Empowering communities: The Micron Foundation’s mission to make a difference

The Micron Foundation, driven by a mission to support nonprofit organizations and communities through philanthropy, volunteerism and STEM education, delivers social impact that creates opportunity for all. I am proud to share that, throughout 2023, the foundation gave over $11 million to causes in 35 locations around the world and touched over 2.3 million lives. We recently published the 2023 Micron Gives year-end summary, “On a mission to make a difference,” highlighting the foundation’s progress and accomplishments over the year.

Download the Micron Gives 2023 year-end summary – “On a mission to make a difference”

Increasing access to STEM education and careers of the future

The Micron Foundation creates access to STEM education for all students, from kindergarten to doctoral programs, spanning rural and metropolitan cities. To promote an interest in STEM, the foundation supports programs that introduce STEM education early. By engaging primary and secondary school students in hands-on STEM activities, we help remove the barriers that may inhibit girls, people with disabilities, or those from underserved and rural communities from exploring their own curiosity in STEM. An early focus on these academic concepts prepares students to meet technology-focused professions in future careers.

The foundation’s signature programs, Chip Camp and Girls Going Tech, are two of the primary vehicles we rely on to reach student groups around the world. The foundation has capitalized on the successes we’ve had with this hands-on curriculum, and during the past year expanded Chip Camp to five new locations around the globe, including in China, where we reached students with hearing disabilities. We also delivered the popular Girls Going Tech program in Spanish for the first time, allowing middle-school girls in Central New York to participate in the immersive experience in their first language.

But that’s just the beginning. The foundation also supports postsecondary pathways beyond traditional four-year degrees. Alternative pathways include skilling programs, apprenticeships, community college tracks and specialty training courses. For us, access means opening diverse opportunities, meeting people where they are and building bridges toward rewarding, long-term careers.

Enriching communities

The foundation takes a tailored approach to its mission. By understanding local challenges and collaborating with community partners, we’re a catalyst for positive and meaningful change in each location. For example, the foundation provided a grant to Resilient Cities Network in Penang, Malaysia, to help the state protect its vulnerable communities through resilience planning and climate adaptation. We also helped open two Tinkering Labs in India to nurture STEM education, innovation and entrepreneurship among youth in the local schools. In Boise, Idaho, the foundation supported the Campaign to End Family Homelessness, an initiative that helped reduce the number of families on waitlists for housing by nearly 55%. In Italy, the foundation contributed to PizzAut in Monza, a restaurant project that is dedicated to employing autistic people and creating a space of social inclusion.

Creating a culture that gives back 

Micron team members play a crucial role in the foundation’s mission. Whether through financial contributions that are matched dollar for dollar or through hands-on volunteering, Micron team members are engaged in their communities. These actions, whether organized by the foundation or supported independently through individual initiative, are creating visible and positive change.

I am so proud to share that 2023 was a record year for team member participation:

• 81.5% of our team members gave financially or volunteered their time to 2,532 unique causes. 
• More than 34,000 of our team members volunteered a cumulative 200,000 hours.
• Our global team donated $2.8 million, and with the Micron match, an additional $2.5 million enriched our communities. 

It’s exciting to see our team member participation increase year over year and to recognize the collective impact it drives. As the foundation and our Micron volunteers continue to uplift our communities, they remind us that collective action, no matter how small, can create lasting change.

As we celebrate Micron Volunteer Appreciation Month, I would like to thank all our team members for their ongoing efforts to make a difference. I am proud to share that their commitment has been so strong, we are on track to reach 1 million volunteer hours since 2020!

Micron’s volunteers inspire me every day. I am honored to share a few examples of our team members in action:
 

Note: The Micron Gives 2023 year-end summary provides further insights into inspiring philanthropic work and the value of collective action.