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2003 SBC Excelerator National Grant Recipient Improves Nonprofit Technology Capabilities

2003 SBC Excelerator National Grant Recipient Improves Nonprofit Technology Capabilities

Published 03-04-03

Submitted by SBC Communications Inc.

SAN ANTONIO, TX - The SBC Foundation today announced that the NPower Network is its 2003 SBC Excelerator national grant recipient. NPower, a nonprofit organization that provides technology support services to other nonprofits, will use its $500,000 SBC Excelerator grant to expand the technology capabilities of small and medium-sized nonprofits throughout SBC's 13-state region. The 2003 SBC Excelerator grant enables NPower to provide ongoing technology training, tools and resources for nonprofits, thereby helping nonprofit organizations use technology to increase vital services in local communities.

NPower is one of a few organizations that address the technology needs of nonprofits on a national scale. The 2003 SBC Excelerator grant will fund a series of new resource development and service delivery tools from NPower, including:

·A series of Technology Innovation Summits in local communities designed to inspire and educate nonprofit organizations about the potential of technology as a mission-support tool

·Four Guides to Technology as a Service Tool, which will highlight nonprofit technology innovations in four areas: community development, education, arts and culture, and health and human services

·The production of a second-edition toolkit, called Nonprofit Necessities, which will focus on technology as a mission-enhancing tool

"We are using SBC Excelerator to build the technology floor of small to mid-sized nonprofit organizations, while at the same time working to raise the technology ceiling," said Joan Fanning, chief executive officer for NPower. "That means we are providing the resources necessary for success and at the same time we are inspiring, informing and empowering organizations to realize the full potential of technology as a long-term, mission-enhancing tool."

Launched in 2002, SBC Excelerator contributes millions of dollars annually to qualified organizations and projects that use technology to build stronger communities. NPower is a two-time SBC Excelerator national grant recipient.

NPower's first SBC Excelerator grant allowed the organization to develop a program that built technology fluency among hundreds of nonprofit organizations in SBC regions. NPower services and resources resulting from the 2002 SBC Excelerator grant include:

·Nonprofit Necessities: The Technology Series, the first edition technology resource CD-ROM for nonprofits

·Technology management and planning training workshops for nonprofit organizations called Technology Strategies for Nonprofit Leaders

·Tech Fitness Day Toolkits to assist communities in hosting a volunteer technology day of service to build the capacity of nonprofit organizations

·Hands-on consulting, training opportunities, and hardware scholarships provided by the collaborative partners for nonprofits in California, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan

"NPower's greatest asset is its ability to provide hands-on support to community organizations while building a variety of affordable, accessible technology resources that are relevant and valuable to most nonprofit organizations - regardless of size, resources or geographic location," said Laura Sanford, president of the SBC Foundation. "Together, the SBC Foundation and NPower will extend the technology capabilities of nonprofits from the ground up. In addition, we will empower nonprofits to use technology to expand the reach of services and heighten the impact those services have on the people they serve."

About SBC Excelerator

In 2002, more than 400 organizations received SBC Excelerator grants. This year, SBC Excelerator will provide an additional $8.5 million in regional competitive grants to help nonprofit organizations fully integrate technology into their ongoing operations and community outreach. SBC Excelerator funds projects that build the technology infrastructure of nonprofits, enabling them to increase their organizational effectiveness and/or service capability in areas such as: Internet access, data networking, online outreach, staff technology capacity and pooled technology resources. For more information, visit www.sbc.com/foundation.

The NPower Network offers a suite of no- to low-cost technology support to enhance technology opportunities among nonprofit organizations. For more information, visit www.npower.org.

The SBC Foundation is the charitable giving arm of SBC Communications Inc. The SBC Foundation supports efforts that enrich and strengthen diverse communities nationwide, particularly those with an emphasis on education and technology and those that benefit underserved populations. SBC Foundation-backed programs are designed to increase access to information technologies, broaden technology training and professional skills development, and effectively integrate new technologies to enhance education and economic development. The Chronicle of Philanthropy and Foundation Center have consistently ranked the SBC Foundation among the nation's top five corporate foundations. In 2001, the SBC Foundation launched SBC Excelerator, a multi-million dollar competitive grants program that funds non-profit organizations in their efforts to digitally connect communities.

SBC Communications Inc. (www.sbc.com) is one of the world's leading data, voice and Internet services providers. Through its world-class networks, SBC companies provide a full range of voice, data, networking and e-business services, as well as directory advertising and publishing. A Fortune 30 company, America's leading provider of high-speed DSL Internet Access services, and one of the nation's leading Internet Service Providers, SBC companies currently serve 58 million access lines nationwide. In addition, SBC companies own 60 percent of America's second-largest wireless company, Cingular Wireless, which serves more than 22 million wireless customers. Internationally, SBC companies have telecommunications investments in 25 countries.

SBC Communications Inc.

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