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Did you know Apple doesn't have a charitable foundation?
  1. Signatures
    172 out of 1,000
    Petitioning
    1. CEO of Apple (Tim Cook)
  2. Created By
    Erin M.
    New York, NY
About this Petition Petition Letter Petition Updates

Apple remains one of the only Fortune 50 companies without a charitable foundation. This is particularly surprising since Apple tops the list of Fortune's most admired companies for 2011.

Aug. 30, 2011: Andrew Ross Sorkin, editor of NY Times' Dealbook, writes:

"At one time in his life, Mr. Jobs clearly spent time thinking about philanthropy. In 1986, after leaving Apple and founding NeXT, he started the Steven P. Jobs Foundation. But he closed it a little over a year later. Mark Vermilion, whom Mr. Jobs hired away from Apple to run the foundation, said in an interview, “He clearly didn’t have the time.” 

"Two of his close friends, both of whom declined to be quoted by name, told me that Mr. Jobs had said to them in recent years, as his wealth ballooned, that he could do more good focusing his energy on continuing to expand Apple than on philanthropy, especially since his illness. “He has been focused on two things — building the team at Apple and his family,” another friend said. “That’s his legacy. Everything else is a distraction.”

Understandable... but I don't think it would take too much time or focus away from product and business innovation to allocate a few Geniuses to design a philanthropic program that is as efficient, effective and successful as Apple itself.

Philanthropy doesn't have to just be about giving away money because you have a lot of it. Smart philanthropy utilizes an individual's or a company's strengths - and/or resources - to solve social, economic, environmental and/or political challenges or inequities.

If Apple can fit all of my music, pictures, applications and the internet on a 4.5" phone, I'm confident a few Geniuses can help solve any number of the many challenges we face as a human family (Jobs directed his energy on building his Apple family...).

Just a little Apple magic could make a world of difference.

Here's to you, Mr. Cook.  Keep doing what Apple does best: Innovate & Find Solutions.

Why People Are Signing
Recent Signatures

Did you know Apple doesn't have a charitable foundation?

Hey,

I just signed the following petition addressed to: Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple.

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Help close the education gap & give back to the community by donating technology to underprivileged schools.

Dear Mr. Jobs:

Education in the US continues to fall behind other countries, especially in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). Within the US, the education gap continues to widen as well based on gender, race, and other socioeconomic factors.

Believe it or not, many students across the country do not have regular access to a home computer because their families can't afford one. The achievement disparity between these students and their peers who have ready access to the best learning and technology tools will have life-long impacts on the educational and professional prospects of these children as well as on the growth of US labor market and economy.

It was recently announced that Apple has more cash on hand than the US Government (http://blogs.wsj.com/marketbeat/2011/07/29/apple-more-cash-than-uncle-sam/), yet Apple remains one of the only Fortune 50 companies without a charitable foundation. This is particularly surprising since Apple tops the list of Fortune's most admired companies for 2011.

(Note: Apple does offer educational pricing, but the average discount for students is $50 on a $1000 computer.)

I will be buycotting Apple until there is an approved strategy to systematically give back in a big way. I'm not prescribing what Apple must do, but I propose Apple donate products to school districts and students in need. (Apple: this is a win-win! You get to introduce and hook a whole new generation to your products.)

Thank you for your consideration and your leadership in product innovation. I look forward to Apple taking leadership in corporate citizenship and helping children across the country reach their potential too.

[Your name]

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