Google.org Projects

Google.org projects are created for the purpose of addressing a social challenge and serving the public good. Our goal is to find engineering solutions to global challenges such as climate change, clean energy and global health. We focus on activities that take full advantage of Google’s engineering teams, global infrastructure and user-driven approach, while drawing on Google’s ability to innovate and scale.

Engineering Awards and Charitable Giving

Google has a variety of mechanisms to support to worthy causes.

• University Relations supports academic research through giving. Google Research Awards are for for world-class, full-time faculty pursuing research in areas of mutual interest. Google RISE Awards (Roots in Science and Engineering) promote and support science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) and computer science (CS) education initiatives. The Google PhD Fellowship Program gives recognition to outstanding graduate students doing exceptional work in computer science, related disciplines, or promising research areas. Finally, Google Code University provides tutorials and sample course content so computer science students and educators can learn more about current computing technologies and paradigms.
• Google Scholarships helps students -- primarily women and minorities -- with computer science and technology studies, to encourage them to excel in their studies and become active role models and leaders. BOLD Scholarships are diversity internships that encourage those who are historically under-represented in the technology industry to explore a new career opportunity.
• Summer of Code gives stipends to student developers to write code for various open source software projects.
• Holiday gift: A $20 million donation in 2010 to charities from around the globe in order to help organizations who have been stretched thin by increasing requests for help at a time of lower donations. Gift was in lieu of giving holiday gifts to clients and partners.
• Google employee matching: Up to $12,000 company match for each employee’s annual charitable contributions and $50 donation for every 5 hours an employee volunteers through the “Dollars for Doers” program.
• Community Affairs makes local donations where we have offices and data centers. Also, there are specific regional programs created by local leaders -- the Google China Social Innovation Cup is an example of a regional socially responsible innovation from leaders in the Google China team.

In-Kind Product Donations

Googlers around the company are helping charitable organizations and non-profits use our products in a host of different ways:

• How can great charitable organizations use Google’s tools more effectively for creating awareness, fundraising, and operating more efficiently? Learn more at Google for Non-Profits, or check out specific non-profit product offerings below.
  • Google Grants is our in-kind donation program that gives free AdWords advertising to charitable organizations. Check out their blog here.
  • YouTube for Non-Profits gives a designated channel, premium branding, and additional free features to drive non-profit fundraising and awareness. YouTube Video Volunteers is a platform to connect non-profit organizations with volunteers who can help them to create videos.
  • Google Apps for Non-Profits allows for free communication, collaboration and publishing tools, including email accounts, for qualifying non-profits with up to 3,000 licenses.
  • Google Earth Outreach, our Google Earth and Maps resource for non-profits, helps non-profits visualize their cause and tell their story in Google Earth and Maps.
  • Google MapMaker is a tool that allows users to contribute, share and edit map information for 174 countries and territories around the world.
  • Checkout for Non-Profits increases online donations for non-profit organizations with no service fees.
  • Custom Search for Non-Profits provides a customized search experience for non-profit organizations without advertisements.

• Know a teacher or professor who is interested in Google products? Find out more at Google Apps for EDU, Sketchup for EDU and YouTube for EDU (an educational channel for two and four-year degree granting public and private colleges and universities).

Google Volunteerism

Googlers volunteer their time and talent a variety of ways.

• Google sponsors an annual service event called GoogleServe.
• Many offices around the globe have Google Cares programs, where Googlers volunteer in their local community.

Google Green Initiatives

We’re taking every step we can to implement innovative and responsible environmental practices across our company to reduce our carbon footprint, ensure efficient computing and help our employees be green.