This quarter, Project Open Hand honors Cisco Systems through our corporate spotlight.

Cisco Systems is the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet. Cisco is also a leader in corporate philanthropy and community impact, both in the Bay Area and worldwide. Cisco Impact Philanthropy is about building strong and productive global communities -- communities in which every individual has the means to live, the opportunity to learn, and the chance to give back. According to the philosophy of the Cisco Foundation, any one of these essentials is enough to make a difference in the present, but it takes all three to set in motion an enduring cycle of health and prosperity.

Cisco's goal is to identify nonprofits that do outstanding work in one or more target areas, including Basic Human Needs. It is through this area that Project Open Hand has qualified for Cisco Community Grants. Project Open Hand has received $42,500 in cash grants from the Cisco Foundation since 1999. Cisco supports organizations like Project Open Hand that respond to communities in immediate distress, and they help expand the long-term capacity of organizations such as Project Open Hand by encouraging the innovative integration of technology into our operational strategies. For example, Cisco recently donated 3 Cisco Catalyst 2950 switches to Project Open Hand through their Product Grants program. The new switches have replaced old technology, making our network run faster and more reliably. By donating the switches, Cisco saved Project Open Hand over $2,000, money that can now be used directly for client meals. In addition, the new switches ensure that staff are able to avoid the inconvenience of being "bumped" off the network, maximizing our efficiency and time management. Due to the new switches, Project Open Hand is able to work faster and serve our clients more efficiently.

Project Open Hand is very grateful to Cisco Systems and the Cisco Foundation for their generous support over the years. Thank you to all of our friends at Cisco!

Pictured below is Terry Mar, (center) from Cisco Systems with Project Open Hand's Information Systems team, Jim Bilafer and Glen Renkly.

Click here for our previous corporate spotlights.