For Immediate Release
July 25, 2002

Skoll Foundation Invests in 16 New Partnerships

San Jose, CA - The Skoll Foundation, based in San Jose and founded by Jeff Skoll, eBay's first president, announced this week that it has invested nearly $1 million in its most recent grant cycle in organizations empowering those with great potential to contribute to their communities. Grants were awarded to 16 organizations determined to be best-aligned with Skoll's Mission and Program Areas.

The grantees are as follows:

1. Agros Foundation -- $30,000
To provide a system of microenterprise loans aimed at empowering the landless impoverished Guatemalan community of Cajixay.

2. Appropriate Technologies for Enterprise Creation -- $300,000
To promote sustainable economic growth and employment creation in Africa by developing technologies for dynamic entrepreneurs to establish and run profitable small-scale enterprises.

3. The Benetech Initiative -- $50,000
To help the initiative reach sustainability for its new projects that aim to leverage the power of technology to benefit humanity.

4. Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County, Inc. -- $25,000
To fund the Women Venture's Project training program which empowers women with training and job placement in non-traditional careers.

5. Community Foundation Silicon Valley -- $100,000
To support the Partners in Philanthropy Program.

6. Enterprise Development International -- $25,000
To support a successful microenterprise program in the Chalco Valley of Mexico.

7. Girls Club of the Mid-Peninsula -- $57,600
To design and deliver a state-of-the art Digital Design & Technology Literacy Program.

8. Global Education Partnership -- $50,000
To support the Entrepreneurship & Employment Training Program in Guatemala.

9. Haiti Community Development Inc. -- $35,000
To support the Solar Energy and Wireless Internet Program in Bongotte, Haiti.

10. Pedals for Progress -- $25,000
To enable the organization to provide bicycles and parts to low-income individuals seeking transportation to work who are residing in Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

11. SFSU Foundation Whilrlind Women's Project -- $7,535
To launch a pilot microbusiness development training session.

12. Schools Online -- $75,000
To underwrite equipment purchase, connectivity and some technical training for Phase 1 of the Ciber@prendiz project in Costa Rica, Ecuador and Peru.

13. SeniorNet -- $250,000
To support a public outreach campaign that would inform seniors about the Internet and continue to build the vibrant SeniorNet community.

14. Solar Electric Light Fund -- $100,000
To help rural people in developing nations use solar energy to meet vital needs for household lighting, clean water, vaccine refrigeration, education, microenterprise, and modern communications.

15. Start Up, East Palo Alto Micro-Business Initiative -- $40,000
To support the coordination of Stanford Graduate School of Business volunteer partnerships to sustain support of 10 to 15 small businesses in East Palo Alto.

16. Women in Community Service -- $50,000
To support the Lifeskills and Legal Careers Program.

About the Skoll Foundation:
Skoll supports organizations which meet its criteria, a set of specific strategic principles, in the following four program areas:
1. Learning & Education
2. Technology
3. Micro-enterprise and Economic Development
4. Philanthropy and the Public Benefit Sector

Since inception of grantmaking in early 2000, Skoll has awarded $9 million to more than 155 public benefit organizations based in Silicon Valley, other parts of the country, and around the world.

The mission of the Skoll Foundation is to empower those who have the greatest potential to make lasting positive contributions to their communities and the world. The foundation identifies and evaluates innovative organizations with a proven track record and empowers them to produce significant, tangible benefits on a local, national, or global scale. More information is available online at http://www.skollfoundation.org.

Contact:
Terry Nagel - Skoll Foundation
media@skollfoundation.org