Microsoft Unlimited Potential Blog: Microsoft Unlimited Potential Blog

Today we are launching the Elevate America community initiative, a new grant program that will support nonprofit organizations offering employment services, including technology skills training and job placement, in local communities across the United States. To support this initiative, we are committing $4 million in cash, $6 million in software and technology skills training curriculum over the next two years.

We are inviting nonprofit organizations to respond to our request for proposal (RFP) , detailing their plans for partnering with us on proven, successful, scalable programs that respond to the 21^st century skills training and employment needs of people across the country.

The deadline for submissions is October 8, 2010 at 5pm Pacific Time with the successful projects being announced in January 2011.

Since 2003, Microsoft has been partnering with nonprofit organizations through our Unlimited Potential initiative to support technology skills training in underserved communities across the United States, with programs that have reached more than 27 million people to date. Through the Elevate America community initiative, we will continue to seek partnerships with organizations that support underserved communities, with a special interest in those that focus on the needs of women and young workers (ages 18-25) who have greater barriers to employment and re-employment than the broader population.

This is the latest extension of Elevate America, which was launched in February 2009 to provide people across the United States with no cost and low cost access to the technology skills they need to find employment. Since the program’s launch we have worked with 32 states and the District of Columbia to distribute nearly 900,000 no cost Microsoft training and certification vouchers. In March 2010 we announced the Elevate America Veterans initiative, focused on helping U.S. veterans and their spouses to transition from military to civilian employment.

How can you respond to this RFP?

Interested organizations are encouraged to review the full RFP and related information on our website to ensure their organization meets the full criteria for consideration.

To be eligible, all proposals must include at least one organization that is eligible to receive cash funding from Microsoft as defined by the following criteria:

• Qualify as an IRS registered tax exempt 501(c)(3) organization. State tax exemptions alone are not considered eligible.
• Meet Microsoft general funding guidelines as outlined in “Eligible Organizations” .
• Successfully pass the Elevate America community initiative eligibility survey located here. Following successful completion of the survey, access to the grant application tool will be provided.

Online training resources

For more information about Elevate America and the no cost and low cost training and education resources we offer to help people develop better technology skills for the jobs of the 21^st century workforce please visit: http://www.microsoft.com/elevateamerica

Last week the White House announced the inaugural grants of the Social Innovation Fund (SIF) that included the National Fund for Workforce Solutions (NFWS), as one of 11 award recipients. The two-year, $7.7 million award will fund an expansion of existing training programs in several of 23 NFWS sites and the establishment of 6-8 new sites.

Displaced workers in America’s cities are the beneficiaries of the good news here.  The National Fund is already providing sector-based training for adults in cities such as Baltimore, Hartford, New York and Seattle and is developing best practices that can be replicated in other communities.  As an SIF recipient, the National Fund is uniquely positioned to help transform the way we cultivate talent in the U.S., especially for more than 80 million adults who struggle without 21st century skills that  align with today’s new knowledge economy.

The other factor to be celebrated here is the power of collaboration around an idea that became the National Fund.  Through this unique partnership that began in 2000, corporate, private and family foundations pooled their resources and expertise with help from an established workforce intermediary, Jobs for the Future, to focus on jobs skills and training. Since its founding, the $23 million investment by nine donors has engaged over 200 local and regional partners and 500 employers to support skills training to prepare for jobs in growth sectors such as health care.

In 2009, over 18,000 job seekers and incumbent workers received training and career support, 9,736 participants received degrees or credentials, and 4,058 jobseekers secured jobs as a result of their participation and 81% of those hired are working more than 35 hours per week.

Microsoft, one of nine investors in the National Fund, made an $8 million commitment in cash and software to support this collaboration and has been-active along with other donors (including the Hitachi, Wal-Mart, Annie E. Casey,  Prudential and Ford foundations) in  addressing this national issue.   These efforts are closely aligned with our Elevate America skills training program and Microsoft continues to promote community-based training and to provide access to the technology tools that will strengthen the skills needed for displaced and disadvantaged workers to be successful.

Public/private partnerships such as the NFWS are more relevant and more important than ever to help identify the best approaches to large scale workforce training needed to address the skills gap that has surfaced during the recent economic downturn. Policymakers are also likely to focus on these issues more intently as the reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act emerges on the national agenda. As these scenarios unfold, the National Fund may play a key role in building effective models and helping communities to be more competitive.

