(Marketwire) - (NASDAQ: CSCO) - The Cisco Foundation today announced it has awarded its 14th annual Silicon Valley Impact Grants to 67 nonprofits that are identified as innovative and effective in addressing K-8 education, basic healthcare and adult vocational needs in the Bay Area.

Each nonprofit was awarded a $15,000 impact grant and recognized for its commitment to the community during a recognition event at Cisco's San Jose headquarters.

The event featured guest speaker Pamela Hawley, founder and CEO of Universal Giving. Hawley provided the grant recipients with valuable insight into nonprofit marketing and brand building through the use of social networking technology.

Highlights:
- Each of the 67 nonprofits received a $15,000 grant, for a total of more than $1 million in Cisco Silicon Valley Impact Grants in 2010.
- This is the 14th year the Cisco Foundation has contributed to the Silicon Valley Impact Grants, demonstrating an ongoing commitment to assisting the local community.
- Since 1997, the Cisco Foundation has awarded grants to more than 1,500 Bay Area nonprofits.

Quotes:

Tania Wilcox, executive director, Breakthrough Silicon Valley, "Cisco's commitment to increase the numbers of students who succeed in school is helping programs like Breakthrough Silicon Valley meet its mission of preparing low-income students for college. Through its generous grants Cisco is creating healthy and vibrant communities that will benefit us all."

Joe Ross, executive director designate, Citizen Schools California, "Citizen Schools is thrilled by Cisco's support of our STEM apprenticeship program in Silicon Valley. As our name indicates, engaging volunteers in schools to share their professional skills and interests has an invaluable impact. With support of the Cisco Community Impact grant and Cisco volunteers, we are able to create access and exposure to STEM careers for low-income middle school students at a critical juncture in their educational pathway."

Michael Yutrzenka, executive director, Cisco Foundation, "The Cisco
Foundation has a rich history of supporting nonprofit organizations and programs focused on addressing critical human needs, education and economic empowerment. Through the Impact Grants we are pleased to recognize and support some of the many organizations that are delivering critical services and support to the Silicon Valley community at large through innovative initiatives and sustainable programs."

Ricardo Benavidez, community relations manager, Cisco, "We are proud of the role Cisco employees have in supporting their communities. The Silicon Valley Impact Grants program exposes Cisco volunteers to the amazing work of so many organizations by engaging them in the selection process and providing ongoing support opportunities. Our employees are central to Cisco and the Foundation's strategy to help foster a healthy and thriving community."

Silicon Valley Impact Grant Recipients:
The following nonprofit organizations received a Cisco Foundation 2010 Silicon Valley Impact Grant:

Vocational / Economic Empowerment

Anew America Community Corporation, San Jose

BALANCE4kids, Soquel

Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center, San Francisco

Community Housing Partnership, San Francisco

HOPE Services, San Jose

Jewish Vocational and Career Counseling Service, San Francisco

Upwardly Global, San Francisco

Women's Audio Mission, San Francisco

Women's Initiative for Self Employment, San Francisco

Health

ACT for Mental Health, San Jose

Alameda County Foster Youth Alliance, Oakland

Aphasia Center of California, Oakland

Berkeley Food and Housing Project, Berkeley

Child Advocates of Silicon Valley, Milpitas

Children's Health Council, Palo Alto

Community Gatepath, Burlingame

Community Resources for Independent Living, Hayward

El Centro de Libertad, Redwood City

Family & Children's Services, San Jose

Family Resources International, Saratoga

Family Supportive Housing, San Jose

Gardner Family Health Network, San Jose

Hospice of the Valley, San Jose

Institute on Aging, San Francisco

Kidpower Teenpower Fullpower International, Palo Alto

National Alliance on Mental Illness--Santa Clara County, San Jose

Odd Fellow Rebekah Children's Home of California, Gilroy

Operation Access, San Francisco

Santa Cruz Women's Health Center, Santa Cruz

Shanti Project, San Francisco

Silicon Valley Independent Living Center, San Jose

SJB Child Development Centers, San Jose

The Arc of San Francisco, San Francisco

Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Palo Alto

Education K-8

Achieve Kids, Palo Alto

Aim High, San Francisco

Alum Rock Counseling Center, San Jose

Breakthrough Silicon Valley, San Jose

Chabot Space and Science Foundation, Oakland

Citizens Schools, Redwood City

Computers for Youth Foundation, San Francisco

Easter Seals Society of the Bay Area, Oakland

Environmental Volunteers, Palo Alto

Girl Scouts of Northern California, San Jose

Girls Incorporated of Alameda County, San Leandro

Industry Initiatives for Science and Math Education, Santa Clara

Junior Achievement of Northern California, Walnut Creek

KISS Institute for Practical Robotics, San Jose

Marine Science Institute, Redwood City

Mid-peninsula Boys and Girls Club, San Mateo

Mission Science Workshop, San Francisco

O'Neill Sea Odyssey, Santa Cruz

Pacifica School Volunteers, Pacifica

Partners in School Innovation, San Francisco

Reading Partners, Milpitas

Sacred Heart Community Service, San Jose

Safe Passages, Oakland

San Jose Grail Family Services, San Jose

Schmahl Science Workshops, San Jose

Shih Yu-Lang Central YMCA, San Francisco

Silicon Valley Children's Fund, San Jose

Super Stars Literacy, Oakland

Teach for America - Bay Area, San Francisco

The Peninsula Bridge Program, Palo Alto

Third Street Community Center, San Jose

Trust for Hidden Villa, Los Altos Hills

YWCA of Silicon Valley, San Jose

Links/URLs:
- View the past recipients of the Silicon Valley Grants Program http://www.cisco.com/web/about/ac48/sv_grants_recipients.html
- Learn more about the Silicon Valley Impact Grants Program http://www.cisco.com/web/about/ac48/sv_grants.html
- Read Cisco 2009 Corporate Citizenship Report. http://www.cisco.com/web/about/ac227/csr2009/index.html

Tags/Keywords: Cisco, CSR, corporate social responsibility,
philanthropy, Silicon Valley Impact Grants

RSS Feed for Cisco: http://newsroom.cisco.com/dlls/rss.html

About Cisco Systems
Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO), the worldwide leader in networking that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate, this year celebrates 25 years of technology innovation, operational excellence and corporate social responsibility. Information about Cisco can be found at http://www.cisco.com. For ongoing news, please go to http://newsroom.cisco.com.

Cisco, the Cisco logo and Cisco Systems are registered trademarks or trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and certain other countries. All other trademarks mentioned in this document are the property of their respective owners.

Cisco Systems, Inc.

Cisco Systems, Inc.

More from Cisco Systems, Inc.