What companies Donate to students?

Why don't more Internet companies make educational versions of their software available to students?

• Historically, many companies have offered educational discounts and specialized versions of their software to students and educational institutions. They see it as part of the business strategy and also as something that is good for society. Apple is one example. Based on my experience, I can't think of any SaaS Internet products/services which have a product offering for students, faculty and the education institutions themselves. Some companies, will have restricted trial versions, that theoretically could be used in education, but they frequently are limited in ways that make them unsuitable for classroom use, such as limiting the number of users on an account to a small number like 5. I imagine that tools such as Basecamp, Campfire, Scribblar, etc. could be immensely valuable in schools when used for coordinating school projects and classroom discussions. Why companies in the online space give more attention to education, both in terms of a market opportunity and from a philanthropic standpoint.

• Answer:

  I can't speak for everyone, but being a SaaS owner/founder myself (https://trackets.com) I definitely agree that more companies should do this. Supporting non-profit organizations and students is definitely something the whole society would prosper from. But on the other hand, it does take some time to implement, and most startups don't have much spare time. For example GitHub used to provide free accounts to students when you asked them for one (this is the way we're doing it right now as well), but only recently they launched a whole subsite designated to students/educators.