In the current atmosphere of cynicism and greed, a company has stepped forward to provide an example of how businesses can positively change the world.  Google is asking the Web browsing community for ideas about how to help others and is offering $10 million to implement up to five of those ideas. 

Google’s motto has always been “Do No Evil”.  With its incredible growth over the last few years and spread into so many different tech areas, people have questioned whether Google was abandoning this principle.  Toss in the current world wide financial crisis brought on by corruption and greed and cynicism towards Google’s phenomenal growth grew. 

To celebrate its 10th Anniversary, Google is proving the critics and cynics wrong yet again.  The original Google motto has morphed into “Do the Maximum Good”.  Google has been investing money in green energy companies for a while now and is branching out to invest in philanthropic causes through Project 10 to the 100.

Here is Google’s reason for starting Project 10 to the 100:

Never in history have so many people had so much information, so many tools at their disposal, so many ways of making good ideas come to life. Yet at the same time, so many people, of all walks of life, could use so much help, in both little ways and big.

In the midst of this, new studies are reinforcing the simple wisdom that beyond a certain very basic level of material wealth, the only thing that increases individual happiness over time is helping other people.

The ideas must be from individuals only.  People who submit ideas can suggest an organization for implementing their idea, although there is no guarantee that  organization will be chosen.  One person can submit multiple ideas, but each idea only once.  

Several categories including “Everything Else,” are listed to give people some basic guidelines for submitting their ideas.  The categories are what you would expect: Community, Opportunity, Energy, Environment, Health, Education, Shelter, and the catchall, Everything Else, stated previously.

Within those categories, further criteria that the ideas will be judged on are:

Reach: How many people would this idea affect?
Depth: How deeply are people impacted? How urgent is the need?
Attainability: Can this idea be implemented within a year or two?
Efficiency: How simple and cost-effective is your idea?
Longevity: How long will the idea’s impact last?

the submission deadline is October 20, 2008.  Once the submission process is closed, a select group of Google employees will narrow the entries down to the top 100 and then those ideas will be announced January 27, 2009.  At that point the public will narrow the potential winners down to twenty semi-finalists. 

At this stage, Google will have an advisory committee composed of five to seven people who have expertise in the above categories.  This advisory committee will pick the five best ideas that will be funded.  The five finalists will be revealed in February, 2009.

Once the final five are chosen. Google will accept applications from organizations to receive funding to implement the ideas.

All in all, Google is sharing its anniversary with the world.  Anyone, anywhere, can submit an idea to create positive change.  Five people will have the ultimate distinction of submitting the winning ideas that provide the biggest positive outcomes for the most people.

What a great way to celebrate a phenomenal ten years in business – by making the world a better place in which to live.

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Entry was posted on Tuesday, September 30th, 2008 at 4:59 pm under Google, Green Technology, Health, Internet, YouTube.

Read more entries by Susan Wilson.
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