On Friday, SBC announced that
the SBC Foundation, the charitable giving arm of SBC Communications, will provide up to $2 million in funds to assist disaster relief in areas affected by the recent earthquake and tsunami in South Asia as well as to bolster future disaster relief needs in the domestic United States.
The grant has two components: SBC Foundation will match employee contributions, and make a 5-year grant to the American Red Cross for disaster relief work. But the billing systems, both at SBC and Cingular, are volunteering their time as well.
SBC customers can easily donate online though their SBC Yahoo! and eBill accounts.
[M]any Cingular customers will receive a free text message
inviting them to make a donation of $1.99 or $.99 to one of three
organizations: The International Fund of the American Red Cross, UNICEF, and
the Save the Children Fund. Customers simply need to reply to the text
message — which is also free — with the organization they choose and the
amount they wish to give. One hundred percent of their donation will
automatically go to the agency selected, and that charge will appear on their
next bill, the company said.
Sometimes it’s good to be an enabler.