Google Giving Applies Engineering Savvy to Social Ills

Wired magazine takes a close look at how Google approaches philanthropy through the Silicon Valley giant’s giving arm, Google.org.

Dot-org, as it’s known within Google, is doling out tens of millions of dollars a year in direct grants to nonprofits and organizations tackling specific causes. But it also takes a page from its parent company in seeking engineering solutions to global problems such as poverty and inequality, “identifying opportunities and throwing brain power — and, yes, cash” — at them, Wired writes.

In doing so, Google.org differs from billionaire-financed private foundations in that it reflects the aims and methods of an entire company and can tap the firm’s vast trove of engineering expertise as well its money, the magazine says.