Who doesn’t like to get an award? Microsoft was recently named number one in Corporate Social Responsibility by the Reputation Institute for our philanthropy efforts.
While this award is a wonderful validation, there is something much more important than recognition: the people and communities who benefit from the employees who take their time to give back through meaningful programs and individual efforts. Microsoft’s philanthropy campaigns this year included YouthSpark and the 30th Employee Giving Campaign. Why are these important? YouthSpark connects hundreds of millions of youth with opportunities for continued education, employment and entrepreneurship. In October, Microsoft celebrated its 30th Employee Giving Campaign, which reached its milestone achievement of $1 billion in employee contributions since the 1983.
In fact, Dan Bross, Microsoft’s senior director of citizenship and public affairs, was recently quoted in Forbes saying, “It’s a tremendous honor and one that we’re very proud to receive. Our citizenship mission is to serve the needs of communities around the world and to fulfill our responsibilities to the public. This has been part of our DNA for the past 30-plus years.” For the full article, visit Forbes here.
These initiatives illustrate our commitment to positively influence local communities and to provide today’s youth with the technology needed to create a better tomorrow. We look forward to continuing our efforts into the New Year and beyond, and encourage you to seek ways to make a direct impact on the issues you are passionate about.
For more information on social responsibility initiatives, please visit the Microsoft Corporate Citizenship page here.