It was a Tuesday that will be remembered for a long time by residents of San Francisco. In a momentous event called the Dreamforce 2018 or DF18, Salesforce attracted more than 170,000 visitors coming from all walks of life.
There were talks on the future of finance, retail, customer service, and even artificial intelligence and putting an end to ocean pollution brought about by plastic products.
But one part of the event made attendees all teary-eyed and beaming with hope and excitement. And that’s when Salesforce announced $18 million in grants that will be used to address the Bay Area’s most urgent causes.
The announcement was made by none other than Sales Co-CEO and Chairman Marc Benioff. A fourth-generation San Franciscan himself who grew up in the city, Marc said he’s excited to take Salesforce’s power and give back to the community. The Dreamforce event itself is dedicated to the city. The goal of Salesforce is to donate $100 million to the local schools and they have gone beyond halfway of the target.
There are three problems that are obvious in the city and these are cleanliness, hunger, and homelessness. Residents of the community deserve good education, a home, food, and safety. The $18 million grant will significantly help in achieving that mission.
$15.5 million of the total $18 million in grants will be awarded to the Oakland Unified School District and the San Francisco Unified School District. The funds will be used for college access, middle school transformation, and computer science programs.
$1.5 million will go to the Larkin Youth Service and the San Francisco – Marin Food Bank who holds programs and activities on youth homelessness, family, and hunger.
The remaining amount will be given to San Francisco Parks Alliance which will be used to ensure safety on the common park and playgrounds.