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Salesforce Com Foundation

Annual Giving
$38.0M
Grant Range
$0K - $5.0M

Salesforce Com Foundation

Quick Stats

  • EIN: 94-3347800
  • Annual Giving: $36-40 million
  • Grant Range: $100 - $5,000,000+
  • Geographic Focus: International (focus on regions with major Salesforce hubs: San Francisco, Oakland, Indianapolis, New York, London, Tokyo, Sydney, Germany, Canada)
  • Application Process: Invitation-only for strategic grants

Contact Details

Official Website: https://www.salesforce.com/company/salesforce-foundation/

Foundation Structure: Corporate foundation established in 1999

Location: San Francisco, CA

Employee Matching Program Contact: matching@salesforce.com

Overview

The Salesforce Foundation (also known as Salesforce.org) was established in 1999 as the philanthropic arm of Salesforce. With total assets of approximately $395 million (as of 2024), the foundation awards $36-40 million annually in grants focused on education and workforce development programs that equip young people with the skills, opportunities, and support to reach their full potential. The foundation operates multiple grant programs, including strategic multi-year grants (invitation-only), employee-inspired giving programs, technology capacity building grants, and the Catalyst Fund for organizations led by underrepresented leaders. Since inception in 2000, the foundation has given more than $73 million in grants, and Salesforce employees have contributed 9.8 million volunteer hours worldwide. The foundation has received recognition for its inclusive philanthropy approach, particularly through the Catalyst Fund which provides unrestricted grants to nonprofit leaders from underrepresented communities.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Strategic Education & Workforce Development Grants: Multi-year grants ranging from hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars (invitation-only). Focus on scalable, evidence-based programs in regions with major Salesforce hubs. Recent examples include multi-million dollar grants to school districts like San Francisco Unified School District, Oakland Unified School District, and Indianapolis Public Schools.

Catalyst Fund: $100,000 unrestricted grants to first-time recipients led by underrepresented leaders; $200,000 grants for reinvestment in previous recipients. The fund has distributed $6 million total across multiple rounds supporting organizations in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and Germany.

Technology Capacity Building Grants: $10,000 grants to 4-6 nonprofit organizations annually to develop their use of Salesforce applications. Recipients are chosen based on their ability to share best practices, impact on organizational efficacy, financial necessity, and implementation plan strength.

Employee Volunteer Grants: $100 per 10 volunteer hours completed by Salesforce employees (up to $500 annually per employee after minimum 10 hours volunteered).

Champion Grants: $1,000 grants awarded to nonprofits when Salesforce employees complete 48 volunteer hours in one fiscal year.

Employee Matching Gifts: 1:1 matching up to $5,000-$10,000 per employee annually to eligible charitable organizations worldwide.

Power of Us Program: While not a cash grant, eligible nonprofits receive 10 donated Salesforce Enterprise Edition subscriptions and deep discounts on additional products (alternative support for organizations not receiving strategic grants).

Priority Areas

Education:

  • Academic success with emphasis on STEM and computer science
  • Increasing exposure and access for underrepresented groups and girls in technology
  • Educator excellence through professional development
  • Higher education and career readiness
  • Equalized access into and through higher education

Workforce Development:

  • Building an equitable, diverse, and inclusive technology workforce
  • Bridging education and careers through mentorship and career-aligned learning
  • Work-based experience and apprenticeship programs
  • Creating pathways for people with nontraditional backgrounds to build successful careers in technology

Thriving Communities (in regions with major Salesforce hubs):

  • Housing and homelessness (examples: Larkin Street Youth Services, Compass Family Services, Hamilton Families)
  • Climate justice ($10 million in climate grants supporting 18 organizations globally in FY2024)
  • Community development

What They Don't Fund

  • Events, sponsorships, or galas
  • Scholarships or grants to individual people
  • Endowment funding
  • Lobbying of any kind

Governance and Leadership

The foundation operates as a corporate foundation aligned with Salesforce's corporate values and strategic priorities. Leadership emphasizes alignment with business priorities while driving social impact.

Key Selection Criteria Mentioned by Foundation: The foundation looks for organizations that demonstrate:

  • Alignment with Education, Workforce Development, and Thriving Communities strategies in regions with major Salesforce hubs
  • Demonstrated program impact or strong evidence-informed models
  • Commitment to measure, learn, and adapt
  • Strong, diverse leadership team reflective of the community served

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Strategic Grants: This funder does not have a public application process. Proposals for strategic grants are accepted on an invitation-only basis. Due to the high volume of inquiries, the foundation is not able to respond to unsolicited funding inquiries.

