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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Microsoft announced 50 grants of $50,000 each in September 2024 as part of its 50th-anniversary regional initiative. The awards were later described as made to 50 Washington nonprofits. The initial Microsoft announcement, however, framed the initiative as supporting local changemakers in the Puget Sound region—not as a statewide program with a published list of recipients.
What Microsoft announced
On September 16, 2024, Microsoft said it would make 50 grants of $50,000 each to local changemakers in the Puget Sound as part of its One Sound anniversary initiative. The award count multiplied by the grant amount equals $2.5 million; that is a calculated total, not a separately quoted figure in the announcement. Microsoft’s announcement described the grants as a way to recognize local work and respond to regional needs.
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Microsoft said its priorities included benefiting the community, protecting civic jewels and iconic places, and supporting neighbors in need. Brad Smith, Microsoft Vice Chair and President, wrote: “Microsoft would not be where it is today without all of you, our friends and neighbors.” His post presented the initiative as a thank-you to the Puget Sound community.
Were the grants awarded, and were they statewide?
In an April 17, 2025 retrospective, the Lake Washington Schools Foundation said Microsoft awarded 50 Washington nonprofits grants of $50,000. That provides later evidence that the awards were made, but the foundation’s account is not a complete official recipient register. The foundation’s account describes the recipients as nonprofits across Washington State.
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The wording differs from Microsoft’s original announcement, which specifically described local changemakers in the Puget Sound. Both descriptions are relevant: the later nonprofit account characterizes the awards as statewide, while Microsoft’s initial framing was regional. The reviewed sources do not establish a complete public list of all 50 recipients or a detailed allocation by issue area.
Who could apply?
The announcement describes intended beneficiaries and broad purposes, but the sources available here do not establish a general application process or complete eligibility rules for the 50 anniversary grants. It would therefore be misleading to present them as an open application opportunity or to infer that every grant went to a nonprofit; Microsoft’s initial language was “local changemakers.”
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How these grants differ from Microsoft’s other programs
Microsoft announced other grant initiatives on different timelines and with different scopes. They are not the 50th-anniversary awards.
| Program | Geography and recipients | Funding structure | Timing and status |
|---|---|---|---|
| One Sound 50th-anniversary grants | Microsoft initially described local Puget Sound changemakers; a later Lake Washington Schools Foundation account described 50 Washington nonprofit recipients. | 50 fixed grants of $50,000 each; $2.5 million is the calculated total. | Announced September 2024; later reported as awarded. |
| AI for Good Open Call | Organizations and researchers addressing specified social and scientific challenges in Washington. | $5 million in grants, announced as a separate initiative. | Announced January 2025; see Microsoft’s AI for Good announcement for program details. |
| Community-First Grants | Eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofits in King County. | $1 million total across 25 grants of up to $20,000. | For the 2026 application round, Microsoft lists October 23, 2026 as the application deadline. Check the program page for current details. |
Microsoft also named Friends of Waterfront Park in its anniversary post, but the post describes a separate gift to support programming, construction, public safety, and maintenance—not one of the 50 grants. The anniversary FAQ provides additional context on Microsoft’s regional initiative: Microsoft’s 50th-anniversary FAQ.
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Microsoft’s wider Washington giving, as reported in 2024
In its September 16, 2024 announcement, Microsoft said that over five decades it had donated more than $1.3 billion to over 23,400 organizations in Washington State, and that its giving for that year was $114.2 million. These are figures Microsoft reported at that date, not current totals. The company’s announcement presents them as part of its anniversary account of giving in the state.
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