CompTIA Newsroom

DOWNERS GROVE, ILL. – CompTIA, the nonprofit association for the global information technology (IT) industry, today announced that its member communities and councils selected 22 technology-related charities in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and the United States to give $200,000 in donations this year. Digitunity and Tech Impact will receive the largest of those donations at $30,000 each.

As part of CompTIA Giving, contributions made by CompTIA’s member communities and councils support local communities and improve education, access to resources and career options for individuals in need. CompTIA Giving designates $10,000 for each of CompTIA’s 21 communities and councils to give to their own chosen charities each year. Each community and council can give the full $10,000 to one charity or split it among two charities.

“CompTIA and our members are committed to giving back and to building a stronger technology industry and workforce,” said Nancy Hammervik, executive vice president of industry relations at CompTIA and CEO of the CompTIA Tech Career Academy. “These charities show us all how technology solves local and global challenges and boosts the dreams and capabilities of the people they serve. I’m honored to be part of an association that pays it forward and thrilled to support these dynamic organizations.”

The following charities have been selected by CompTIA’s member communities and councils for donations this year:

• Ability Technology aims to increase the independence and productive potential of people with a disability, through the use of computer and related technology.
• Accelerating Aotearoa works to ensure all New Zealanders can fully participate in a digital world.
• Children England aims to change the world for England’s children by harnessing the energy, ingenuity and expertise of the voluntary organisations that work on their behalf.
• Close the Gap aims to bridge the digital divide by offering high-quality, pre-owned computers donated by European and international companies to educational, medical and social projects in developing and emerging countries.
• Code.org is dedicated to expanding access to computer science in schools and increasing participation by women and underrepresented minorities.
• Digitunity aims to eliminate the technology gap by making sure everyone who needs a computer has one, therefore everyone can thrive in a digitally connected society. 
• EmpowHer empowers girls and young women in marginalized communities by helping them gain the skills necessary through education, training and mentorship to become confident, college and career ready.
• Federation of Galaxy Explorers inspires youth in the fields of science and engineering by providing afterschool “mission team” meetings where students participate in hands-on lessons that support the National Science Education Standards.
• FIRST Robotics Canada aims to inspire young people to pursue further studies and careers in the field of science, technology and engineering.
• Foster Care 2 Success works with college-bound foster youth, helping them navigate the tricky waters of academia, understand the importance of personal fiscal responsibility, determine achievable career goals, and create networks of friendship and support.
• Friendship Place aims works to empower people experiencing or at risk of homelessness to attain stable housing and rebuild their lives.
• Girls Who Code aims to support and increase the number of women in computer science and is working to close the gender gap in technology and change the image of what a programmer looks like and does.
• Hire Heroes USA provides free, expert career coaching and job sourcing to transitioning U.S. military members, veterans and military spouses.
• iMentor builds mentoring relationships that empower first-generation students to graduate high school, succeed in college, and achieve their ambitions.
• IT4KIDS collects used and written-off hardware and donates, on behalf of the donor, its value to charity projects that work with children.
• Junior Achievement empowers youth and creates robust communities by fostering work-readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy skills, and using experiential learning to inspire students to dream big and reach their potential.
• Kids Help Phone is a counseling center for Canadian kids which promises to listen without judgment 24/7.
• National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) helps find missing children, reduce child sexual exploitation, and prevent child victimization.
• NetHope enables its members, and the nonprofit sector, to be more effective and efficient—and accelerate their impacts—through the use of technology.
• Project Tomorrow works to ensure that today’s K-12 students are well prepared to be tomorrow's innovators, leaders and engaged citizens of the world through science, math, and technology education programs.
• Tech Impact aims to empower communities and nonprofits to use technology to better serve our world. Tech Impact deploys their technical services to those nonprofits in need, and they also run an ITWorks program to help young urban adults move into an IT career.
• Women in Aerospace (WIA) is dedicated to expanding women’s opportunities for leadership and increasing their visibility in the aerospace community through networking and policy events that highlight issues relevant to the aerospace industry.

“For the past nine years, CompTIA has supported more than 70 charities chosen by our member communities and councils with approximately $1.2 million in donations,” said Charles Eaton, executive vice president, social innovation, CompTIA. “We are committed to building a stronger and more diverse technology industry, and we’re proud to support other future-thinking organizations that share our commitment.”

CompTIA divides its philanthropic efforts along three main lines: 1) CompTIA Giving, which gives money and staff time to tech-related charities; 2) CompTIA Tech Career Academy, which provides grants to low-income individuals and those who are underrepresented in tech roles; and 3) Creating IT Futures, which researches and develops workforce development and tech education programs to build new pathways to IT careers.

More information about CompTIA’s member communities and councils and their activities can be found at https://connect.comptia.org.

Charities that would like to be considered for future gifts should send their information to Amanda Romadka, aromadka@comptia.org.

About CompTIA
The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is a leading voice and advocate for the $5 trillion global information technology ecosystem; and the estimated 75 million industry and tech professionals who design, implement, manage, and safeguard the technology that powers the world’s economy. Through education, training, certifications, advocacy, philanthropy, and market research, CompTIA is the hub for advancing the tech industry and its workforce. Visit  https://www.comptia.org/.

Media Contact:
Roger Hughlett
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