Scaling Impact and Connectivity Through Technology Donations at Cisco

By Patrick Verret

The following is an excerpt from Cisco's FY25 Purpose Report. Explore the full report to learn more about how we Power an Inclusive Future for All.

NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESS Newswire / March 31, 2026 / Through the Cisco Foundation and our corporate Social Impact Investments (SII), we support organizations that use technology in bold, innovative ways - from saving energy to saving lives. By combining catalytic, early-stage seed funding, strategic guidance, and technology donations, we help incubate, validate, and scale solutions that make both a local and global impact.

At Cisco, we know technology drives transformation.

That's why, alongside cash grants and advisory support, we donate Cisco technology to our Cisco Foundation and Social Impact Investments partners. This helps them connect more securely, deliver critical services, make data-informed decisions, and operate more efficiently.

The result? Greater impact on more people and communities around the world.

Advancing Secure Connectivity

Through our suite of cybersecurity solutions, we help nonprofits better safeguard their assets. For example, in fiscal 2025, our Cisco Secure Endpoint and Cisco Duo technology donations helped protect and secure the systems of Bridges to Prosperity so their team could focus on rural connectivity initiatives throughout sub-Saharan Africa and beyond.

In addition, our funding helped enable Bridges to Prosperity to launch WaterNet, an AI-powered dataset that helps connect rural communities to healthcare and education by mapping local rivers and streams. Since launching, WaterNet has tripled the world's known waterways.

Modernizing IT Infrastructure

Many nonprofits are limited by outdated IT systems. Through our technology grants, we provide more reliable networking and connectivity solutions, enabling them to deliver critical services without interruption.

This year, United Food Bank Arizona replaced older networking equipment with donated Cisco Meraki firewalls, switches, and wireless access points. From inventory management to volunteer coordination, the new infrastructure maximizes operations and helps food reach those in need faster.

Automating Insights at Scale

Splunk, a Cisco company, provides technology grants to help nonprofits scale their mission-driven work, giving organizations the tools to ingest, analyze, and act on data at scale. One grantee, Ersilia, expands access to data science tools to researchers working to eradicate infectious diseases in the Global South.

Through the Splunk Global Impact donation program, they received a full Splunk Enterprise license, training, and support - enabling them to automate manual data processes, double the number of models running AI predictions, and save more than 700 hours of work annually.

Read the full FY25 Purpose Report

At Cisco, our Purpose is core to who we are and what we do. Learn more about our goals and progress to date in our Purpose Reporting Hub.

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SOURCE: Cisco Systems Inc.