Metropolitan Family Services Receives $1.27 Million Software Donation from Microsoft Corporation

Donation Will Fund Technology Enhancement to Deliver Improved Services to Low-Income Children and Families

Metropolitan Family Services, a leader in human services in the Chicago area, has received a $1.27 million software donation from the Microsoft Corporation to enhance its technology infrastructure. The donation, which includes Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office, will provide a complete desktop and server refresh to increase efficiencies and the productivity of Metropolitan’s approximately 900 onsite and remote users.

“It is a major challenge for nonprofits to stay current in technology,” said Ric Estrada, Metropolitan’s President and CEO. “We are very grateful for the donation because spending on technology understandably must take a back seat to funding programs and services. This grant is very important to Metropolitan’s families because it allows us to strengthen our technological infrastructure. Ultimately, it allows us to better serve more than 53,000 people throughout the Chicago area in support of our life-changing mission of strengthening families and communities.”

The new software will enhance security, speed, storage and performance of information technology functions agency-wide. Additionally, it will help accommodate growth associated with the acquisition of several major Hull House programs earlier this year.

Technology can play a key role in boosting productivity and helping an organization become more efficient,” said Chris Sakalosky, general manager of Microsoft’s Midwest region. “By making this large software donation to Metropolitan Family Services, we are helping boost their organizational effectiveness and enabling them to focus on their core mission—helping families in need.”

The donation is part of Microsoft’s commitment to serving the needs of people in communities worldwide. Part of that includes helping nonprofit organizations achieve their missions by donating software and ensuring that they have access to technology.