Salesforce.org Announces $18 Million in Grants Towards Bay Area Education, Homelessness and Cleanliness at Dreamforce 2018

By STS News Desk On Sep 25, 2018

Salesforce.org commits $15.5 million to SFUSD and OUSD, bringing its total grants to more than $50 million since 2013
Grants to Hamilton Families, Larkin Street Youth Services and San Francisco-Marin Food Bank aim to address family and youth homelessness, hunger in the Bay Area
Partnership with SF Parks Alliance strengthens community commitment, focusing on clean, safe and accessible public places
Salesforce employees commit to 100,000 volunteer hours in Bay Area community this fiscal year

Dreamforce 2018 — Salesforce.org, the philanthropic arm of Salesforce (CRM), today announced $18 million in grants to local school districts and organizations to address the Bay Area’s most pressing issues including public education, homelessness and cleanliness. The $18 million includes $15.5 million in grants to San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) and Oakland Unified School District (OUSD), $2 million dollarsin grants to address homelessness and hunger in the Bay Area, and a $500,000 grant to the San Francisco Parks Alliance.

New Grants Address San Francisco and the Bay Area’s Most Pressing Issues

Salesforce.org’s $15.5 million in grants to SFUSD and OUSD will support middle school (grades 6-8) transformation, computer science expansion, wraparound support for newcomers, and college access programs. This latest investment marks more than $50 million in donations to Bay Area public schools since 2013.

To combat family and youth homelessness, Salesforce.org will donate $500,000 each to Hamilton Families and Larkin Street Youth Service s. This marks a total of $4 million dollars in grants from Salesforce.org towards Hamilton Families since 2016. To address hunger, Salesforce.org is also granting $1 million to the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, which supports food assistance for 210,000 people annually.

Salesforce.org will also donate $500,000 to the San Francisco Parks Alliance in support of LetsPlaySF!, a public-private partnership between the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department and the San Francisco Parks Alliance. The investment will help ensure San Franciscans continue to have safe places to play by supporting the renovation of 13 high-priority playgrounds in the city.

In addition to grant funding, Salesforce employees have committed to 100,000 volunteer hours in the Bay Area community over the next year.

Comments on the News:

“We know that we cannot provide a quality education to our children if they don’t have a safe place to call home or places to play,” said Rob Acker, CEO of Salesforce.org. “We’re proud to continue to partner with the school districts and local organizations to create change in the community and address the Bay Area’s most urgent causes.”
“This funding will help San Francisco prepare our students for success in the 21st century economy, strengthen critical programs to help our homeless youth and families, and create vibrant public spaces throughout the City,” said London N. Breed, Mayor of San Francisco. “I’m proud of Salesforce.org’s commitment to the City of San Francisco and its continued efforts to support our communities.”
“Oakland’s partnership with Salesforce.org gives our children new access to the dynamic world of math and computer science,” said Libby Schaaf, Mayor of Oakland. “It will also help us reach our goal of tripling the number of college graduates from Oakland with innovative programs like the Oakland Promise, our ‘cradle to career’ initiative designed to disrupt the cycle of poverty. The partnership with Salesforce.org helps our community support the next generation of scientists, artists, and innovators.”
“Salesforce.org has accelerated our progress toward ensuring that every SFUSD student graduates with the skills and knowledge to succeed in the Bay Area’s economy, said Dr. Vincent Matthews, SFUSD Superintendent. “From third grade computer science to eighth grade math and beyond, our partnership with Salesforce.org has greatly expanded opportunities for our city’s children.”
“In our second year of partnership, Salesforce.org has deepened the commitment to accelerate mathematics achievement and broaden computer science pathways for our students,” said Dr. Kyla Johnson-Trammell, OUSD Superintendent. “Additionally, Salesforce.org is breaking ground by investing holistically in newcomer students, one of our most dynamic and high-need student populations, and expanding our vision of what it means to serve the whole child. We are grateful for everything Salesforce.org makes possible for Oakland students.”
“It is an honor to celebrate our partnership with Salesforce.org this year at Dreamforce. In order to end family homelessness in the San Francisco Bay Area, we must break the cycle of homelessness and poverty in our community. This is only possible when we work together,” said Tomiquia Moss, CEO, Hamilton Families. “Our partnership with Saleforce.org provides investment and technical support that strengthens our impact.”
“Salesforce.org’s leadership is an example for our community,” said Sherilyn Adams, Executive Director, Larkin Street Youth Services. “Their commitment further propels the movement to end youth homelessness, with funding supporting programs including housing, education, employment, and wellness, in addition to operational needs like technology and staff training. Each of these components is integral in our continuum of care, and we are so grateful for this partnership and Salesforce.org’s meaningful support.”

Strengthening SFUSD Partnership with Math and Science Innovation, Teacher Training
Over the last five years, Salesforce.org’s partnership with SFUSD has introduced technology into middle-grade classrooms, supported cutting-edge curriculum in math and computer science and funded coaching to support teachers in engaging students. The new grant of $8.5 million to SFUSD will be used to:

Support an innovative new teacher residency model for aspiring middle school teachers.
Professional development for teachers in the AVID program, which supports students who will be the first in their families to attend college.
Create and implement high-quality curriculum in math, computer science, and science, supporting the use of technology to engage students in this curriculum.
Develop summer programming for underserved students, including opportunities for African American students to participate in SFUSD’s Black Star Rising program.
Deliver $100,000 per school of unrestricted funds to all 21 K-8 middle schools through the Principal’s Innovation Fund.

As a result of Salesforce.org’s partnership with SFUSD, enrollment in computer science has increased by 2,500 percent and enrollment in advanced placement (AP) computer science has tripled over the past three years. In addition, the school has seen an 18 percent reduction in students receiving D’s and F’s grades in middle school math classes over the past year.

Wraparound Support for all OUSD Students
Now entering the third year of partnership, Salesforce.org and OUSD continue to work together to ensure all students are high school, college, career, and community ready. The new grant of $7 million to OUSD will be used to:

Deepen computer science course offerings to ensure students are prepared to enter computer science pathways in high school.
Provide high-quality instruction and robust support to students in mathematics so they can pursue the rigorous coursework necessary to excel in STEM fields.
Continue targeted, whole-child support for immigrant populations to support their transition into the community.
Improve conditions for learning at targeted middle schools through early intervention mental health services for students experiencing social, emotional, and behavioral barriers to learning.
Expand the Principal’s Innovation Fund (PIF) from 13 to 21 middle schools to reach 100 percent of OUSD schools serving grades six through eight, and provide each principal $100,000 to $200,000 to scale innovative practices aligned to their school goals, readiness, and need.

Since Salesforce.org’s partnership with OUSD started in 2015, there has been a 185 percent increase in student enrollment in a grant-funded math program and more than 1,300 OUSD students took computer science during the 2017-18 school year, representing a 109 percent increase.

Salesforce Employees Give Back by Adopting Schools
Salesforce employees have adopted 34 schools in San Francisco and Oakland as part of the company’s Circle the Schools program. Employees participate in volunteer activities designed to advance student skills in literacy at the elementary school level, STEM in middle schools, and college and career readiness in high schools. Employees have dedicated more than 200,000 volunteer hours in education and circled 90 schools globally. This year, Salesforce employees pledged 100,000 volunteer hours in education globally.