AT&T's Grants Bring Technology to Low-Income Communities

By Johanne Torres

TMCnet Contributing Editor

 

AT&T's (News - Alert) Excelerator program, the technology grant program from the AT&T Foundation, the philanthropic division of AT&T, announced today that it just awarded $16,300 to Quad Cities nonprofit organizations. As the program celebrates its fifth year of existence, the telecom calculates it has given a whopping total of six million dollars in grants to lower-income communities so far.

 

The program has provided more than 2,500 technology grants, valued at more than $38.8 million, to organizations nationwide. Just last year, an estimated 480 regional and local nonprofit organizations benefited through this program. The telecom giant has put aside $100 million for a three-year philanthropic initiative that provides technology access to the organizations called the AT&T AccessAll, which the AT&T Excelerator program branches off of.

 

AT&T Excelerator helps nonprofits to integrate technology into their ongoing operations and community outreach. AT&T Excelerator grants also help nonprofit organizations pass technology tools on to populations they work with, providing resources such as Internet access, computer training, math and reading programs, and job-skills development.

 

"The development of our youth is vital. This grant is another exciting step in the King Center's expanding its capacity to serve more youth in order to have a more powerful impact in the community," said Jerry Jones, the executive director of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center, a recipient of some of the grant's benefits.

 

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center will provide the young community with computers with Internet access, serving as a resource for academic, vocational and recreational activities. This grant will allow the center to purchase the needed computers, secure Internet access and educational software and provide classes.

 

"For five years, the AT&T Excelerator program has underlined the importance of how technology can benefit communities and organizations," said Dennis Pauley, director of External Affairs for AT&T. "The Martin Luther King Jr. Center and other organizations in the Quad Cities area will continue to use technology funded by this program to empower the community and to change the lives of those they serve on a day-to-day basis. We commend State Senator Jacobs and State Representative Verschoore for their dedication in assisting nonprofit organizations in the Quad Cities and for understanding the vital role that technology plays in their success."

 

Today's news follows AT&T's announcement about it being tapped to supply international end-to-end private lines to Deutsche Bank in Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Mexico, with its operations in more than 70 countries. AT&T also agreed to provide Deutsche Bank’s IT organization with technical support.

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Johanne Torres is contributing editor for TMCnet and Internet Telephony magazine. To see more articles by Johanne Torres, please visit her columnist page.