As part of the Case Foundation’s commitment to Open Source, we continue to share the code that powers the technology side of our efforts. Last year, we shared the code for our #FacesofFounders website so that others would benefit from the investment we had made into cutting edge technology. Today, we’re excited to share a new video demonstrating the capability this open source platform provides for those who use and build upon it.
Launched in 2016, #FacesofFounders was a campaign to attract
entrepreneurs, particularly female founders and entrepreneurs of color, to
share their photos and stories of entrepreneurship on FacesofFounders.org.
After a review by a panel of 40 judges, who completed their work using this
open source platform, FastCompany
featured the winners of the campaign. The site has since evolved into a Medium
publication that continues the work of showcasing diverse entrepreneurs driving
innovation and job growth.
Open source, a medium for freely sharing and collaborating
on technology, is yet another way that organizations can give back in the form
of their technology. We believe it is particularly important in the
philanthropic field as it is an opportunity for social innovators to accelerate
their own missions by tapping into the work of the collective community. One
gift of open source code can have unlimited beneficiaries, and we believe it to
be a key component of the ongoing democratization of technology.
Features
This open source platform contains several features from the
#FacesofFounders campaign:
Social Media Profile Photo Filter
The photo upload feature allows visitors to upload a photo
(or select a Facebook or Twitter profile photo) and place a campaign-themed
filter on top of it. The filtered photo can then be turned into profile images
on social media sites, and added to a shared photo wall on a homepage, which will
continually display all new and past filtered photos. Administrators have the
ability to remove inappropriate photos from the homepage.
Story Submission
In addition to—or instead of–uploading a photo, visitors can
submit stories to the judging platform. This submission tool contains
customizable forms and can be placed in a “closed” state once judging begins.
All submissions entered through the form then go into a queue for a site administrator
to assign to judges. Because the platform is built into WordPress, it is also
possible to directly upload submissions via WordPress’s dashboard.
Story Review and Judging
The third and final component of this codebase is the judging platform. As visitors submit stories, they queue in the judging section on the backend. Once all submissions are final, assigned judges can log into the platform and request submissions to review. The judges score each submission on a numeric scale, and the platform uses those scores to begin ranking each submission. Site administrators can then log in and view the stories ranked by their aggregate scores to determine winners. The entire codebase comes packaged as a WordPress theme for easy deployment and visual customization using WordPress’s robust theme system.
How You Can Use This
While the Case Foundation used this to support the
FacesofFounders campaign, we expect that it can be used in a wide variety of
efforts and we can’t wait for you to take advantage of this great project! To
help, we’ve created a detailed technical guide that you and your team can use
to understand how to best utilize the open source code. To access that guide
and more resources, visit the
project’s GitHub page.
To show our commitment to the open source community and the
importance we place on expanding involvement in open source from the
philanthropic sector, we’ve published many of our projects online. To see more
of our work, visit the Case
Foundation’s GitHub page.
We look forward to seeing what you do with these tools and
hope many others will join in this effort and share their open source projects.
The open source community has no shortage of projects devoted to social change and improving lives. Pick a need, and there is likely an open source solution for it, but it is often difficult for projects that have a social good application to get the notice they deserve. This is a shame as the collaborative and transparent nature of open source is a force-multiplier for changemaking efforts and when properly supported, open source software can spark innovation, accelerate social good. Therefore, here are five open source projects that we think show the potential for open source to make a real impact in the non-profit world.
Givesource
The creators of Givesource had a vision that there could be a cheaper and better fundraising platform for nonprofits. Through a partnership between Firespring, a Lincoln, NE-based marketing and software company, and the Jeffrey S. Raikes School of Computer Science and Management, the team built a fundraising tool to power the Lincoln Community Foundation’s Giving Day but with a broader vision of creating a platform that out-performed anything on the market at a far-reduced operating cost. The result is a platform that empowered the Lincoln Community Foundation to set a new record for giving, slashed their processing and platform fees, and attracted the attention of local media. Anyone seeking a best-in-class tool for fundraising can tap into the power of Givesource as it was designed from the outset to be open sourced.
Seeing firsthand how little interoperability there was between diabetes devices and their data, Tidepool founder Howard Look set out to create an open source toolkit that allowed users, both individuals with diabetes and medical professionals, to better combine and analyze data from the multiple devices diabetes patients must use to manage their health. Users of Tidepool’s software can explore their data on a personalized dashboard and easily share that data with their doctor, ending the need for patients to physically go to their doctor’s office to share their data. Similarly, researchers using Tidepool’s platform can share their data in real-time with the research team.
