One of the most lasting gestures of philanthropy is when folks give so generously of their time and hard-earned knowledge so that others may benefit from their efforts. 2017 marked the year we saw Stack Overflow surpass 15 million questions and almost 4 million more across the network. But this year also marked another milestone -- making a lasting difference from our little corner of the Internet. Every year we set this time aside to remember the people and organizations who desperately need our help. A few weeks ago, I contacted the 566 Moderators of Stack Exchange and asked each of them to select a charity for which we would make a $100 donation on their behalf.
Giving Back Works!
Today I am pleased to announce that the Giving Back program has surpassed over a quarter-million US$ in charitable donations, in our continuing efforts to provide the support these wonderful organizations need. So on behalf of the 566 Moderators of Stack Exchange, here are the charitable donations going out this year:
Charity
Donation
Code.org A non-profit organization whose vision is that every student in every school should have the opportunity to learn computer science, dedicated to expanding access and increasing participation by women and minorities (code.org) $7,200.00 International Association for Suicide Prevention An international organization dedicated to preventing suicidal behavior and providing a forum for survivors, mental health professionals, and those affected by suicide (iasp.info) $9,500.00 International Rescue Committee Responding to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helping people to survive and rebuild their lives; at work in over 40 countries, more than 90% of every dollar goes directly to help refugees in desperate need (rescue.org) $9,900.00 Doctors Without Borders An international medical humanitarian organization created by doctors and journalists (doctorswithoutborders.org) $14,500.00 Electronic Frontier Foundation Defending your rights in the digital world (eff.org) $15,500.00 TOTAL $56,600.00 And from our engineering and IT staff, it is important to remember some of the tools and organizations that make what we do possible:
Organization
Donation
LetsEncrypt $1,000.00 Python Foundation $1,000.00 HAProxy $1,000.00 Creative Commons $1,000.00 Have I been pwned? $1,000.00 Earlier this month, equal access across the Internet took a crippling blow here in the US with the overturn of Net Neutrality. Opposition to this unfortunate turn was evident in this year's strong show of support for organizations like the Electronic Frontier Foundation leading the fight. And with recurring themes in the news like the victims of natural disasters, mental health concerns, and growing support for under-represented groups making the headlines, it's no wonder organizations like Doctors Without Borders, International Rescue Committee, code.org, and the IASP continue to rally such a generous outpouring of support. And to all the users of Stack Exchange, thank you... thank you... thank you! Without your passion and your generosity, none of this would be possible. It is our hope that, with your continued support, we can make a lasting difference around the world by continuing this wonderful tradition of giving back. See you next year!