$6-Million for Grants to Close ‘Digital Divide’

By NICOLE WALLACE

The Community Technology Foundation of California has awarded $6.2-million in its inaugural round of grant making.

The San Francisco fund awarded the money to 86 California charities to help bring the benefits of information technology to poor people, members of minority groups, people with disabilities, rural residents, and people who do not speak English.

Most of the grants range in size from $25,000 to $100,000. They were awarded in the areas of health, education, economic development, community building, and technology planning.

The Community Technology Foundation of California was created in 1998 by an agreement between nine coalitions that represented civil-rights and disability groups and two telecommunications companies, Pacific Telesis and SBC Communications, that merged to become Pacific Bell. The agreement was approved by the California Public Utilities Commission as part of the companies´ merger plan.

The foundation plans to award more than $50-million in technology grants over the next 10 years.

To get there: Go to http://www.commtechfund.org.