Code for America empowers citizen developers to help their communities using their talents. Salt Lake County was struggling with a solution to notify people for court appearances or for court-ordered treatments. The Code for America Fellowship group approached the problem by starting with extensive research and a user-centered design process which yielded evidence to disprove the commonly-held notion that most individuals simply skip or forget their court dates and other appointments. Instead, their research showed a wide range of reasons individuals missed their dates and there was a need for a better tool for communicating with their case officers at any time. Therefore, Code for America’s team built ClientComm, an open source platform that facilitates easier communication between case officers and their clients by giving the case officer’s a sophisticated management platform to track their clients and gives end-users a simple text-message-based platform that allows them to contact their case officer immediately in any situation.
The Grameen Foundation found a key barrier to their goal of helping the 2 billion poor and unbanked worldwide was the lack of good financial services platforms. To address this problem, they created Mifos, an open source financial services suite that institutions may use to easily offer low or no cost digital banking solutions to their customers. As a totally open platform, banks may use and expand upon the features in Mifos to best serve their customers all while being part of a community of users of the tool who share and collaborate on features. Mifos’s mission now is to spread the use of this platform across the world, starting with developing regions where there is little to no access to banking.
An initiative of the MIT Media Lab, the Open Agriculture Initiative’s works to create healthier, more engaging and more inventive future food systems and drive an ecosystem of open source tools to support transparency and innovation across their work. Some of the many open source projects they support include a set of tools for using technology to optimize conditions for growth. These applications include the Tree Computer for tree growth, the Personal Food Computer for tabletop-sized environments, and the Food Server which manages large-scale hydroponic installations. In addition, the Open Agriculture Initiative supports research to incorporate computer vision and machine learning into their projects to enhance their growth management tools.
Whether it is reducing the cost of fundraising for non-profits, improving the lives of patients, making government systems more friendly for citizens or supporting teams that are focusing on the food of the future, each of these projects highlight the benefits that can come from the wide embrace of open source by the non-profit and philanthropic sectors. We tip our hats to each of these organizations who are ensuring that their work is available to all—embodying the Case Foundation’s vision that open source is a form of philanthropy. We look forward to showcasing further examples of open source work being done by individuals, nonprofits, and companies. If you have or know of a project that you believe is fearlessly trying to make change in a community or the world, let us know at opensource@casefoundatdev.wpenginepowered.com/.
Each year, we enjoy getting together with innovators and changemakers at South by Southwest (SXSW) to discuss important and compelling work and share some of our learnings on the SXSW Interactive stage. Last March, members of the Case Foundation team lead four panel discussions with incredible experts about developments in areas such as diversity in entrepreneurship, making movements through user generated content and business journalism. Each provided us with insights and inspiration we have tapped since to inform our ongoing work.
This year, we’ve identified 12 panels to recommend for the 2019 SXSW stage that could bring together engaging panelists and leaders who will bring to life timely topics such as the role fearlessness plays in the work of leaders from all walks of life, what the future of Latinx entrepreneurship looks like, how startups can get their story out, the importance of young voices in our society and at the voting booth and opportunities for organizations to harness the power of data, analytics and open source to increase their impact.
We believe that these will be a valuable addition to the important dialogue that will take place in Austin at SXSW 2019—and we need your help getting these discussions the time they deserve on stage! Below you’ll find information on each panel and how you can vote for them. While casting your vote, don’t forget to spread the word with the social messages below and encourage your friends and networks to vote as well.
See our panels below and be sure to vote before SXSW PanelPicker voting ends August 30th!
Fearless Changemakers Tell All
What does it mean to be fearless? It means experimenting, taking risks, being willing to strike unlikely alliances and accepting the possibility of failure while still pressing forward. Meet the fearless changemakers setting audacious goals and acting urgently and boldly. Jean Case of the Case Foundation sits down with three leaders who explore the extraordinary core qualities of great changemakers and find out how being fearless helped them succeed. They’ll share their stories and strategies to inspire attendees to fearlessly tackle the world’s most pressing issues.
Speakers
Jean Case, CEO, The Case Foundation
Enric Sala, Explorer-in-Residence, National Geographic Society
Take a deep dive during this interactive session featuring leading journalists covering startups, venture capital and technology. Seasoned journalists will be moderated in a discussion by the Case Foundation. You’ll learn their tips for founders seeking to break their next big story, what makes an effective and compelling pitch, how to build relationships with reporters and how to make your company stand out. At the session’s conclusion, we will invite attendees to share their pitches with the journalists for feedback in real time. Please come to this session with your media pitch in hand.
