SEATTLE – Bank of America and GeekWire announced today that Geeks Give Back, its joint campaign that raises funds to support Washington State students who are pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and healthcare fields, has raised $1.27 million, surpassing its fundraising goal of $1 million in corporate and individual donations. All donations up to $250,000 were matched 100 percent by both Rubens Family Foundation and the State of Washington. The campaign ran from October 1 through December 7, 2016.

All funds raised will be distributed by the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship (WSOS), which supports promising low- and middle-income students pursuing STEM careers through college scholarships, professional development and valuable industry exploration opportunities.

The Geeks Give Back campaign received an unprecedented amount of donations this year from individuals and organizations across the Puget Sound region, including Alaska Airlines, Bank of America, The Boeing Company, Costco, Hanson Consulting, Microsoft and Senegal Family Foundation, among others. The generosity of those who participated in Geeks Give Back allowed the campaign to raise double the funds it raised last year.

“Washington State is now the nation’s per-capita leader in STEM employment, but our students are not the ones filling the STEM workforce,” said Naria Santa Lucia, executive director of WSOS. “The Opportunity Scholarship is helping fix this disconnect by making higher education, which is prohibitively expensive for many students, attainable for talented, high-potential students. We are so grateful for our partnership with GeekWire and Bank of America and for the generous contributions we received this year so we can help more young people in Washington State achieve career aspirations that would otherwise be out of reach.”

WSOS has supported more than 6,800 Washington students since its inception. Fifty-seven percent of participants are women and fifty-nine percent are first-generation college students. Nearly half are students of color.

Bank of America is investing in Washington’s young people and helping improve their long-term income mobility by working with national and local nonprofit organizations, such as WSOS, that are creating access to workforce development and education opportunities.

Bank of America recently committed $40 million to connect 100,000 teens and young adults to the skills and employment experiences needed for 21st-century jobs. The company is dedicated to funding summer internships, education and job training, and providing support for diverse talent to help build a pipeline that will strengthen and enhance tomorrow’s workforce. In Washington State alone, over the past six years, Bank of America has provided more than $3.35 million in funding to local nonprofits, helping thousands of traditional and nontraditional students overcome systemic barriers to education and employment.

“Investing in the education of Washington students who want to pursue STEM careers is the key to helping these students succeed and creating a thriving Washington State economy,” said Kim Vu, Puget Sound Corporate Social Responsibility Manager, Bank of America. “We’re honored to support WSOS and thrilled that Geeks Give Back surpassed its fundraising goal to provide students with opportunities for higher STEM education.”

As a prominent, Seattle-based technology news outlet, GeekWire is committed to the advancement of STEM industries and the development of new, innovative technological discoveries. This is the second year for Geeks Give Back, which was launched to support issues that are critical to the tech ecosystem in the Pacific Northwest.

“Every day at GeekWire we encounter creative, talented individuals whose innovations have a huge impact on their industries and, in some cases, our everyday lives,” said John Cook, co-founder and editor at GeekWire. “Without access to the right training and resources, these achievements might not be possible. We’re honored to support WSOS as they give Washington State students access to the education and resources they need to pursue STEM careers and create innovative solutions of their own.”

For more information on Geeks Give Back or to make a donation, please visit: GeeksGiveBack.org.

About Bank of America

At Bank of America, our focus on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors is critical to fulfilling our purpose of helping make people’s financial lives better. Our commitment to growing our business responsibly is embedded in every aspect of our company. It is demonstrated in the inclusive and supportive workplace we create for our employees, the responsible products and services we offer our customers, and the impact we make around the world in helping local economies thrive. An important part of this work is forming strong partnerships with nonprofits and advocate groups, such as community and environmental organizations, in order to bring together our collective networks and expertise to achieve greater impact. Learn more at www.bankofamerica.com/about, and connect with us on Twitter at @BofA_News.

About GeekWire

GeekWire is a fast-growing, national technology news site with strong roots in the Seattle region and a large audience of loyal, tech-savvy readers around the globe, who follow the site for breaking news, expert analysis and unique insights into the technology industry. GeekWire is uniquely positioned to cover some of the most widely followed and innovative tech companies in the world, and one of the most vibrant startup markets in the country. Our signature events and meetups bring out thousands of people to connect, learn, recruit, do business and have fun with a broad cross-section of the tech community. In addition to news coverage, GeekWire provides widely used resources for the Pacific Northwest technology community, including the GeekWork job board, GeekWire 200 startup ranking, the Startup List database, Service Provider Directory andGeekWire Calendar. GeekWire’s weekly radio show airs on KIRO Radio (97.3 FM) in the Seattle region, and reaches a worldwide audience via podcast.