Gates Foundation’s new nonprofit venture will boost innovations for farmers facing climate change The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is starting up a new nonprofit group that will focus on providing small-scale farmers… Read More
Microsoft adds $250 million to Seattle housing pledge, bringing total commitment to $750M Microsoft is increasing its spending on affordable housing and homelessness philanthropy in the Seattle area by 50 percent. The company… Read More
Gates Foundation CEO donates her 5-year bonus to community center project run by ex-Seahawks star As CEO of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in Seattle, Dr. Sue Desmond-Hellmann has seen firsthand how philanthropy can… Read More
University of Washington joins $106M ‘Weill Neurohub’ effort to fight brain diseases The University of Washington, UC Berkeley and UC San Francisco are launching a research network aimed at finding new treatments… Read More
Bill Gates ‘willing to talk’ after Elizabeth Warren offers to explain her wealth tax Money talks. And talk of money gets people with money talking. That seems to be the case, at least on… Read More
How Apple’s new $2.5B housing initiative stacks up vs. Microsoft, Amazon, and other tech giants For years, fast-growing tech companies have drawn criticism for housing crises that have swelled in Seattle, and the San Francisco… Read More
Facebook launches $1B affordable housing initiative, joining tech peers trying to close the gap Big tech companies are spending big money to address the affordable housing shortage plaguing their communities. The latest is Facebook,… Read More
Univ. of Washington gets $50M gift to create brain health institute The University of Washington is putting a $50 million philanthropic donation toward a new institute that will research and develop… Read More
Microsoft reveals first affordable housing investment of $500M initiative Microsoft announced the first loan it will grant as part of its $500 million affordable housing initiative Thursday, seven months… Read More
Netflix documentary ‘Inside Bill’s Brain’ to offer unique look at Bill Gates’ work on big problems Bill Gates — and what goes on inside his head — is coming to Netflix. A three-part docuseries called “Inside… Read More
Geeks on Trails: Support our Hike-a-Thon team to help preserve access to our state’s natural wonders It’s August in the Pacific Northwest, which means you shouldn’t be reading this post. You should be enjoying the natural… Read More
Space for Humanity sends out a global call for citizen astronauts with a cause RENTON, Wash. — Space for Humanity is looking for more than a few good astronauts. The Colorado-based nonprofit group today… Read More
Lyft pilots free ride program for people experiencing homelessness in Seattle Lyft is launching a new pilot program in Seattle designed to help people experiencing homelessness access emergency shelter services. The… Read More
With $1.1M commitment, AT&T is latest tech company to address Seattle’s homelessness crisis AT&T is donating a total of $1.1 million to Seattle-area nonprofits focused on tackling homelessness, food insecurity, and equity. The… Read More
Amazon donates $8M for affordable housing in ‘HQ regions,’ launches employee matching program Amazon is donating a total of $8 million across Seattle and Arlington, Va., to non-profits that provide housing for people… Read More
MacKenzie Bezos promises to give away half her fortune, highlighting Jeff Bezos’ absence from ‘Giving Pledge’ One of the richest women in the world will give the majority of her fortune away to charity. MacKenzie Bezos… Read More
Amazon contributing $3M to Seattle U’s Center for Science and Innovation to expand STEM reach Amazon is making a $3 million contribution toward Seattle University’s new Center for Science and Innovation — a push that… Read More
Young founder of cloud unicorn HashiCorp giving back to Univ. of Washington with millions in scholarship aid Armon Dadgar, the 28-year-old co-founder of cloud computing unicorn HashiCorp, only graduated seven years ago from the University of Washington,… Read More
Earthrise Alliance aims to turn data from space into a resource for climate action Former NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver helped lead the charge for commercial space ventures, and now she’s leading a brand-new… Read More
Sources: Paul Allen’s family foundation plans to add advisers, with Steve Ballmer among prospects Five months after the death of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, the billionaire’s sister is taking steps to put her own… Read More
Paul Allen’s foundation opens challenge to combat Ebola outbreak in Congo The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation is looking for smart ideas to fight Ebola and has opened a call for… Read More
Bill Gates patched things up with Paul Allen, hoped to travel the world with Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen was brutally candid about Bill Gates in his 2011 memoir, “Idea Man,” and the Microsoft co-founders didn’t speak for… Read More
Vulcan gets into the drone-building business to fight wildlife poachers in Africa One of the legacies left behind by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, the Microsoft co-founder who passed away last October, is… Read More
Jeff Bezos on going to space vs. making Earth better: ‘It shouldn’t be either-or’ BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — Jeff Bezos, the world’s richest person and the founder of Amazon as well as the Blue Origin… Read More
Can Big Tech solve the housing crisis? The politics of private companies taking on public issues Big tech companies are stepping in to help solve the housing crunch in the face of mounting frustration from their… Read More
Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos plan to divorce after 25 years of marriage Jeff Bezos and his wife, MacKenzie Bezos, announced this morning via the Amazon CEO’s personal Twitter account that they’ve decided… Read More
Should Uber and Lyft cover rides to nonprofits and essential services? Over the past year, Uber and Lyft have been offering free and discounted rides to help people in need of… Read More
New tool to curb illegal trade of shark fins built with $322K in support from Paul Allen Philanthropies Customs agents have been relying on their ability to visually match disembodied and sometimes dried and bleached shark fins with… Read More
Geeks Give Back: It’s time for the technology community to step up and give! This is embarrassing to admit. While the Seattle area is first in the nation in percentage of residents who give… Read More
Google kicks off a $25M competition for ideas that promote ‘AI for Social Good’ Google today unveiled a $25 million initiative called the Google AI Impact Challenge, aimed at soliciting and supporting projects that… Read More
