(NEW YORK) – Stack Overflow Co-Founder Jeff Atwood selected PEN America as a recipient of one of eight $1 million charitable grants.
The gifts from Atwood, a software developer and staunch advocate for democracy, literature, LGBTQ rights, income equality, and more, were reported in the Chronicle of Philanthropy. Other recipients included the Trevor Project, Children’s Hunger Fund, First Generation Investors, Global Refuge, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Planned Parenthood, and Team Rubicon.
In a blog post announcing the donations, Atwood called PEN America “one of my personal favorites; I’ve seen the power of writing transform our world many times.” He wrote that he is “concerned we may lose sight of the American Dream” and encouraged others to contribute to organizations helping those most urgently in need.
Atwood co-founded Stack Exchange, an online network where programmers and tech workers answer programming and other technology-related questions. He also founded the company that operates Discourse, an open-source discussion platform.
About PEN America
PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible.
Contact: Suzanne Trimel [email protected], 201-247-5057