Free Geek Receives $300,000 Grant From KeyBank Foundation

Grant will support Free Geek's program designed to narrow the digital divide and advance the fundamental digital skills needed to advance education, find and maintain jobs and access critical services

PORTLAND, OR / ACCESS Newswire / October 2, 2025 / Free Geek, a nonprofit with offerings that help narrow the digital divide, has announced a grant of $300,000 from the KeyBank Foundation. Funds from this grant will support the organization's efforts to provide digital literacy training and education, hardware (new and refurbished) and support through digital navigators.

Free Geek maximizes its impact by partnering with community-based organizations that are already providing other services in related areas, including affordable housing, workforce development and food assistance. The organization will work in partnership with Home Forward, the housing authority serving Multnomah County and surrounding areas, to establish Free Geek's ‘Train the Trainer Program' at its low-income housing buildings and communities. The goal is to first close tool and digital skill gaps community members at Home Forward properties are already experiencing, and then Free Geek-trained community builders will develop plans to further build the specialized skills needed to reach goals that will enrich their lives.

As community members go through Free Geek's programs, they will learn to use these digital tools and devices to find success in Home Forward's key programs, which include employment support, credit repair, building savings, starting a business, youth resources, homeownership, educational goals and basic digital literacy.

"We see firsthand that the digital divide continues to be a persistent challenge for communities in Multnomah County that are home to some of our most disconnected communities who do not own a computer, and many others don't know how to use them effectively," said Juan Muro, Executive Director of Free Geek. "Through our partnership with Home Forward, this investment will ensure that these families have the same benefits as others and their children have access to online resources to be successful in school. Free Geek will use the investment to help bridge the digital divide by working to connect more people to the internet, getting devices into the hands of people who need them and providing the digital skills to thrive."