If you are interested in these or any other private funding opportunities, please contact Jim Dauer at 577-6468 or jdauer@wayne.edu.

The Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations (CFR) can assist you with private funding prospect identification, proposal development including grant writing, and the coordination of a variety of university resources. Please see CFR’s website http://www.dev-alumni.wayne.edu/giving/corpfound.php for more information.

EDS Foundation

OVERVIEW
EDS is a leading global technology services company delivering business solutions to its clients. The company delivers a broad portfolio of information technology and business process outsourcing services in the manufacturing, financial services, healthcare, communications, energy, transportation, and consumer and retail industries and to governments around the world. With $20.7 billion in 2004 revenue, EDS is ranked 95th on the Fortune 500.

GIVING
EDS focuses the majority of its philanthropy on the communities where its employees live and work.

EDS’ top community priorities are education and bridging “the digital divide” an access and technology gap that exists between the rich and the poor, minorities and majority communities. This technology gap encompasses lack of access to hardware, software, connectivity, and competent training in the productive application of technology.

The EDS Foundation was created to support the company’s philanthropic efforts. The foundation supports nonprofit organizations involved in education, health and human services, and arts and culture.
• Arts and culture: This could include arts education and outreach programs that support exhibitions, special performances, concert series, and exhibits.
• Health and human services: This could include programs that support pre-natal care, immunization, illness prevention, education on health care, access to health care, etc.
• General education: This could include after-school pro grams, mentoring, tutoring, etc.

The majority of the foundation’s funds are provided to organizations in support of the productive use of technology in programs and processes. However, funding is also provided for general program support. All programs funded by the foundation must have a current EDS employee volunteer partnership.

Due to the growing technology gap, the EDS Foundation focuses on supporting comprehensive technology solutions that increase performance and productivity in educational institutions and community organizations globally. A technology solution would integrate the following components:
• Access: Provision of hardware and connectivity to community access centers such as schools, libraries, community organizations and other public access points.
• Content: Software, curriculum and other programs that allow an organization to effectively utilize technology. This could range from academic software for educational institutions to software that assists community organizations in building capacity.
• Technical infrastructure: New and/or expanded systems and processes that enhance the productivity of an organization guided by a technology plan.
• Professional development: Training programs targeted to teachers, counselors, program administrators and staff on how to maximize the use of technology, systems and processes.
• Evaluation: Defined objectives and a method of measuring the success of a program.

One of the ways the foundation supports technology in education is through its EDS Technology Grants. The program helps teachers of children ages 6 through 18 and school librarians purchase information technology products and services that will improve their students’ ability to learn. Each year, EDS offices worldwide sponsor and award $1,500 grants to teachers through a competitive application process. The grants are awarded to teachers and school librarians through their schools and schools applying for a grant must be located within 50 miles of a sponsoring EDS team.

Grants must be used to pay for technology products, training and services. EDS encourages teachers and school librarians to propose innovative classroom projects or student exercises. Applicants are asked to explain the innovative nature of their project, how they or their students will use the requested technology and how the technology will improve their students’ ability to achieve curriculum objectives.

The EDS Education Outreach program enhances the lives of thousands of students around the world. Education Outreach allows EDS to improve the quality of education through voluntary, hands-on employee involvement and by using state-of-the-art technology to foster a joy of learning and discovery.

The concept of partnering with schools is the cornerstone of EDS Education Outreach, as opposed to the more traditional model of adopting schools. EDS maintains business/education partnerships with more than 100 schools in 10 countries. Through these partnerships, EDS provides schools with a broad base of programs including mentoring, tutoring, curriculum and career enrichment, staff development, student and teacher grant programs, technical consulting and support, leadership and professional development classes, student recognition programs and many other volunteer efforts.

At the heart of the program are more than 5,000 EDS employee-volunteers who commit an average of four hours a month during the business day to the partnership effort. They serve in many roles, from mentors and tutors to role models and friends for children, ages 5 through 18. A goal of Education Outreach is to help the younger generation become productive, contributing members of society. The program knows no barriers as it touches children from all economic, social and ethnic backgrounds.

An EDS initiative since 1993, Global Volunteer Day is observed each October as EDS employees around the world collectively donate thousands of hours to help people in their communities. As EDS expanded globally, the company took the next step and extended its volunteer commitment to EDS locations outside the United States. The company designed Global Volunteer Day as a low-cost project, emphasizing personal involvement.

Today, the Global Volunteer Day projects include building ponds and planting flower beds to preparing and serving meals to pouring foundations and painting fences.

For more than 16 years, EDS has served as lead technology partner for the JASON Foundation for Education, enabling students and scientists to participate in the extraordinary JASON expeditions.

EDS is providing the communications network for the Wetlands expedition. EDS’ mobile communications network creates a portable mission control center that combines the power of high-definition video, voice and data to help JASON give thousands of students real-time participation in the expedition.

EDS provides the expertise that puts the power of research and exploration into the hands of 1.7 million young JASON participants each year. As the founding JASON sponsor, EDS has helped JASON navigate the seas of change for 16 years, advancing the quality and interactivity of the world’s premier distance learning program. Working closely with the JASON Foundation for Education, EDS also prepares online activities that correspond to the curriculum, and manages the site.

For students whose experience of science is limited to the classroom, JASON is a big revelation. By sharing the thrill of scientific discovery with students in realtime, JASON eliminates boundaries to learning and sparks a lifelong interest in science and technology. Chatting with real scientists in real time during live broadcast sessions — beneath the sea, above the earth or thrillingly close to volcanoes — helps students imagine themselves in similar careers.

Upcoming deadlines: June 26, 2006 and October 16, 2006.

Additional information on the company and its foundation is available on its Web site.

CONTACT
EDS Foundation
5400 Legacy Drive
H3-6F-47
Plano, TX 75024
Telephone (972) 605-8429
Diane Spradin, Executive Director
Web site: http://www.eds.com/about/community/foundation/

The Starr Foundation

Scope: The Starr Foundation was created by the estate of Mr. Starr, a pioneer of globalization, and is one of the largest private foundations in the United States. The foundation has assets of approximately $3.5 billion and makes grants in a number of areas, including education, medicine and health care, human needs, public policy, culture and the environment.

Deadline: None. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

Funds: In 2003, an average grant was $25,000 to $125,000.

Eligibility: The foundation has no set guidelines, except that requests fall into an area of interest: education, medicine and health care, human needs, public policy, and culture. An application form is not required. See http://www.starrfoundation.org/#guidesched for application requirements.

Grant proposals and inquiries may be directed to:
The Starr Foundation
399 Park Avenue
17th Floor
New York, NY 10022
Telephone (212) 909-3600, (212) 909-3611
Facsimile: (212) 750-3536
Contact: Florence A. Davis, President
URL: http://www.starrfoundation.org/