Speakers
Jade Floyd, Vice President of Communications, the Case Foundation
Veronica Dagher, Host, WSJ Secrets of Wealthy Women podcast; senior wealth management reporter, Wall Street Journal
Emily Chang, San Francisco-based anchor and executive producer of “Bloomberg Technology”
What does it mean to be fearless? It means experimenting, taking risks, being willing to strike unlikely alliances and accepting the possibility of failure while still pressing forward. Meet the fearless changemakers setting audacious goals and acting urgently and boldly. Jean Case of the Case Foundation sits down with chef José Andrés as they explore the core qualities of great changemakers and find out how being fearless led to his success. They’ll share their stories and strategies to inspire attendees to fearlessly tackle the world’s most pressing issues.
Marches. Protests. Tweets. Votes. These are just a few of the many ways that young Americans made their voices heard in 2018. With fearless passions and the drive to create meaningful change, they brought a national spotlight to the issues they care about. Now, it’s your turn. Join our workshop, share your story and learn how to elevate your voice from some of today’s most innovative young activists and organizers.
Speakers
Sean Tennerson, Director, Social Innovation, the Case Foundation
At the end of 2017, Facebook rolled out a new feature: a platform to stream shows. Facebook Watch has become a key tool for organizations to tell their stories and bring big issues to light in a new way while reaching a broader audience—with some even going as far as to call it “the new Netflix.” What are the benefits of this new platform and how might it work for your organization? The Case Foundation, ATTN and The Influencer Collective share how organizations with a variety of resources and needs can make Facebook Watch work for them. Together they bring knowledge from working on shows with a wide range of budgets, production levels and audience sizes and will bring high level takeaways on how to get started, evaluate show needs, build a story arc and analyze success.
Speakers
Jessica Zetzman, Senior Director of Marketing and Communications, The Case Foundation
Clare Stein, Creative Director, ATTN:
Jennifer Sherman, Founder and Chief Strategist, Influencer Collective
Data-informed decision making is only as good as an organization’s understanding of the data on hand. Faced with that challenge at the Case Foundation, the team responsible for digital analytics and reporting set out to construct a dashboard that directly and efficiently compiled key data from multiple websites in one place. Using this tool, project and program leaders can see real time performance using key filters like top blog authors, page views, time on page, new users, downloads, top performing pages and posts and email campaign performance. Hear from the team that designed this tool and learn how the organization uses it, their efforts to adapt their work to best fit what the data indicates, and how attendees can launch their own version of the dashboard for free.
Speakers
Jessica Zetzman, Senior Director, Marketing and Communications, Case Foundation
John Jones, VP Interactive Strategies, Case Foundation
In a time when trust in technology is in question, B Corps are finding a way to deliver innovative technology to their customers without sacrificing trust: through open source. By doing so, these companies are not only establishing a stronger level of trust but also democratizing technology for many. Hear from open source leaders, Zach Burke of Exygy, Jason Wilkinson of Firespring, and John Jones of the Case Foundation in a panel moderated by the Case Foundation’s Jade Floyd.
Speakers
John Jones, Vice President of Interactive Strategies, the Case Foundation
Jade Floyd, Vice President of Communications, the Case Foundation
Jason Wilkinson, Chief Technology Officer, Firespring
The Latinx community accounts for more than half of the population growth in the US, but Latinx founders represent less than 2% of venture-backed companies. Hear from Latinx entrepreneurs and the investors who back them to understand who they are, what they’re building and why they’re going to make you money. Attendees will learn what funds and resources are available for Latinx entrepreneurs and how you can support more inclusive startup ecosystems.
Join the Case Foundation, Kapor Center for Social Impact and Sunshine Sachs as we unite social sector leaders, entrepreneurs and philanthropy practitioners for a SXSW Meet Up. Connect with fellow changemakers and share new ideas, collaborate and ideate on how you can create meaningful change together. We invite everyone in the social sector—from foundation staff to philanthropists, nonprofit leaders, social entrepreneurs and social impact businesses to gather. Meet those like you who are changing the world.
Speakers
Jade Floyd, Vice President of Communications, the Case Foundation
Venture capital investments may be focused on the coasts, but some of the largest and most successful companies have been started in middle America in cities like Houston, Dallas and Austin. Learn from the entrepreneurs, investors and supporters who have created bustling startup ecosystems across Texas. Find out what kind of partnerships and resources your city may already have to lead the way for startup growth in your community.
