’s largest network of local charitable immigration programs. CLINIC does so without reference to race, religion, nationality or ethnicity. Current programs include assistance to battered immigrant women, a detention project and a naturalization initiative. The $105,000 grant from Microsoft will enable CLINIC to develop a Wide Area Network between its national offices and upgrade its software platform to the Microsoft® Windows® 2000 operating system.

  • Girls Incorporated, New York, N.Y. Girls Inc. is a national youth organization dedicated to
    “inspiring all girls to be strong, smart and bold.”
    For over 50 years, Girls Inc. has provided vital educational programs to millions of U.S. girls in high risk, underserved areas. This $520,000 donation will allow Girls Inc. to improve its Internet and intranet capabilities and provide packaged software kits to local affiliate offices for use by girls.

  • Goodwill Industries International, Bethesda, M.D. Goodwill is one of the world’s largest nonprofit providers of employment and training services for people with disabilities and disadvantages such as welfare dependency, illiteracy, criminal history and homelessness. Microsoft’s gift of $2.3 million will enable Goodwill to fortify its technology infrastructure and expand its technology-based programs.

  • The International Rescue Committee, New York, N.Y. In more than 30 countries worldwide, the IRC aids people fleeing racial, religious and ethnic persecution, as well as those uprooted by war and violence. In the United States, the IRC annually helps to resettle approximately 10,000 refugees from all parts of the globe. The IRC will use its $319,000 grant to develop a case-management database for its U.S. resettlement operations, improve communications among domestic regional offices and upgrade its network to Windows 2000.

  • Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Irving, Tex. MADD is a nonprofit, grass-roots organization with more than 600 chapters nationwide. Its focus is to look for effective solutions to the drunk driving and underage drinking problems, while supporting those who have already experienced the pain related to them. Microsoft’s donation of $200,000 will be used as part of a plan to develop a dynamic, data-driven Web presence.

  • Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic, Princeton, N.J. RFB & D is currently celebrating its 50th anniversary as the nation’s educational library for people with print disabilities. It has an 80,000-title library of recorded textbooks, reference and professional materials for people who cannot read standard print because of a disability. RFB & D will use its $440,000 grant to increase the number of services it provides via the Internet, including access to digital textbooks, and to create a Web-based system for information flow and management.

About Microsoft Giving

Created in 1983, Microsoft’s giving program is one of the first philanthropic efforts in the high-tech industry. The company’s worldwide charitable efforts are aimed at increasing access to technology for disadvantaged communities and supporting community organizations in the areas of education, human services, civic development, the arts and the environment. Last year, Microsoft gave more than $34.3 million in cash and more than $200 million in software (retail value) to more than 5,000 nonprofit organizations. More information on the Microsoft Giving Program is located at http://www.microsoft.com/giving/ .

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software — any time, any place and on any device.

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