Are you ready to be inspired?

You’ve come to the right place. We are surrounded by terrific sources of inspiration in Silicon Valley, with countless nonprofits that improve the quality of life in our communities. We’d like to celebrate this local spirit of giving with the hopes of inspiring even more community members to rise to the challenge.

Microsoft has been actively engaged in the Valley for many years. Approximately 2,500 employees currently work (and live) in the Valley and they routinely devote energy to nonprofits that make our neighborhoods better places to live. Today, we launch a weekly video clip series to celebrate these remarkable nonprofits, and Microsoft challenges you to show your support, too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s how you can take the Microsoft Video Challenge:

    • Every Monday, this site will feature one outstanding Silicon Valley nonprofit, through the end of September.
    • All eight videos will always be accessible here. View them weekly, or go to our Vimeo stream to watch them all at once! “Like” the nonprofit that inspires you most and, if enough others agree, that organization will receive three Xboxs and a Kinect from Microsoft Corporation to enable them to continue meeting their civic mission.
    • Use your social community to encourage those in your network to “like” your favorite nonprofit, too, and increase that nonprofit’s chance at winning the challenge.

The upcoming videos will feature the following Silicon Valley community champions:

  • Bay Area Medical Academy, a San Francisco-based career training institute
  • Boys & Girls Club of the Peninsula, a nonprofit dedicated to providing children with resources to thrive
  • JobTrain, a center transforming people’s lives through technical and life skills training
  • Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County, whose services support families, reduce poverty, and build communities
  • Hands on Bay Area, a nonprofit strengthening our community through volunteer action and leadership development
  • Acterra, which provides people with tangible, hands-on activities and resources for improving the environment
  • Tech Museum, whose mission is to engage people in science and technology experiences that educate, provoke thought, and inspire action
  • TransAccess, an organization that offers persons with disabilities opportunities to succeed in a competitive job market

We hope this challenge compels you to join Microsoft and its nonprofit partners in making community progress in the Valley. It’s a rewarding challenge…should you chose to accept it!

- Sid Espinosa, director of citizenship for Microsoft’s Silicon Valley Campus