The Legacy Project

The Genographic Project exists to advance humanity's knowledge about our common history, specifically with regard to using genetics to understand how we migrated across the planet over the ages. The analyses and published results that we hope will come as an output of this extensive global effort is the primary way in which IBM and National Geographic are giving back to the world for its collective contribution, literally of itself, to the Project through the provision of samples from both indigenous and non-indigenous peoples.

In addition, the team firmly believed that we should give back in another way, and out of this conviction the Legacy Fund was born. While a majority of the public participation kit costs goes to processing the actual sample, a portion of the price does go to a Legacy Fund. Funds gathered from sales of the kits will be applied to critical indigenous community support projects, which could range from awareness efforts to help indigenous communities under threat to raise the world's awareness of their situation, to infrastructure projects that assist these communities with their core objectives.

To ensure proper oversight and distribution of these funds, we are now engaged with a number of leading public and not-for-profit private institutions to determine the best organizations with whom to collaborate. In addition, we will also be working closely with the indigenous community leaders that sit on the Genographic Project Advisory Board. Together, we will direct these funds where they can best produce a positive, lasting result for these communities.

IBM works closely with National Geographic in the administration and outreach for the Legacy Funds component of the Genographic Project. In addition to program management, we have the IBM Foundation actively involved in the Genographic Project, and this part of our organization has extensive experience in donating funding and collaborating with not-for-profit assistance organizations and NGOs.