Technology Capacity Building Grants ($10,000): While information about these grants is publicly available, the application process and criteria are not clearly documented for public access.

Employee-Inspired Grants: These are initiated by Salesforce employees through internal processes (volunteer grants, matching gifts, Champion grants).

Power of Us Program (product donation, not cash grant): Public application available for eligible 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) organizations, charitable nonprofits, foundations, and qualifying educational institutions. Organizations apply through salesforce.org and need tax documentation.

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines are not publicly documented, as most strategic grants are invitation-only and negotiated directly with the foundation. The foundation emphasizes multi-year strategic partnerships rather than one-time grants.

Success Rates

Success rates are not publicly available. Given the invitation-only nature of strategic grants, traditional success rate metrics do not apply.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable for strategic grants due to invitation-only process. For employee-inspired giving programs, employees can continue to participate annually according to program guidelines.

Application Success Factors

Since strategic grants are invitation-only, the following factors are critical for organizations seeking Salesforce Foundation support:

Geographic Alignment: The foundation explicitly prioritizes "regions with major Salesforce hubs." Organizations based in or serving communities in San Francisco, Oakland, Indianapolis, New York, London, Tokyo, Sydney, and other cities with significant Salesforce presence are more likely to be considered.

Evidence-Based Models: The foundation seeks "demonstrated program impact or strong evidence-informed models." Organizations should have data demonstrating outcomes and be able to articulate their theory of change clearly.

Measurement and Learning: The foundation values "commitment to measure, learn, and adapt." Organizations that can demonstrate robust evaluation frameworks and willingness to iterate based on data are preferred.

Diverse Leadership: "Strong, diverse leadership team reflective of the community" served is an explicit criterion. The Catalyst Fund specifically targets organizations led by underrepresented leaders, reflecting this institutional priority.

Scalability: The foundation supports "innovative, scalable solutions" particularly in STEM and computer science education. Organizations should be able to articulate how their work can grow or be replicated.

Technology Integration: Given Salesforce's business focus, organizations that can demonstrate thoughtful use of technology to advance their mission may have an advantage. The foundation offers both cash grants and technology donations, suggesting they value organizations that leverage technology effectively.

Focus on Youth and Career Pathways: Recent grant announcements emphasize programs that create clear pathways from education to careers, particularly in technology. Organizations should articulate how they bridge education and workforce development.

Unrestricted Funding Approach: The Catalyst Fund provides unrestricted grants, suggesting the foundation trusts grantee leadership to allocate resources effectively. Organizations should be prepared to discuss strategic priorities and demonstrate strong organizational management.

Recent Grantee Examples:

  • Empowr (Atlanta): Teaching high-paying skills to high school students of color
  • Tech Spark Canada: Redesigning personalized learning for middle school students
  • Watts of Power Foundation (Los Angeles): Strengthening families in foster care through education and community support
  • Braven: Empowering underrepresented young people with skills and networks to transition from college to strong first jobs
  • Ada, the National College for Digital Skills (U.K.): Removing barriers for women and individuals from low-income backgrounds in tech
  • Joblinge (Germany): Enabling young adults to access long-term apprenticeship positions

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Invitation-only model: This foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals for strategic grants. Building relationships and getting on their radar through other means (Salesforce employee connections, sector networks, visibility in priority geographies) is essential.

  • Geographic strategy is critical: The foundation explicitly prioritizes regions with major Salesforce hubs. Organizations should emphasize how they serve communities in San Francisco, Oakland, Indianapolis, New York, or other cities with significant Salesforce presence.

  • Multi-year strategic partnerships: The foundation favors sustained engagement over one-time grants. Organizations should be prepared for long-term partnership discussions rather than single-year funding requests.

  • Leverage employee connections: With robust employee giving programs (matching gifts, volunteer grants, Champion grants), building relationships with Salesforce employees can create pathways to foundation awareness and potentially strategic funding.

  • Consider alternative support: Organizations not positioned for strategic grants should explore the Power of Us Program, which provides significant value through donated software subscriptions (10 free Enterprise Edition subscriptions plus discounts).

  • Demonstrate diversity and inclusion: Both in organizational leadership and program design, the foundation explicitly values diverse teams and approaches that center equity, particularly through the Catalyst Fund for underrepresented leaders.

  • Evidence and measurement matter: Organizations must demonstrate commitment to rigorous evaluation, data-driven adaptation, and willingness to share learnings with the broader nonprofit sector.

References

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