News Article

A local California news columnist has accused the nonprofit fundraising divisions of Apple and Google of not doing enough to help their local communities.

This week, San Jose Mercury News columnist Bill Paul singled out Apple and Google for failing to interact with the communities that house them. Paul says that the majority of giving is tech-philanthropy that supports future company sales or develops new technology.

Apple lacks a foundation or a department devoted to giving, however it does have a small presence in the local chamber of commerce, rotary club and historical society. The greater part of its giving is constituted by donation of Apple products to local schools, a move it hopes will promote future sales, Paul writes.

Google has proven itself a leader in for-profit philanthropy, dedicating nearly $100 million to green and emerging companies as well as nonprofits. For example, it has provided scholarships to computer science graduate students and worked to modify Prius cars to operate on more battery power, he reports.

However, Paul said he could find few instances of employee volunteer programs, significant donations to local charities or partnerships with local city councils.

Paul is not the only one disappointed in the tech giants. In June, Jake Shapiro, CEO of PRX, alleged that Apple was anti-nonprofit due to the roadblocks it erected to prevent organizations from utilizing tools such as charity apps to raise funds.