Salesforce Charts Its Own Course in Tech Giving for Schools

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff is taking a different philanthropic tack than other tech moguls in backing public education, TechCrunch and Business Insider write in reporting on the company’s latest, $6-million donation to the San Francisco school district.

The money, part of a three-year, $14 million commitment made by Salesforce’s foundation, includes $100,000 each for 21 principals to spend at their discretion as well as funds for a pilot middle-school computer-science curriculum and new science, technology, engineering, and math teachers. Company employees will also log a collective 10,000 volunteer hours this academic year at 20 schools adopted by the firm.

Mr. Benioff, who has called on Silicon Valley to step up its giving, touted the broader approach in comparison to bigger donations of cash and technology made by other tech giants. “It’s great to write a check,” he told students at San Francisco’s Presidio Middle School on Monday. “But money alone doesn’t help schools. What helps schools is all of us embracing our schools, our school board, and our great superintendent.”