Speakers
Sarah Koch, VP, Social Innovation, Case Foundation
Naji Kelley, Founder & CEO, BLNDED Media
Saleha Khumawala, Professor – Robert Grinaker Professor of Accounting and Founding Director, SURE Program, University of Houston
As technology continues to define shifts in society, it is essential that the social sector has access to the best technology. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Case Foundation see a future in this as leaders in creating useful, open source tools for entire sectors to use that open doors for changemakers to unlock innovation, better achieve their missions, and ultimately, change the world. Hear from the Case Foundation, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and GitHub on how that’s starting to happen.
Speaker
John Jones, Vice President of Interactive Strategies, the Case Foundation
Kosta Peric, Deputy Director, Financial Services for the Poor, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Admas Kanyagia, Senior Director of Social Impact, GitHub
With your support, we hope we’ll get to take the stage next March in Austin and share our work and insights on these exciting movements. To catch up on our presence at SXSW in 2018, check out our Twitter moments which featured live updates from each of our panels, and watch these video interviews with some of the founders, funders and ecosystem builders in attendance who shared their exciting work with us. We loved getting to make a splash at SXSW this past spring and get wait to get the chance to do it again!
This Spring, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti sat down with our Case Foundation VP for Social Innovation, Sarah Koch, at Urban Tech Connect, a conference designed to support and provide networks for startup founders of color. Together they explored how the Los Angeles tech ecosystem has grown over the past several years—from a record numbers of startups calling LA their home to an influx of funding rounds and the many high-profile acquisitions and exits—and how important the building of ecosystems to support founders from all backgrounds has proven to be across the country.
In 2017 alone, startups throughout the the city of Los Angeles raised $7 billion in capital, through an upsurge in new investments and new firms. And more than $1.4 billion was raised in 2017 across 16 funds. During the conversation Mayor Garcetti shared how his office has sought to expand their startup ecosystem through programs like the Grid110’s and the creation of the TechFair LA which featured more than 200 leading regional startups.
Watch the video as Mayor Garcetti and Sarah share more on how we can be intentional about how we fund, mentor and support female founders and entrepreneurs of color in thriving cities like Los Angeles and beyond.
Innovation is driving technology and change faster than ever before. Yet, when I am asked about technological innovations that have the best chance to make an impact in the future of philanthropy, I often cite a collaborative approach that is closely aligned with the technology world, but can no longer be considered cutting edge: open source.
This may not be the answer that many are expecting, but open source’s collaborative and transparent nature is well suited for philanthropy and its ability to leverage the power of many to do good at minimal cost lends itself to being one of the keys to the next phase in the evolution of philanthropy.
Open source software allows anyone to read, study, modify and redistribute a software’s source code with little restriction other than that free access is maintained. It is often developed in a highly collaborative manner with many people contributing pieces of code and it is found in a wide variety of places – the overwhelming majority of consumer devices include some open source code.
For many philanthropies and non-profits, open source provides the opportunity to save money and time. There is a growing community of coders experimenting openly and sharing ideas and software covering everything from website and app development to artificial intelligence and blockchain. By embracing open source, foundations and nonprofits can tap into this space of bright technologists and innovators for free. In doing so, they will gain access to battle-tested code and ideas, allowing them to focus on their core missions.
For others, it is an opportunity to leverage the time and money they have put into building software and programs so others in the field can use them. In our network of changemakers, we see many organizations producing innovative platforms and technologies that are used to create social change. Why not further that effort by open sourcing that work so that many more can use, improve and share it? Our experience shows that by including open source from the outset of a plan, you reap the benefits of including a community in your work and have a product that can be shared with the larger community with minimal effort. And, frankly, isn’t the act of open sourcing software in line with most philanthropic missions?
Open source has other benefits as well. The collaborative nature of open source can encourage philanthropies to engage with new audiences and to connect technical and nontechnical participants. We have seen that reaching beyond your bubble and forging unlikely alliances between those working to solve the same problem can yield impressive and transformational results.
We’re already seeing philanthropies embrace open source. For example, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation developed an open source platform to drive the adoption of digital financial services in developing countries. Mojaloop, the platform’s name, creates a standard system for banks and other financial service providers to communicate and execute transactions at a lower cost than competitors for the nearly two billion unbanked people in developing regions.
Throughout the Case Foundation’s history, we’ve recognized the value of open source software by both using it in our work and supporting others who are a part of the community. Some of our greatest efforts such as Make It Your Own and America’s Giving Challenge succeeded because open source software enabled us to move quickly and experiment with new ideas without having to start from scratch. We were also early supporters of groups such as Code for America which produces open source software and organizes communities of citizens to also create and contribute open source solutions for their towns and cities.
