Thursday, June 12, 2008

Black Accountants Group Gets Microsoft Commitment

Microsoft Corp. announced a $1 million commitment of cash and software over the next three years to the National Association of Black Accountants Inc. (NABA).

The company hopes to advance NABA's efforts to build a pipeline of African-American talent in the accounting and finance profession, by sponsoring many scholarships and local chapter funds on the West Coast, lending technical training for Microsoft Enterprise products, and providing free software licenses. For example, Microsoft says it will sponsor a significant portion of the Seattle NABA chapter’s scholarship fund and general fund, and its Accounting Career Awareness Program designed to entice high school students to enter the profession.

The $1 million commitment also includes the creation of the Microsoft Innovation in Accounting Technology Award, to begin in 2009, which will reward those NABA members who use or create new technologies that lead to improvements in the accounting and finance professions.

Gwendolyn Skillern, CPA and national president and chief executive of NABA, said,

Partnering with companies such as Microsoft is crucial to help NABA succeed in increasing awareness and creating opportunities for more African-Americans to enter and continue in this great profession.

Microsoft’s $1 Million Diversity Commitment [Press release]

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