Microsoft Pri0

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February 23, 2009 4:04 PM

Microsoft employees gave $87.7 million to charity last year

Posted by Benjamin J. Romano

Nearly 60 percent of Microsoft's U.S. employees gave to charity through part of the company's corporate philanthropy program in 2008, it announced today. Counting matching donations from Microsoft, the company's employees gave a record $87.7 million to the cause of their choice last year. The company matches employee giving dollar-for-dollar up to $12,000 a year.

On average, U.S. Microsoft employees contributed on average about $1,523 each -- counting the company match. That's based on a U.S. work force of 57,588 as of Dec. 31.

In 2007, Microsoft employees gave $84.1 million, then a high-water mark.

As my colleague Kristi Heim reported last month, there are some fears that matching-gift programs would be on the chopping block as companies try to rein in costs. So far, that doesn't seem to be the case in Washington.

Microsoft's global corporate donations, including cash and software, were worth $498 million last fiscal year. [Update, 4:55 p.m.: Added detail on global corporate donations being for the fiscal year (July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2008), rather than the calendar year, which is the time period for employee donations. Also, in fiscal year 2007, total global corporate giving was $432 million.]

You can download the company's 2009 Corporate Citizenship report here: 16-page PDF.

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