Equinix, a digital infrastructure company in Redwood City, California, has announced the launch of a corporate foundation focused on the advancement of digital inclusion.

The Equinix Foundation will fund global efforts to expand equitable and inclusive access to technology, connectivity, and education to develop skills needed for the digital age. The company has committed $50 million in Equinix shares to serve as an endowment and source of funding for grantmaking, employee donation matching, and crisis response donations. In addition, the foundation intends to make impact investments with income derived from its endowment.

Current recipients of Equinix corporate giving include BigHope, which will work to prepare elementary school youth in Texas for opportunities in the fields of science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM); CLAP-TECH, in support of developing collaborative programs for high school students in Hong Kong; and World Pulse, in support of a global online social empowerment network led by women.

Equinix has made investments across its operations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and, in 2021, announced its commitment to become climate neutral by 2030. To that end, the foundation will augment the company’s efforts to advance the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, specifically Goal 9: to build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation.

“The Equinix Foundation is an important vehicle to deliver on our “In Service To” commitment—to one another, our customers, our investors, and the communities in which we operate,” said Equinix president and CEO Charles Meyers. “[T]hrough the foundation, we’ll also advance our future-first commitment to build a better, more inclusive, more sustainable world, while harnessing and amplifying the passion of our people to help close the digital divide in our communities and beyond.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/Oselote)