Microsoft Alumni Network 10-17 event
Left to right: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Microsoft Alumni Network Board Chair Jeff Raikes, Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, Technology Access Foundation Executive Director Trish Millines Dziko, Founder and Executive Director of Pongo Teen Writing Richard Gold, and Literacy Bridge founder Cliff Schmidt. Photo: Randell Walton Photography

The Microsoft Alumni Foundation has announced new grants and matching funds totaling $175,000 for former employees whose philanthropy and nonprofit work has been recognized by the group for improving the lives of others.

The funds were announced at an event in Redmond attended by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, the new L.A. Clippers owner — himself a new addition to the ranks of Microsoft alumni.

The grants were given to three projects run by former Microsoft employees who were selected from the foundation’s group of “Integral Fellows,” who have been recognized for their nonprofit and philanthropic work. Each of the three received $25,000 grants. Here are the details on the recipients, from the foundation.

  • Richard Gold, Pongo Teen Writing. The grant will be used to support the funding of five national trainings for teachers and counselors, specifically teaching them the Pongo methodology.
  • Cliff Schmidt, Literacy Bridge. The grant will hire software engineers in Ghana to help scale their efforts.
  • Trish Millines Dziko, Technology Access Foundation. The grant will transform Mount View Elementary in Highline School District into a STEM-enriched school.

In addition, the Microsoft Alumni Foundation has created a pool of $100,000 to match donations by Microsoft alumni to the 14 nonprofit groups led by the previous Integral Fellows who were finalists for the grants.

The philanthropic Microsoft Alumni Foundation and the business-oriented Microsoft Alumni Network combined earlier this year. The group is led by board chairman Jeff Raikes, the former Microsoft Business Division president who was most recently CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Like what you're reading? Subscribe to GeekWire's free newsletters to catch every headline

Job Listings on GeekWork

Find more jobs on GeekWork. Employers, post a job here.