Fostering Change: How Corporate Allies Support Indigenous Digital Equity

July 22, 2024

We are thrilled to highlight the incredible efforts of one of our corporate partners, Microsoft, which has demonstrated significant support in co-creating bright digital futures for First Nations communities by enabling digital equity and transformation.

During our 2023 Season of Giving campaign to raise funds for the Digital Skills Bursary Fund, Microsoft Vancouver leveraged its employee giving and corporate matching programs alongside their internal fundraising campaigns, Tech Pong and Raising the Dough: Microsoft Vancouver Bake Sale, Social & Halloween Fundraiser, to raise over $10,000. We are grateful to Microsoft Vancouver employees for their generosity by dedicating their donations to our organization. Their approach is a blueprint for how corporate companies can leverage internal fundraising campaigns to assist Indigenous-led organizations and demonstrate genuine reconciliation and allyship.

Internal fundraising initiatives provide essential financial support and engage employees in meaningful ways, fostering a deeper connection to the cause. Companies can create significant social impact by encouraging their staff to participate in these campaigns and offering matching contributions to amplify the funds raised. This model transforms collective efforts into powerful tools for change, especially for Indigenous-led organizations that often face funding challenges despite their potential to drive positive outcomes.

In addition to their financial support, Microsoft has been actively engaged in Moving Beyond Inclusion – our corporate course that helps companies and individuals step into the work of Truth & Reconciliation – since its inception in 2021. This partnership has been a profound journey of learning and allyship, focusing on the history of colonization and its ongoing impacts while creating actionable roadmaps to embed Indigenous worldviews, culture, and thought leadership within corporate environments. Building on this trust and collaboration, in 2023, Microsoft Vancouver hosted two First Nations Technology Council students as interns, providing valuable hands-on experience and mentorship.

We invite other companies to follow this meaningful path and participate in our upcoming Season of Giving campaign this fall. Your involvement can help shape a more equitable digital future for First Nations communities.

For more information and to contribute, please donate here. Partnerships inquiries:

Leah Bartko
Senior Manager, Partnerships & Events
leah.b@technologycouncil.ca

Thank you, Microsoft Canada!

NT4