First Lady Michelle Obama described the intent of the Social Innovation Fund this way: “By focusing on high-impact, results-oriented nonprofits, we will ensure that government dollars are spent in a way that is effective, accountable and worthy of public trust.”
For now, the investors in the National Fund are celebrating the accomplishments that have resulted in this program expansion and preparing for the hard work and the opportunity to take a giant step forward and ideally engage additional partners on behalf of America’s workers.

Cross posted from Microsoft on the Issues.

Yesterday in Atlanta I had the great pleasure of attending the Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) Digital Arts Festival. This is one of my favorite events of the year where we get to see incredible entries from kids across America who have brought their creativity to life using technology.

BGCA provides programs and services in communities across the United States - and on U.S. military bases around the world. They give millions of American kids a safe, fun place to learn and grow. It’s this focus on not only supporting children, but giving them access to knowledge and skills, that drove our initial partnership with the Club over a decade ago.

That partnership led to the creation of the Club Tech program, which today provides over a million children a year with access to technology and with access to the skills they need to use that technology. We’re very proud that the initiative continues to grow and we are delighted that Comcast joined the program earlier this year.

There is a lot of discussion about the importance of innovation and creativity for our future social and economic prosperity. I think the Digital Arts Festival provides a great showcase of what’s possible when you provide our kids with the skills they need to use the latest technology. The combination of those skills with their own creativity and passion delivers outstanding results.

This year kids ranging in ages from 6 to 18 competed in four categories:

• Photo Illustration: create a digital photo that illustrates how Club members become successful in life. The submission has to be a full-page, color magazine advertisement that encouraged their peers to BE GREAT.
• Music Making: create an inspirational jingle that can teach their peers to BE GREAT through music.
• Graphic Design: follow the same format as the national “BE GREAT” advertising campaign and design a billboard celebrating the success of a local community member.
• Movie Making: write or produce a three minute public service announcement or documentary illustrating why graduating from high school is important to their future, their peers, and the world at large.

The national Digital Arts Festival winners travelled to BGCA headquarters in Atlanta from Arizona, California, Florida, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, Rhode Island, Wisconsin and even Japan. They had an action packed time which culminated in the awards ceremony which was ably hosted by Kawamba Metuassalol. Myself and Cyndi Court and Judith Pickens from BGCA had the honor of showcasing the winners’ incredible work –which you can see at the online gallery – and presenting the awards.

Our future success depends on our children. Organizations like BGCA are having a real positive impact on kids across the country and giving them the opportunity to Be Great. It takes a lot of work, and we need to recognize the passion and commitment of the Clubs’ staff, mentors, parents and volunteers, who along with the kids, bring these communities alive.

My congratulations to all the competitors and the winners, your passion, energy, enthusiasm and creativity is simply inspiring.

You can find out more about the event at the BGCA Facebook page.

Pamela Passman

Corporate Vice President, Global Corporate Affairs

I recently had the honor of learning more about Computacion Olidata in Washington D.C. during the annual Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference. Olidata is the winner of our Citizenship Partner of the Year award and exemplifies an exceptional commitment to social responsibility. The Partner awards honor Microsoft Registered, Certified and Gold Certified partners for delivering exceptional solutions and services in a number of categories. Award winners and finalists were chosen from nominations from around the world. There was stiff competition this year with nearly 3,000 entries for 67 categories submitted by partners from more than 110 countries.

It is always incredibly inspiring to read about the great work shared by our partners in the area of citizenship, using their expertise and resources to solve societal challenges and create opportunities. This year, our finalists included Training Camp from the United States and CTTC from Pakistan. Both of these companies should be congratulated for their passion and commitment in supporting economic growth in their respective countries through technology training.

Olidata has a longstanding focus on social responsibility, and that is one of the reasons they were chosen as the overall winner. Along with Microsoft and other local partners, they have supported the technology skills training of more than 600,000 individuals in Chile since 2003.

Their response to the earthquake in Chile in February of this year truly exemplified their commitment to helping their local communities. Olidata supported “ChileConect@Chile” to quickly restore public access to the internet via semi-permanent Community Technology Centers (CTCs), connecting victims with their loved ones through digitally equipped mobile containers (pictured below) placed in some of the most devastated communities. This initiative was carried out under the National Digital Literacy Program executed by the Rural Life Training Foundation (Fundacion Vida Rural) and supported by the Chilean government. The effort provides access, digital literacy skills and expanding opportunities for those impacted by this natural disaster. There are plans to install 50 container CTCs in the earthquake zone.

There is a growing expectation for the private sector to actively engage society to drive positive social and economic change. Judging by the volume and quality of submissions for this year’s Citizenship Partner of the Year award it’s clear that our partners are taking this responsibility very seriously.

Fred Humphries

Vice President, U.S. Government Affairs