One of the things I’ve always admired about Microsoft, both during my time as an employee there, and after, is the incredible sense of civic duty the company has. Annually the employees give 10′s of millions of dollars to their favorite causes and charities. Corporately, the annual United Way campaign used to raise in excess of $20 million during the time I was there. And the company generously matched the first $12,000 that any employee chose to contribute.
So, without further ado, I give you this piece of Microsoft internal email, which appeared in my inbox forwarded through several people who are indirectly connected with the company. It’s an inspiration, and a reflection of an unbelievably generous spirit.
Alec Saunders is the Vice President of Developer Relations for BlackBerry make Research in Motion. This is his personal blog, with his personal viewpoints. Prior to this Alec was the CEO and co-founder of Calliflower — the easiest way to hold a meeting, online, on a conference call, or on the go. A double-decade veteran of product management and marketing, he spent nine years at Microsoft where he helped launch Windows 95, the first two versions of Internet Explorer, the Universal Plug and Play initiative, the push into home markets, opt-in email marketing and what might well go down in history as the very first direct email list ever.
