Microsoft Donates $4.5 Million to Houston Public Library
I’m accused of Microsoft-bashing at times, although I maintain I only do that when I feel they deserve it. I also dish out praises when appropriate and their award of a $4.5 million grant to my local Houston Public Library is outstanding, so kudos go out to them.
The grant is designed to fund a project to bring computer literacy to communities that are lacking. The Wireless Empowered Community Access Network (WeCan Works) project will provide computer instruction using 5,500 computers to train those in need of such help. It is particularly aimed at at-risk students and drop-outs to give training and job counseling in order to get them productive. The program is expected to affect over 155,000 people in its two-year pilot phase.
This is great to see and I thank Microsoft for giving back to my community. I should point out that Microsoft has awarded nearly $85 million in grants in Texas.
(via Houston Chronicle)
You might also take a look at Ken Starks and the HeliOS Project,in the State of Texas. This is one fine fellow who promotes Linux and helps the less fortunate, all with donations.
I don’t know the Houston case, but Microsoft typically donates “money” in the form of projects that create new potential Windows customers, “skilling” them in how to use Microsoft Word, etc. This is not an entirely altruistic activity.
In a project I know about in Atlanta, they included the cost of very many full retail price copies of Microsoft software in the total announced as a “grant”. In that case, it is unlikely that the educational institution benefited to the degree they would have from a cash award but it is also unlikely that a regular Microsoft customer would have ever given the stated amount to Microsoft for equivalent products.