Cisco welcomes applications for the Product Grant Program from community partners around the world who share the vision and offer an innovative approach to a critical social challenge.
Cisco donates networking technology to qualified nonprofit organizations to help them realize significant gains in productivity, scalability, and cost efficiency. Together, they build public benefit programs that make innovative use of networking and communications technology to have a measurable impact.
The Cisco Product Grant Program focuses on the same social investment areas as the cash grants: Cisco Crisis Response (which includes shelter, water, food, and disaster relief); education; economic empowerment; and climate impact and regeneration.
Funding Information
The maximum request amount for first-time grant recipients is US$100,000 (list price) of equipment.
Innovative use of internet and communications technology
Ideal grantees take full advantage of Cisco’s rich asset mix and end-to-end strategic thinking, using technology and ingenuity to bring about order-of-magnitude improvements. They look for how organizations will use technology to better address their mission or the missions of other nonprofits; expand their service to more clients or provide additional services at a similar cost; and provide technology access to underserved populations or nonprofits that do so.
Eligibility Criteria
Cisco’s Product Grant Program accepts applications year-round from eligible charitable organizations. Nonprofits can determine their eligibility by reviewing the grant giving policies and the requirements below.
Organizational requirements
Organizations within the United States (U.S.) must be recognized by the IRS as tax-exempt under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3) and classified by the IRS as a public charity.
Organizations outside the United States (U.S.) must provide information and documents to determine whether the organization is the equivalent of a U.S. public charity.
Organizations must serve the community at large.
An organization’s overhead must not exceed 25%.
Ineligibility Criteria
Cisco will not consider incomplete proposals or paper-based applications. The following are not eligible for product grants:
Programs or organizations that re-grant or loan funds
Programs which require exposure, adherence to, or conversion to any religious doctrine in order to be a beneficiary of the program (Note: Direct service programs run by faith-based organizations may be eligible)
Start-up/new nonprofits (those with less than one year of successful operations)
An organization with more than 25% overhead
Proposals in combination or in support of a product sale
Schools & scholarships:
Public, charter, or private schools or school systems
School foundations
Booster clubs or other fundraising organizations affiliated with particular school(s)
Colleges/universities
Scholarships/stipend programs of any kind
Libraries or museums
Hospitals, health care centers, or community clinics
Food banks
Requests for third-party equipment like office furniture, laptops, or desktop computers
Requests for third-party installation or design services
