Verizon/MCI Public Policy Fund

Verizon-MCI Merger Public Purpose Fund

Administered by the Greater Everett Community Foundation; Managed by Claire Bishop, Partner – The Giving Practice; Advised by an Advisory Committee comprised of GECF Board members and telecommunications and information services experts

Background
In December 2005 the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (WUTC) accepted a settlement agreement, upon certain conditions,  and approved the merger between Verizon Communications, Inc., and MCI, Inc.  The Commission ordered the creation of a $1.25 million public purpose fund to help mitigate the anticipated harm to consumers from the merger. The use and administration of the public purpose fund were set forth in two WUTC Orders in the merger proceeding.    

The Greater Everett Community Foundation (GECF) was selected by the WUTC to design and manage a grantmaking process. The settlement funds are held by GECF as a donor-advised fund.

GECF issued a Request for Proposals in November 2006 and received 24 proposals. The Advisory Committee for the Fund met and reviewed the proposals in February 2007. Foundation staff is currently completing its due diligence work on the proposals, under the direction of the Advisory Committee, and grant recommendations from the Committee are expected to be made and announced in the summer of 2007.

Settlement Distribution Plan
In selecting the GECF to administer the settlement funds distribution, the WUTC determined that providing grants to organizations which would deliver benefits back to telecommunications consumers in the areas where Verizon operates would strengthen a series of additional mitigation efforts. During the fall of 2006, GECF  issued a Request for Proposals to organizations eligible for funding consideration. Eligibility was limited to non-profit organizations with tax exemption under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, to local government agencies, and to tribal governments.    

The funding criteria focused support on projects to do one or more of the following:
Provide residential customers or small business owners consumer education or outreach about telecommunications and information services;
Improve access to telecommunications and information services;
Make telecommunications and information services more readily available to the public; or
Benefit a broad range of consumers with telecommunications and information services  

For the purposes of fund distribution under the Verizon-MCI Public Purpose Fund, “telecommunications” includes land lines and cell service; and, “information services” include internet service and access via phone lines, broadband, or wireless connections.  

Verizon/MCI Merger Public Purpose Fund Grantees

Community Voice Mail National, Seattle - Grant funds will provide access to voicemail and broadcast email service to underserved populations; increase awareness of the service and increase access to information for underserved consumers.  $186,997

Edith Bishel Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Kennewick - Computer/Internet Access and Employment Training Program- The project will provide computer instruction and access to state of the art Internet resources for seeking employment for blind and visually impaired individuals living in the greater Tri-Cities area and surrounding communities in southeastern Washington State. $32,000

Npower Seattle- Building Capacity and Inspiring Relevant Innovation- The project aim is to help improve life opportunities for hard to reach populations in Washington State by providing technology know how to selected local nonprofits that serve them. The project will help nonprofits serving hard to reach populations build their technology capacity.  $150,000

Opportunity Council, Bellingham - Northwest Washington Access to Technology Consumer Education Project- Funding will be used to provide education and outreach services to consumers in Whatcom, Island, Skagit and Snohomish Counties and to develop a TCET website. $270,000

Potlatch Fund, Seattle - Strengthening Technology Literacy for North West Native Communities- Funding will equip a mobile computer lab, a resource CD and quick reference guide and technology literacy trainings to empower more residents of Washington’s Indian country through the use of Internet and telecommunications resources.  $55,000

Puget Sound Center for Teaching, Learning and Technology, Bothell - TechREACH Alliance- The TechREACH Alliance is a partnership between PSCTLT, Wilderness Technology Alliance and the TEConnections program to increase technology access and literacy in underserved communities located in E. WA and W. WA, through training and provision of refurbished computers. $175,000

Stone Soup, Republic- Shop the Frontier: Using Telecommunications to Connect Rural Products with Urban Markets- The goal of this project is to create a regional economic development strategy that uses telecommunications and information services to educate small businesses and entrepreneurs and provide information about how telecommunications can provide specific benefits to rural communities.  $180,389

WithinReach - Connecting Washington Families to Health- WithinReach will use grant funds to increase the capacity of its statewide parenting & health education Information and Referral Call Center, and to introduce its innovative new web tool, ParentHelp123.org, linking low-income families with information about and applications for a variety of public assistance programs.  $150,000

Total Grants $1,199,386
Management Expenses $50, 614
Total $1,250,000