Thank You, Microsoft Employees, for Your Generosity in 2012!
By Kathleen Hogan and Kurt DelBene, 2012 Employee Giving Campaign Co-Chairs
While celebrating the 30th Microsoft Giving Campaign, Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer announced that Microsoft employees have raised $1 billion in cash for more than 31,000 global nonprofit and community organizations. Today, we are honored to share that Microsoft employees gave more than $105 million last year as part of the 2012 Giving Program!
Across Microsoft, teams create unique events for co-workers to have fun while participating in our culture of giving. Employees make donations of all sizes through bake sales, dog and cat calendars, photo and cook books, and dunk tanks. Our most popular events, the Microsoft auction, the 5K Walk/Run, and the Giving Tree continue to draw broad employee participation.
Microsoft Citizenship team volunteering on Day of Caring.
Over the past 30 years, four nonprofits have consistently received the most funding from Microsoft employees, and we honored them in October with an additional $25,000 grant: World Vision, Seattle Children’s Hospital, United Way of King County, and American National Red Cross. From helping our local community to providing humanitarian aid around the world, employees have consistently provided money, time, and resources to these organizations. Here’s what our support means to them:
“The generous donations of Microsoft employees, along with the matching gifts provided from Microsoft allow the Red Cross to deliver services in response to the needs of our community. We are also proud to have many Microsoft employees serve as volunteers, giving of their time and talent. Whether we are helping people recover from a house fire or helping those impacted by Hurricane Sandy, the support from Microsoft allows the Red Cross to be there for those who need us most.” – Neal Litvack, Chief Development Officer, American Red Cross
“Over the years, Microsoft’s generous philanthropic community has helped Seattle Children’s work towards fulfilling its mission of finding cures for pediatric disease and caring for all children in our community regardless of their family’s ability to pay. The $25,000 grant we recently received was attributed to our Greatest Needs Fund. The fund gives us flexibility to pay for the most important projects and programs that help us best care for our patients and their families.” – Thomas Hansen, M.D., Chief Executive Officer, Seattle Children’s Hospital
“One in four kids in our community are at risk of hunger, which affects their ability to learn, grow and thrive. The continued generosity of Microsoft and its employees over the last 30 years has enabled United Way of King County to put in place many long-term strategies like the 2013 Summer Meals Campaign. The $25,000 grant will help us launch new sites, including at food banks, YMCA community organizations, and schools, and expand the number of days per week that the sites are open.” – Jon Fine, Chief Executive Officer, United Way of King County
"We know that once a child's basic needs are met, digital skills development is vital to helping children succeed in a global world. World Vision is deeply grateful to partner with Microsoft as they continue to lead innovation in technology around the world.” – Kristan Easley, Executive Director of Global Corporate Partnerships, World Vision
People often talk to us about the dedication of Microsoft employees. We see that in action on a daily basis, but we also see their passion spark when focused on helping others less fortunate. To everyone who participated this year, thank you for your generosity and support for the causes that you’re passionate about.
We are so proud of the culture of giving here at Microsoft, and we can’t wait to see what 2013 brings!