The Slalom Foundation has completed its first grant-making milestone by awarding $1,000,000 to organizations working to promote social justice and fight racism.

In 2020, the Slalom Foundation pledged to award grants to organizations dedicated to fighting racism, promoting social justice, and removing barriers to equity that affect under resourced communities. This campaign, called the Social Equality Initiative (SEI), was driven by nominations from local Slalom team members who wanted to recognize organizations aligned to Slalom’s mission, goals, and values. As a result, 33 organizations across the U.S., U.K., and Australia have received grants to support their communities.

Grants ranged from $10,000 – $30,000, with each grantee self-selecting the best way to use the funds to support their cause. Example causes supported include organizations working to diversify the tech workforce, supporting youth navigating the legal system, and providing safe places for children and caregivers to play.

“Through our three-year SEI campaign we made donations to organizations across the globe that are truly making a difference in the communities they serve,” said Rob Potter, Slalom’s Chief Accounting Officer. “Slalom’s partnership, and to a lesser extent, our financial support has contributed to meaningful and impactful change in the trajectory of the futures of many, both seen and unseen, within our underrepresented communities. In my view our work epitomized the spirit of Booker T. Washington’s quote, ‘if you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.’ Thank you to all of these organizations and thank you to our communities for helping us in our company’s pursuit of making ‘better tomorrows for all’.” 

The list of 2023 awarded organizations includes:

• Belafonte TACOLCY Center – cultivating community and support children in the Liberty City neighborhood in Miami.  
• Black Men in Tech – advancing diversity in technology careers by creating a global support community.  
• Chris Gardner Foundation – exposing youth to career opportunities using the latest technology in Detroit. 
• Dent Education – empowering teens in Baltimore to develop 21^st century skills through hands-on experiences.  
• Hello Baby – supporting safe spaces for children to meet developmental milestones in neighborhoods on Chicago’s South Side. 
• Hope for Youth Inc. – improving equitable access and representation for women of color in STEM by engaging girls in middle and high school in computer science in Atlanta. 
• Ignite Arts & STEM (formerly Ashe Arts & STEM) – mentoring youth in arts and STEM in the Los Angeles community. 
• IndigiGenius – engaging future Indigenous computer scientists in the Pacific Northwest and beyond.  
• Legacy of Equality Leadership and Organizing – building a multi-racial community coalition to address food security in the greater Seattle area.  
• Living with Conviction – supporting those navigating the legal system with court fees, debts, and statutory changes in Washington State.

Upon receiving a grant through the Slalom Foundation, recipients over the years have remarked: 

“As 2024 comes in Ignite Arts and STEM (formerly The Ashe Arts & STEM) is excited to continue a beautiful and fruitful partnership with Slalom. Our partnership started with supporting services such as 48 in 48, where Slalom helped us to completely rebrand our organization with our website, to now receiving a grant from Slalom to continue our efforts in the community. We are humbled and grateful to have been selected for the Slalom SEI grant. We look forward to the partnership with Slalom and are beyond excited to continue moving forward with this very important work that we do."
- Crystal Jones, Board President, of Ignite Arts & STEM (2023 SEI award winner)

“Your contributions of time, talent and financial resources are going a long way in addressing the systemic issues of racism and inequality that continue to plague our communities. Your dedication to creating a more just and equitable world is a testament to your values and vision. We are grateful for your partnership and look forward to continuing to work together towards a more just and inclusive society.”
- Andrea Caupain, Former CEO, Byrd Barr Place (2022 SEI award winner) 

“Thank you so much for the incredibly generous donation in support of our work. We so appreciate to be able to collaborate with you all. We so appreciate the support. Truly thank you.
- Mike Pope, Executive Director, Youth Represent (2022 SEI award winner)

A principle of Slalom’s grant-making has been to direct funding to organizations that are representative of the communities they serve, empowering community leaders to direct resources to where they are most needed. The Slalom Foundation plans to continue efforts to support local communities with future campaigns to support and build better tomorrows for all.

To learn more about Slalom’s people, planet, and community impact, please visit our website and review our annual Impact Report.