San Francisco-based Salesforce has announced awards totaling $39 million in support of Bay Area STEM education and AI readiness programs alongside a $100 million gift from its co-founder Marc Benioff and his wife, Lynne—both Giving Pledge signatories—to UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals.
The award to Benioff Chhildren’s will help build a state-of-the-art hospital and fund renovations to expand care for children and families in Oakland. Funding from Salesforce includes $13 million to the San Francisco and Oakland school districts to expand STEM access and help young people navigate an AI future and $17 million to 18 nonprofits engaged in AI readiness. The combined awards boost giving in the Bay Area from the Benioffs and Salesforce to more than $1 billion to date.
“As a fourth-generation San Franciscan, I’ve always believed in our responsibility to invest deeply in our local community,” said Marc Benioff. “The San Francisco Bay Area is the AI capital of the world. With that leadership comes a responsibility not only to innovate, but to secure the future of our community—ensuring that every child has access to world-class health care, safe and welcoming public parks and spaces, and a great education to flourish in the AI era.”
(Photo credit: Wikimedia/Mx. Granger)