Cisco Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The Cisco Foundation is the charitable arm of the global telecom giant, Cisco Systems. The Cisco Foundation is not large, but it does devote a significant portion of its resources to STEM Education and international development projects. The foundation’s public health grants help to meet “critical human needs” and provide healthcare to underserved populations. A complex and wide-ranging foundation, Cisco Systems addresses both U.S. and international needs in both relief and long-term sustainability.
IP TAKE: Cisco’s grant process is often vague and frequently requires grant seekers to network by introducing themselves. Consistent with the networking products that Cisco Systems specializes in, the foundation prioritizes funding for organizations that use the internet and technology. The Cisco Foundation also limits its grantmaking to specific geographic areas.
PROFILE: The philanthropic arm of the global technology giant, the Cisco Systems Foundation was established in 1997 and today it takes a broad approach to grantmaking. The foundation “supports Cisco’s efforts to team with nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations around the world to develop technology-based solutions in our investment areas. [It focuses] this work on underserved communities and look for solutions that harness the power of the Internet and communications technology.” Its main investment areas are Education Investments, Economic Empowerment, Environmental Sustainability, Innovation, and Critical Human Needs.
Cisco awards grants in regions of the country in which it has a significant operational presence. Qualifying organizations must, at the very least, have an affiliate location within a 50-mile radius of “Cisco major site communities.” In the U.S., these major site communities include the cities of Boxborough, Massachusetts; Lawrenceville, Georgia; Research Triangle Park, North Carolina; Richardson, Texas; and San Jose, California.
In April 2021, Cisco pledged $100 million in grants and impact investments to support nonprofits which use technology to address climate change, create green jobs, and promote activism.
Grants for STEM Education
The foundation’s Education Investment area awards K-12 grants that support “the creation and deployment of technology-based solutions and education delivery models that improve student performance and engagement. [These grants] support K-8 programs that focus on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) studies, and secondary and higher education programs related to technology, engineering, and math.” The foundation seeks programs that serve marginalized students and those at risk of dropping out of school, increasing STEM education capacity, and programs that increase access to, and the availability of, STEM education, products, and curriculum development services.
Past grantees include Generation YES, CommonLit, MIND Research Institute, and Gooru Learning. Grant seekers can see additional previous education grantees and funded programs here. Grant seekers should note that the foundation does not provide direct funding to schools.
Grants for Global Development
Cisco makes grants for global development through its Global Impact Cash Grants program, which seeks “community partners around the world who share [Cisco’s] vision and offer an innovative approach to a critical social challenge.” It accepts applications year-round and uses an initial information form in order to determine which organizations will be invited to complete a full application. Past grantees include Akvo, Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology, Digital Green, and Ushahidi. Grant seekers can see additional grantees and funded programs here.
Grants for Public Health
Cisco Foundation gives most of its public health money to program development through its Global Impact Cash Grants program. One of the investment areas of this program is Critical Human Needs, which funds clean water, food, shelter, and disaster response. Eligible programs will “address a significant social problem with unmet needs” that requires urgent action. They will serve the underserved, and Cisco requires that 50 percent of the constituency be economically underserved. The foundation also offers San Francisco Bay Area Community Impact Grants of $15,000 for “programs that promote wellness and positive health habits, especially in the areas of obesity and violence prevention as these epidemics affect children.” These grants are for organizations located within 50 miles of San Jose, California. Although the foundation’s applications are by invitation only, grant seekers can complete a pre-eligibility quiz to see if their organizations qualify.
Past grantees include Feeding America, Community Solutions, and Network for Good. Grant seekers can see additional grantees and funded programs here.
Grants for Work and Economic Opportunity
The majority of Cisco’s grants in the field of work and economic opportunity fall under its Economic Empowerment program, which primarily seeks to “empower people to thrive in the digital economy,” as well as to “help lift people out of poverty, support community development, and drive economic growth.” The foundation awards “cash grants, advisory support, and donations of Cisco technology” to support efforts such as “forming pathways to success for disadvantaged youth, helping women in developing nations become financially self-sufficient, and matching U.S. military veterans to civilian jobs.”
Recent partners include Digital Green, AnnieCannons, Entrepreneurship for All (EforAll), and Opportunity International. Grant seekers can see additional grantees and funded programs here.
Grants for Humanitarian Relief, Immigrants and Refugees
Cisco Systems’ Critical Needs and Disaster Relief focus area supports domestic and international emergency response grants for various disaster situations. Through its Critical Needs and Disaster efforts, Cisco Systems distributes three kinds of grants: Global Impact cash grants, Product Grants for technology, and San Francisco Bay Area Community Impact Grants. Although the Cisco Systems Foundation offers various types of grants for relief aid and resilience infrastructure, grant seekers should make sure to adhere closely to their eligibility and application process guidelines, as well as their deadlines, since they are complex and subject to change.
Cisco created the Be the Bridge campaign as a corporate matching program to complement its employees’ refugee efforts. Cisco employees donated nearly $380,000 to the campaign, which the Cisco Foundation matched, for a total of $743,000 to refugee-related causes. Another employee program, Refugee First Response Center (RFRC), was developed and implemented by Cisco employees in Hamburg, Germany, and utilizes “cutting edge, technology-based solutions for some key challenges faced by refugees.”
Past grantees include American Red Cross, NetHope, Atma Connect, Ushahidi, and organizations working for COVID-19 relief and recovery during the pandemic. Grant seekers can see additional grantees and funded programs here.
Grants for Housing and Community Development
Cisco conducts the majority of its housing and urban development through its Critical Human Needs program, which seeks to “overcome the cycle of poverty and dependence through strategic investments.” Funding in this program prioritizes “innovative solutions that increase the capacity of grantees to deliver their products and services more effectively and efficiently,” “implementation of web-based tools that increase the availability of, or improve access to, products and services that are necessary for people to survive and thrive,” and “programs that provide clean water, food, shelter, disaster response, and other essential prerequisites to self-sufficiency.”
Past grantees include Compass Family Services, Housing Trust Silicon Valley, Community Solutions, Habitat for Humanity, and Destination: Home. Grant seekers can see additional grantees and funded programs here.
Grants for the Bay Area
Cisco’s San Francisco Bay Area Community Impact Grants seek to “close the education achievement gap for low-income kindergarten through 5th grade students in the Bay Area.” In order to receive funding, programs must address a significant unmet need, benefit at least 65% underserved population, and demonstrate an ability to utilize and leverage technology. Grant recipients must also serve communities within a 50-mile radius of San Jose. View other eligibility requirements here.
Past grantees include Housing Trust Silicon Valley, Girls Inc. of Alameda County, Jamestown Community Center, Inc., Reading Partners, Partners In School Innovation, and Project Read. Grant seekers can see additional grantees and funded programs here.
Important Grant Details:
Grants from Cisco run anywhere from $10,000 to over $250,000, though most fall in the $10,000 to $50,000 range. The foundation accepts unsolicited grant applications for its Global Impact Cash Grant program on a rolling basis. Applications must be submitted using its online grant application tool. Submissions sent via postal mail or email will not be accepted or considered.
The San Francisco Bay Area Community Impact Grant program does not accept unsolicited grant applications and related grants are made by invitation only. First-time grants are limited to $50,000 or less.
The foundation awards disaster relief and humanitarian impact grants to pre-selected organizations only.
Grant seekers may review Cisco’s Annual Reports for more information on the foundation’s grantmaking habits.
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