Thursday, September 14, 2006

Philanthropy Google's way: not the usual - Business - International Herald Tribune

Philanthropy Google's way: not the usual - Business - International Herald Tribune: "Philanthropy Google's way: not the usual
By Katie Hafner The New York Times

Published: September 14, 2006
SAN FRANCISCO The ambitious founders of Google, the popular search engine company, have set up a philanthropy, giving it seed money of about $1 billion and a mandate to tackle poverty, disease and global warming.

But unlike most charities, this one will be for-profit, allowing it to fund start-up companies, form partnerships with venture capitalists and even lobby Congress. It will also pay taxes.

One of its maiden projects reflects the philanthropy's nontraditional approach. According to people briefed on the program, the organization, called Google.org, plans to develop an ultra-fuel-efficient plug-in hybrid car engine that runs on ethanol, electricity and gasoline.

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