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), 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).

For now, Microsoft’s efforts are focused on nonprofits within its native Washington, such as Washington FIRST Robotics  (opens in a new tab), Food Lifeline  (opens in a new tab) and the Seattle Aquarium  (opens in a new tab). 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)

In a brief post on Google Plus  (opens in a new tab), 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).

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), 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).

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).