Salesforce CEO donates $12.2 billion to aid immigrant, refugee students

Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce, is yet another business leader who opposes immigration and refugee policies of Donald Trump, the US President.

On 12 September, Benioff diverted some of his company's revenues to Salesforce.org, the cloud computing company’s non-profit social enterprise, to donate $12.2 million to the Oakland and San Francisco unified school districts, part of which would be used to help students hailing from the immigrant and refugee families.

The money for what Salesforce terms ‘newcomers’ will benefit Oakland Unified especially, where one out of eight students hails from another country.

Data revealed shows that in last four years, the immigrant and refugee student numbers in the district has more than doubled to 2,731 from 1,299. Salesforce.org sells Salesforce products to other nonprofit organisations and donates those proceeds. Oakland Unified would be getting a sum of $5.2 million, a portion of which will fund computer-science and mathematics programs.

This is said to be the fifth year in which the cloud computing company’s nonprofit organisation has donated to San Francisco Unified and the second year to Oakland Unified. This is, however, said to be the first year in which the organisation has granted money with the primary objective of helping immigrants and refugees.

Ebony Frelix, the senior vice president of philanthropy and engagement of salesforce.org, was quoted by Business Insider as saying that they wanted to give back to the communities where their employees work and reside. This was one crucial area identified when they looked all over the city and wondered how they could make a major impact.

San Francisco Unified has seen the number of girls being enrolled in these programs rise from close to 200 to over 3,800. Even the student numbers from underrepresented communities have increased.

According to Salesforce, in Oakland Unified, around 1,000 students have opted for computer science classes for the first time.

Though computer education is the specific objective of the effort of Salesforce.org, its approach to immigrant students is concentrated on things beyond mere computer training.

Frelix said the needs of one newcomer are not exactly what another child requires.

Following Benioff’s footsteps are other technology CEOs, whose views go against those of the Trump administration. In fact, many of them spoke against the US government’s decision to rescind the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) program.

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