--- title: "Monday Buzz: Microsoft Announces Tech Talent for Good Program" id: "27431" type: "post" slug: "monday-buzz-microsoft-announces-tech-talent-for-good-program" published_at: "2015-03-02T19:58:17+00:00" modified_at: "2026-11-09T17:52:16+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2015/03/02/monday-buzz-microsoft-announces-tech-talent-for-good-program/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2015/03/02/monday-buzz-microsoft-announces-tech-talent-for-good-program.md" excerpt: "With its latest nonprofit initiative, Microsoft is looking to help organization’s IT teams and bottom lines. Plus: The final verdict on #TheDress." taxonomy_category: - "Organizational Strategy" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "nonprofit" - "partnerships" - "Technology" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "C-Level" - "Executive Team" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Monday Buzz: Microsoft Announces Tech Talent for Good Program Is your nonprofit lacking in IT expertise? You’re far from alone, and with the announcement of a new initiative, Microsoft is ramping up its efforts to solve that problem for many organizations. Late last week, the tech giant announced its [Tech Talent for Good program (opens in a new tab)](http://news.microsoft.com/features/tech-talent-for-good-new-volunteer-program-matches-microsoft-employees-tech-expertise-with-nonprofit-it-needs/) , which partners its expert employees with nonprofits in need of a helping hand. “Microsoft’s new Tech Talent for Good program will encourage and enable our employees to bring their technical talents to bear against this challenge. Working with a number of nonprofit partners, including Taproot Foundation, an organization that specializes in skills-based volunteering, we will actively identify technology projects and help manage the engagement between nonprofit organizations and our employee volunteers,” Kathleen Hogan, executive vice president of human resources; and Brad Smith, general counsel and executive vice president of legal and corporate affairs, [said in a statement (opens in a new tab)](http://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2015/02/26/microsoft-launches-tech-talent-for-good-as-employees-raise-record-breaking-117-million/) . For now, Microsoft’s efforts are focused on nonprofits within its native Washington, such as [Washington FIRST Robotics (opens in a new tab)](http://www.firstwa.org/) , [Food Lifeline (opens in a new tab)](https://foodlifeline.org/) and the [Seattle Aquarium (opens in a new tab)](http://www.seattleaquarium.org/) . But Microsoft has pledged that efforts will expand beyond the Pacific Northwest. ### Breakup of the Day [https://plus.google.com/+BradleyHorowitz/posts/TCABnE5Jkwh (opens in a new tab)](https://plus.google.com/+BradleyHorowitz/posts/TCABnE5Jkwh) **[In a brief post on Google Plus (opens in a new tab)](https://plus.google.com/+BradleyHorowitz/posts/TCABnE5Jkwh) ,** new Google Plus product head Bradley Horowitz has officially announced the social network’s photo features will partially remain as a separate platform, while the larger social network will be renamed Streams. Google’s messaging and video service, Hangouts, will also be receiving some revamps, [as reported by The Verge (opens in a new tab)](http://www.theverge.com/2015/3/2/8131639/google-officially-splits-into-photos-and-streams) . ### Other Good Reads **Now that the dust has settled on #TheDress,** hear from an actual optometrist, [via the American Optometric Association (opens in a new tab)](http://www.aoa.org/news/inside-optometry/an-optometrist-explains-thedress-debate) , on why the debate flared up in the first place. **When you think of Burning Man,** do you think of financial transparency? Ohio State University professor of accounting Brian Mittendorf examines the Burning Man Project, a new nonprofit that highlights the gathering’s unique take on finances, [in an article for The Chronicle of Philanthropy (opens in a new tab)](https://philanthropy.com/article/Opinion-Burning-Man-Becomes/227895) . **How do the very best board directors** stay involved with their organizations? *The Harvard Business Review*‘s Bill Huyett and Rodeny Zemmel [have all the answers right here (opens in a new tab)](https://hbr.org/2015/02/how-the-best-board-directors-stay-involved) . [Morgan Little](https://associationsnow.com/author/morgan-little/) Morgan Little is a contributor to Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/morgan-little/) Tags: [#nonprofit](https://associationsnow.com/tag/nonprofit/) [#partnerships](https://associationsnow.com/tag/partnerships/) [#Technology](https://associationsnow.com/tag/technology/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [VideoPartnerships that Drive Success: ASAE Strategic Partnership AllianceAugust 26, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/08/26/partnerships-that-drive-success-asae-strategic-partnership-alliance/) - [PodcastAssociations Now Presents: Beyond the Tech Stack: How AI Is Changing the Association PlaybookOctober 29, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/10/29/associations-now-presents-beyond-the-tech-stack-how-ai-is-changing-the-association-playbook/) - [Video2025 Summit Award Recipient: National Adoption AssociationOctober 3, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/10/03/2025-summit-award-recipient-national-adoption-association/) - [ArticleReport: Nonprofits Eyeing MergersOctober 14, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/10/14/report-nonprofits-eyeing-mergers/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2015%2F03%2F02%2Fmonday-buzz-microsoft-announces-tech-talent-for-good-program%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !