University of San Francisco Announces Winner of the 2016 California Prize
SAN FRANCISCO, CA (PRWEB) February 16, 2016 -- The University of San Francisco (USF) announced today that it will award the 2016 USF California Prize for Service and the Common Good to Salesforce.org. USF’s prestigious prize recognizes individuals or organizations that have made significant advancements or innovations in serving the public and advocating on behalf of underserved populations. The university will celebrate Salesforce.org at a gala dinner on Thursday, May 12, on the USF campus, located in the heart of San Francisco.
Salesforce.org is being honored for its dedication to community engagement and raising the bar in corporate philanthropy. When Salesforce was founded in 1999, it transformed corporate philanthropy with the 1-1-1 model, an integrated philanthropy model whereby companies donate 1 percent equity, 1 percent product and 1 percent employee time to communities around the world. Today, Salesforce.org carries out Salesforce’s philanthropic mission.
Since 1999, Salesforce’s philanthropic entities have donated more than $100 million in grants globally, including $14 million in grants to the San Francisco Unified School District; and Salesforce employees have volunteered more than 1.1 million hours in their local communities. Salesforce.org also powers more than 27,000 nonprofits by offering technology to nonprofits and higher education institutions for free or at a discount.
Salesforce.org’s efforts in San Francisco include $14 million in grants to the San Francisco Unified School District–providing technology for students across the city, full-time coaches and teachers to support math and technology instruction, and thousands of hours of classroom volunteer time from Salesforce employees.
Extending the power of the 1-1-1 model, Salesforce.org has created a movement of corporate philanthropy with Pledge 1%, resulting in 600+ companies dedicating employee time, equity, product or profit back to the community.
“As an organization, Salesforce.org has reinvented corporate philanthropy for the 21st century with its 1-1-1 model,” said USF President Paul J. Fitzgerald, S.J. “With more than 600 companies emulating this integrated approach, it is encouraging to see social benefit thinking in this novel form. We are also inspired by how Salesforce empowers its employees to develop a habit of altruistic concern and social responsibility, just as we strive to do with all of our students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends.”
“Salesforce.org is honored to receive the 2016 USF California Prize for Service and Common Good,” said Suzanne DiBianca, president of Salesforce.org. “We have seen a sea of change in the business world — people know that to create a great company, you need to put giving back at the core. We will to continue to encourage companies to adopt philanthropy until it becomes a normal part of starting a business.”
Salesforce.org is the eighth recipient of the USF California Prize, which comes with a $10,000 purse and handcrafted medal. Previous honorees include:
● 2014 Chronicle Season of Sharing
● 2013 San Francisco Free Clinic
● 2012 San Francisco Giants
● 2011 Daniel Lurie, founder and CEO of Tipping Point Community
● 2010 One PacificCoast Bank and Foundation (formerly OneCalifornia)
● 2009 Alice Waters, chef and champion of locally grown food
● 2008 Lynn Fritz, social entrepreneur and founder of the Fritz Institute
For more information on the University of San Francisco California Prize for Service and the Common Good, or for details on the May 12 prize dinner benefiting university-wide programs that promote community engagement, please visit http://www.usfca.edu/california-prize.
About the University of San Francisco
The University of San Francisco is located in the heart of one of the world’s most innovative and diverse cities and is home to a vibrant academic community of students and faculty who achieve excellence in their fields. Its diverse student body enjoys direct access to faculty, small classes, and outstanding opportunities in the city itself. USF is San Francisco’s first university, and its Jesuit Catholic mission helps ignite a student’s passion for social justice and a desire to “Change the World from Here.” For more information, please visit usfca.edu.
To request interviews about this year’s USF California Prize, please contact Anne-Marie Devine Tasto, senior director of media relations at (415) 422-2697 or [email protected].
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Anne-Marie Devine Tasto, University of San Francisco, http://www.usfca.edu, +1 (415) 422-2697, [email protected]
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