Page 28 - The Way to the Top

private funding sources, salesforce.com placed more than 1 percent of the
new corporation’s shares into the foundation. It also committed to

donating 1 percent of profits to the community and 1 percent of employee
working hours to community service. The 1-1-1 model—equity, employee
time, and profits—ensures that as the business grows so does its
contribution to the communities in which it operates.

Colin Powell calls the mission to get corporations involved in

volunteering a “crusade.” If embraced, the possibilities are astounding.
Just consider what would happen if a top-tier venture capital firm required
the companies in which it invested to place 1 percent of their equity into a
public charity serving the communities in which they do business. The

potential of corporations who embed “doing good” into their business
structure is boundless.

In July 2000, salesforce.com/foundation opened its first computer
center, providing free access to underserved youth, with Colin Powell in
attendance. Since then, we have created nineteen such resources in San

Francisco, a mobile computer lab in Hawaii, and twenty-four centers in
nine other countries around the world, including Kenya, Romania, India,
Israel, Laos, Germany, Nepal, Ireland, and Afghanistan. These community

technology centers have reached more than fifty thousand people
worldwide. Employees have performed eight thousand hours of
community service, and corporations including AOL, Gateway, and Cisco
have joined our effort, donating services, time, and expertise to these
centers. We now have four foundation offices operating on the West and

East Coasts of the United States as well as in Europe and Asia.
Additionally, about half of the employees made stock or cash contributions
in 2003 and we also received donations from outside individuals. It’s my

personal goal to raise $100 to 200 million for the foundation over the next
five years in cash and equity contributions.

The salesforce.com/foundation has enriched our communities—as well
as our company and our lives. The foundation is the secret weapon that
keeps us grounded. People are here to do more than just make money; they

make a positive impact on the world. One IT staffer spends every Monday