In its continuing effort to use the power of information and technology to help people better their lives, Google.org rolled out last week five core initiatives that will be the focus of its philanthropic efforts over the next five to ten years. Google.org, the philanthropic arm of Google Inc., will collaborate with experienced partners working in each of these fields, investing its resources and tapping the strengths of Google 's employees and global operations to advance its core initiatives. This announcement includes more than US$ 25 million in new grants and investments to initial partners. The resources come from a commitment by Google's founders to devote approximately 1 percent of the company 's equity plus 1 percent of annual profits to philanthropy, as well as employee time.
In their first Letter from the Founders (2004), Larry Page and Sergey Brin said that they want to 'make Google an institution that makes the world a better place', Google.org said. The work of Google.org will help us do that by applying Google's strengths in organizing information and scaling technology to these complex issues, it said.
Google.org uses the power of information and technology to help people improve their lives. This arm of the company develops and invests in tools and partnerships that can help bring shared knowledge to bear on global pressing challenges in the areas of climate change, economic development and global health.
Google's search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google is a top web property in all major global markets. Google's targeted advertising program provides businesses of all sizes with measurable results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia.
These five initiatives are Google.org's attempt to address some of the hard problems that the world needs to face in the coming decade, Google.org said. These initiatives were chosen because Google.org thinks it can solve them to make a better, fairer, safer world for children and grandchildren--and the children and grandchildren of people all over the world, as well as because the company feels that these core initiatives fit well with Google's core strengths, especially its innovative technologies and its talented engineers and other Googlers, who are really its most valuable assets.
Google.org joins a community of like minded groups working to make the planet and population healthier and more equitable. Google.org' s five initiatives and initial partners include to predict and prevent, to inform and empower to improve public services, fuel the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises, develop renewable energy cheaper than coal, and to accelerate the commercialization of plug-in vehicles (RechargeIT).
Google.org supports efforts to empower communities to predict and prevent events before they become local, regional, or global crises, by identifying "hot spots" and enabling a rapid response. Rapid ecological and social changes are increasing the risk of emerging threats, from infectious diseases to drought and other environmental disasters. Google.org is initially focused on Southeast Asia and tropical Africa. In Southeast Asia, a hot spot for SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), and potentially bird flu, Google.org is working with partners to strengthen early warning systems and build local capacities to prevent the next pandemic.
Initial grants include US$ 5 million to InSTEDD (Innovative Support to Emergencies, Diseases and Disasters) to improve early detection, preparedness, and response capabilities for global health threats and humanitarian crises. InSTEDD will work with the commu
Source: Google.org