When Google.org announced $50 million in workforce development grants this August, it called the effort its largest giving initiative to date, together with an earlier $50 million grant to close the global education gap. The combined sum, $100 million, is hardly chump change, but now, the tech giant has upped the ante once again. CEO Sundar Pichai recently illuminated the company’s philanthropic game plan and set a bold target: $1 billion in nonprofit grants over the next five years centered on education, economic opportunity, and inclusion.

Google is doubling down on closing gaps—whether between jobs and workforce skills in the U.S. or between educational outcomes worldwide—and it’s not alone. Major corporations, including tech firms like Microsoft and banks like JPMorgan Chase, have emerged as leaders in this space. On the workforce front, JPMorgan’s $250 million New Skills at Work initiative has led the charge. Meanwhile, a number of big companies have laid out ambitious plans to upskill workers and young people worldwide, including by expanding access to technology, which is the focus of Microsoft's revamped and expanded corporate philanthropy.

Given all this, what should we make of Google's big new announcement?

Read the full article about Google's philanthropy plan by Philip Rojc at Inside Philanthropy.