Redmond-based Microsoft Corp. was honored last week with two Summit awards for community impact and volunteer engagement from United Way Worldwide, the country’s largest privately funded nonprofit.
In addition to reaching the $1 billion mark in employee giving and corporate matching funds in 2012, Microsoft employees also volunteered two million hours since the launch of the company’s volunteer matching program.
“Microsoft is not just a world leader in technology solutions, but also in citizenship, volunteering and creating opportunities for youth,” said United Way Worldwide President and CEO Brian Gallagher. “Microsoft and United Way are working together to help more young people graduate on time with the skills they need to be successful in life.”
In 2012, Microsoft and its employees celebrated a major milestone: $1 billion in employee giving and matching funds to more than 31,000 nonprofit organizations around the world since the giving program began in 1983. United Way is the No. 1 recipient of employee giving and matching funds. Last year, the company donated more than $900 million in cash and software to more than 62,000 nonprofits worldwide. Microsoft also provides a $17-per-hour match for employee volunteer hours (450,000 hours logged in 2012 with more thank $7 million in matching funds), generating more than $34 million in matching funds to U.S. nonprofits since the program’s inception.
Microsoft’s citizenship focus is creating opportunities for youth through Microsoft YouthSpark, a company-wide initiative that aims to create opportunities for 300 million youth in more than 100 countries during the next three years by connecting them with greater opportunities for education, employment and entrepreneurship. Microsoft also supported United Way with an MSN Causes video highlighting United Way and Team NFL’s focus on mentoring; a photo book created by the Microsoft Photography Club, which has raised more than $200,000 for United Way and Microsoft Store promotions to help United Way reach new audiences.
“At Microsoft, we really do believe that our strongest asset is our people,” said Microsoft Citizenship and Public Affairs general manager Lori Harnick. “We are deeply honored to receive two United Way ‘Spirit of America’ Summit awards, which highlight the real impact of our employees in the local communities in which they live and work.”
The Spirit of America and Summit Awards program is United Way’s highest national honor for a corporation, recognizing outstanding United Way Global Corporate Leaders.
