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It was close, but Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) was the biggest corporate philanthropist in Washington last year, after spending two years in second place behind Amazon.com Inc.
The Redmond-based tech giant donated $71.5 million last year, according to Business Journal research. Reciptients included the United Way of King County, ArtsFund, Washington Opportunity Scholarship and Washington STEM. Microsoft's philanthropic giving in Washington represented roughly a quarter of its global donations.
Microsoft's donations largely focused on arts, culture and education. The company told the Business Journal that outside of cash donations, it has year-round volunteering efforts from employees.
"In 2023, these activities resulted in over 1 million volunteer hours logged by our employees around the world and over 10 million volunteer hours since the inception of the volunteer program in 2005," the company said.
Amazon came a close second, with $68.1 million donated in 2023, down about $10 million from 2022, but actually gave more than Microsoft globally by almost $50 million. Locally, the company gave its money to Well Springs Family Services, Friends of Little Saigon, Boys & Girls Club of Bellevue and its longtime nonprofit partner Mary's Place.
Amazon's philanthropic efforts have largely gone toward affordable housing, boosted by its $2 billion housing equity fund that has contributed cash grants to housing authorities and developers.
The two tech titans easily outpaced every other corporation in Washington in cash donations. The third-highest corporate giver was The Boeing Co., which donated $16.8 million.
Together, Microsoft and Amazon's donations accounted for 65% of the total cash donations from the top 10 biggest corporate givers in Washington last year.
The complete list of corporate philanthropists will publish Friday, May 10.
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