Salesforce announces $27 million in education grants, with $9 million for nine nonprofits that train teachers or prepare students for careers
The company named the recipients on Sept. 14, a day before its Dreamforce conference opened. The other $18 million goes to public school districts in San Francisco, Oakland, New York City, Chicago and Indianapolis.
San Francisco. Salesforce said on Sept. 14 that it will give $27 million in new education grants, and that $9 million of it will go to nine nonprofits that train and coach teachers or give students hands-on learning tied to careers. The company made the announcement a day before its annual Dreamforce conference opened in San Francisco.
The other $18 million goes to five public school districts: San Francisco Unified, Oakland Unified, New York City Public Schools, Chicago Public Schools and Indianapolis Public Schools. Salesforce said the money follows what district leaders, principals and teachers say their schools need most: stronger STEM skills and career readiness for students, and help developing and keeping teachers, including training in new areas such as artificial intelligence.
The nine nonprofits
Five of the nonprofits will work with teachers and school leaders on professional development, instructional coaching and leadership: New Teacher Center, Leading Educators, TNTP, aiEDU and Partners in School Innovation. The other four, CodePath, Genesys Works, the Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation and Jobs for the Future, will offer students hands-on learning and experiences connected to careers.
The announcement does not say how the money is divided among the nine or among the districts, or over what period it will be paid. Philanthropy at Salesforce is paid for by a combination of corporate giving and the Salesforce Foundation, the company said.
Salesforce says it has given more than $180 million to public schools over 14 years, $156 million of it in the Bay Area. It credits the math teacher coaches it pays for in Oakland with an eight-point rise in standardized math scores, and says that among teachers surveyed in aiEDU's work, 91 percent reported considerable or significant growth in their AI literacy.
Earlier rounds and school volunteering
The company has announced education grants before Dreamforce in earlier years. In September 2024 it announced $23 million for school districts and education nonprofits, $13 million of it for middle and high schools in cities that included the same five. In October 2025 it announced $39 million for public schools, education nonprofits and children's hospitals.
Salesforce has also relaunched an Adopt-a-School program in more than 25 public schools, 15 of them middle schools in the Bay Area. It pairs employees and senior executives with a school for mentoring, workshops and help setting up classrooms, and the company plans to expand it globally in its 2028 fiscal year.
Under what it calls its 1-1-1 model, Salesforce commits 1 percent of its equity, technology and employee time to giving back. It says it has made $970 million in grants since its founding, and that 65,300 nonprofits and educational institutions use its technology free or at a discount.
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