Former President Clinton Joins Microsoft CEO Ballmer To Hail Giving Record

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/071102/aqf097.html?.v=7

Microsoft Corp. marked the end of its annual giving campaign by hosting former President Bill Clinton for a campus visit. Clinton, joining Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer to reveal the results of this year's campaign, told a standing-room-only audience of more than 1,000 employees and thousands more watching via webcast that every individual, regardless of status or income, can help solve global challenges such as climate change and poverty.

A Microsoft tradition for 25 years, the giving campaign is a dedicated season of employee involvement and contributions that takes place each October. Microsoft employees donate to thousands of nonprofit organizations working to improve lives. In addition, Microsoft matches U.S. employee donations, dollar for dollar, up to $12,000 per person per year.

This year, employee donations and Microsoft's matching contributions of cash and software totaled over $72 million, exceeding last year's tally of $63 million.

"You've done a good thing with this giving, because it is inconceivable that we can adequately address these challenges without a strong economy, an effective government and a more viable civil society," said Clinton. "People have to step into the breach. Benjamin Franklin understood that 40 years before the Declaration of Independence when he organized America's first volunteer fire department. When you gave all this money -- over $70 million this year -- you were the 21st century's great volunteer fire department, and I thank you."

http://www.microsoft.com/Presspass/press/2007/nov07/11-02CharitableMarkPR.mspx