Dell's Philanthropy
(I'm not sure if it's ok to insert a truly DELLish article here among the Presidential Scandals thread)
Austin American Statesman, Jan 22, 1998, page D1
"Dells' generosity earns Austinites of the Year award
Couple 'changed the landscape of Austin,' chamber chairman says
by R. Michelle Breyer, American Statesman Staff
Business leader Pete Winstead recalls the Austin of a decade ago, a city in the midst of an economic slump with a fledgling high-tech industry. At the time, a 22-year-old entrepreneur named Michael Dell was running a $159 million computer company.
Today, Austin is one of the nation's most prosperous high-tech centers and Dell computer Copr. has grown into a Fortune 500 company with sales of $7.8 billion in fiscal 1997. As Dell has grown -- providing jobs to 10,600 people in Central Texas -- the company and its employees have put money back into the community.
They have been led by the example of Michael and Susan Dell, who have contribued money to a number of causes. The Dells were named the 1997 Austinites of the Year on Wednesday by the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce for their ongoing leadership and commitment to the community.
They join such past recipients as.....
The Dells' contribution to the Austin community have come in a number of forms.
The Dell Foundation, established in 1995, provides corporate support to local education, arts, health, and human services initiatives. Over the past three years, the foundation has supported more than 100 local charities through financial and in-kind contributions, as well as employee volunteerism.
The corporation has provided financial support to community events such as The Austin Project, Austin Museum of Art and the Trail of Lights Festival.
'When I started my company, I set about not just to build a business but to build a great community here,' Michael Dell said.
The Dells personally have supported many organizations, including the Austin Children's Museum, Brackenridge Children's Hospital and the proposed Jewish community Center. Much of their focus has been on children's organizations, Susan Dell said. The Dells have four young children.
'Children are a theme that looms large in our activitities, our company's activities and our own lives,' Susan Dell said.
In addition to their philanthropic efforts, the Dells were praised for their commitment to Central Texas, which continues to be the focus of the company's growth. During each of the first three quarters of fiscal 1998, the company added 1,500 people in the Austin area. It is now the area's second-largest private employer, afer Motorola. Dell's direct and indirect economic impact to Central Texas is estimated at $3 billion. ..." |
