The Impact of Our Investments

At Cisco, we make social investments in areas where we believe our technology and our people can make the biggest impact--education, healthcare, economic empowerment, and critical human needs.

In many parts of the world, poverty and inequality restrict access to technology and its benefits. We partner with nonprofits and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that share our vision of overcoming these barriers to make a lasting difference to people and their communities.

Cisco social investments have helped reduce hunger, increase access to education and technology, empower people living in poverty to get jobs and start their own businesses, and restore critical services for disaster victims.

Cisco supported Feeding America in developing a new online food distribution management system that could save an estimated US$1.5 million in operating costs over five years. That translates to an additional 12 million meals for hungry people.

• Community Voice Mail (CVM), a program of Springwire, provides free, personalized 24-hour voicemail numbers to people in crisis and transition--connecting them to jobs, housing, and hope. Today Springwire serves more than 50,000 people in 400 cities nationwide.
• The Grameen Foundation developed a management information system called Mifos that helps microfinance institutions (MFIs) increase their scale, efficiency, and social impact. Within three years of adopting the Mifos platform, India-based MFI Grameen Koota grew its client base 200 percent, from 70,938 to 265,000. Today it serves 450,000 customers across 170 branches.
• Inveneo’s Certified ICT Partner program trains and certifies local entrepreneurs to deploy and maintain technology networks in underserved communities in the developing world. Many of the 90 partners report significant business growth, thanks to the exposure generated from their work with Inveneo.
• NetHope is a membership organization of 33 international emergency relief agencies that strives to improve crisis relief efforts through communication and collaboration. Within a week of the catastrophic earthquake that hit Haiti in January 2010, NetHope worked with Inveneo and Cisco to restore broadband access for 15 of its partner members, speeding the delivery of food, potable water, shelter, and medical assistance to earthquake survivors.