Google.org

Google.org, founded in October 2005, is the charitable arm of Google, a multinational technology company. The organization has committed roughly US$100 million in investments and grants to nonprofits annually.

The organization is noted for several significant grants to nonprofits using technology and data in innovative ways to support racial justice, educational opportunity, crisis response after health epidemics and natural disasters, and issues affecting the San Francisco Bay Area community where it is headquartered. It also hosts regular challenges around the world to stimulate innovative uses of technologies to address local challenges.

Overview

The mission and approach of Google.org has seen multiple iterations over the years, an approach that mirrors other divisions within Google in its effort to reallocate resources towards the most significant and effective methods. The organization's general strategy involves funding the use of technology, data, and user-centered design to make a better world, faster.

Google.org is considered a part of Google, as opposed to an Alphabet organization, under the formation of the Alphabet parent company in 2016. To fund the organization, Google granted three million shares during their initial public offering (IPO). In 2014, the corporation stated on its website that it donates $100,000,000 in grants, 200,000 hours, and $1 billion in products each year.

Major initiatives

As of 2016, Google has focused a majority of its efforts on a few key topics, based upon a premise of equality and opportunity.

* Racial Justice. It is the first major corporate philanthropy organization to allocate funding to combat against racial inequality in the United States, and has funded organizations such as Bryan Stevenson's Equal Justice Initiative, the ACLU, the Ella Baker Center, and Beyond12. In 2017, Google pledged $11 million in grants to several organizations in connection with racial bias.
* Education and Digital Skills. In addition, Google.org funds education, economic development, and digital literacy related projects in a number of regions.
* Disabilities. In previous years, Google has funded a number of other areas. In 2015 they announced a $20M effort to use technology to improve opportunity and equality for people with disabilities, one of the few portfolios focused on this segment of the population. Some noted as a unique lens to philanthropy, and a subject area that affects roughly 1 in 7 people across the world. The grantmaking initiative resulted in a diverse array of grants, including 3D printed prosthetics for landmine victims and children with limb differences, beacon-powered navigation tools for the visually impaired, data analytics projects to surface better tools and aids for people with cognitive disabilities, and better bracing and compliance systems for children with clubfoot. This portfolio ended in 2015.
* Crisis Response. Google.org has also responded to crises around the world, with giving initiatives addressing challenges with the European refugee crisis in 2016, the Ebola crisis in 2014, and the Nepal earthquake in 2015. In many instances, it has been one of the largest corporate donors. The organization also gave $250,000 to organizations working to serve residents affected by the Flint water crisis. In August 2017, the company donated $250,000 to the Red Cross relief fund for Hurricane Harvey.

Google.org and Google in general has also been supportive of a number of causes, including LGBTQ rights, veterans affairs, digital literacy, and refugee rights.

Previous initiatives

Previous incarnations of Google.org took different approaches, usually focused on technology applied to social sphere, in keeping with the company's brand around technology and innovation.

Among its first projects was a mass-produced plug-in hybrid electric vehicle that can attain 100 mpg (miles per gallon) (see vehicle-to-grid).

In November 2007, Google.org announced ''REwind