Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Shoulders $2M for the Homeless

Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL) may be one of the revered places to work for global job seekers, but the world’s largest technology-driven company has more examples to set in this profit-making business world.

Google Inc. will offer over $2 million in grants to San Francisco to help the city better manage the homeless. This was officially confirmed by the Mayor’s office on Thursday.

Google Inc. will distribute its grants among three organizations already engaged in the area. These would include Hamilton Family Center, Larking Street Youth Service, as well as Hand UP. The selection of these organizations was based on their exemplary work in providing, in addition to housing, supportive services as well as jobs.

What prompted Google’s social responsibility?

In recent months, Bay Area has been witness to protests from contract service workers because of the disparity in their pays and that of the techie’s campuses they serve.
At Google Inc, the protests were with their shuttle bus employees. They protested that the escalating living costs in the region had driven up housing costs to unaffordable levels.

Following these protests, Google Inc, had in February sponsored $6.8 million so that children of low-income in the city of San Francisco can travel free of cost in the buses for two years.

The grant to Hamilton Family Center is of $100,000 and will provide homes for the shelter less by partnering San Francisco Unified School District. Larkin Street Youth Services will receive $500,000 to offer more programs for college and career preparation for homeless youth in the region. HandUP matches online donations to build homes for low-income residents as well as providing food and medical care. Google Inc. will offer $500,000 as grants to HandUP. Besides, Google will match every first donation made till Dec 31.

Other technology companies contributing to social causes include salesforce.com, inc. (NYSE:CRM) as well as Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR) with the latter making $1 million contribution in a learning center. Salesforce continues it earlier model of 1% contribution of company’s product; another 1% of equity and 1% employee time to social causes.