And we are now building all the software we produce for specific campaigns with an eye on making them open sourced as well. For example, we have provided the open sourcing code from our #FacesofFounders campaign allowing any organization to launch a similar campaign focusing on user-generated content. And this year, we plan to release even more open source projects produced through our broader work here at the Case Foundation. We hope that–along with many others–we can help the social sector see the benefits of open source, spark innovation, accelerate social good and ultimately help change the world.
It’s that time of year! The beginning of a new rotation around the sun when we all start to prioritize our goals for the next 365 days. One of my resolutions this year is to make meaningful connections and expand my knowledge of subjects both known and unknown. There’s no better way to do so then to step out of the office occasionally and travel to a new region for a few days of learning. Our team at the Case Foundation does just that, attending and speaking at dozens of conferences and events across the globe.
We know that time is precious and there are countless conferences and events for you to consider in 2018 to expand your knowledge. Here’s our take on 23 conferences to attend this year in the world of philanthropy, Impact Investing, Millennial engagement and Inclusive Entrepreneurship:
MAKERS Conference, February 5-7 (Rancho Palos Verdes, CA) explores new ways to make shock waves, unleash our collective power and lift each other up as we fight for causes that matter. Last year’s conference included speakers like Gloria Steinem, Eva Longoria, Priscilla Chan, Sheryl Sandberg, Diane von Furstenberg and Gabby Douglas.
Economist Impact Investing Forum, February 15 (New York, NY)join Economist editors and 200 financiers, institutional investors, policymakers, academics, impact investors and philanthropists at the second iteration of Investing for Impact: risk, return and the future of the world. Our CEO Jean Case is scheduled to take the stage with Liesel Pritzker Simmons, co-founder of the Blue Haven Initiative in a conversation on why investing in women founders is the ultimate return.
SXSW Interactive, March 9-17 (Austin, TX) we would be remiss if we didn’t give a shoutout to the conference of all conferences. Tens of thousands of attendees gather for hundreds of sessions on topics related to social good, investing, entrepreneurship, art, music and more. Our Case Foundation team will take the stage at four sessions that week, and we look forward to seeing many of you while in Austin. Speakers this year will include Melinda Gates, Alex Chung, Mark Cuban, Michael Dell, Kathryn Finney, Cindy Whitehead, Ira Glass, Walter Isaacson, Ezra Klein, Megan Smith, Gary Vaynerchuk and many more.
Women’s Private Equity Summit, March 9-11 (Half Moon Bay, CA) brings together more than 500 female private equity and venture capital leaders for discussion and networking.
Skoll World Forum, April 10-13 (Oxford, England) launched by the Skoll Foundation, accelerates entrepreneurial approaches and solutions to the world’s most pressing problems by uniting social entrepreneurs in a pursuit of learning, leverage and large-scale social change. Past speakers have included President of the World Bank Group Dr. Jim Yong Kim, Winnie Byanyima of Oxfam International and Hamdi Ulukaya of the yogurt empire Chobani.
Nonprofit Technology Conference, April 11-13 (New Orleans, LA) features over 100 educational sessions, an exhibit hall highlighting the latest nonprofit products and services and networking events each day. Be sure to check out our session on open source philanthropy with our VP of Interactive Strategies, John Jones.
Women in the World Summit, April 12-14 (New York, NY) presents powerful new female role models whose personal stories illuminate the most pressing international issues. Speakers last year included Scarlett Johansson, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Diane von Furstenberg and many more luminaries.
Tech Inclusion, Spring 2018 (Washington, DC) brings the industry together to drive solutions to diversity and inclusion. Attendees include executives, hiring managers, human resources, data scientists, educators, entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers and diversity and inclusion advocates.
Vanity Fair Founder’s Fair, April 20 (New York, NY) slated for its second year, this gathering highlights the accomplishments of ambitious women entrepreneurs and explores ways to help them unleash even greater growth for their businesses and their brands.
Good Tech Fest, May 22-24 (Detroit, MI) is for anyone using data and technology to drive impact. It’s for the doers and practitioners. The people on the ground. The leaders that are wanting to find innovative ways to leverage technology, and the technologists wanting to apply their skills for real global change.
US SIF Annual Conference, May 30-June 1 (Washington, DC) gives you the opportunity to network with leaders of sustainable, responsible and Impact Investing. Hear from leading investors, CEOs and policymakers, and to learn about new approaches, trends and policy developments in the field.
MCON, June (Washington, DC) join 1,000 passionate individuals who come together to channel their enthusiasm into action for today’s most pressing issues. MCON gathers leaders, entrepreneurs and cause enthusiasts of all generations to discuss problems and find creative solutions to the challenges of today.
Forbes Impact Investing Summit, June 12-13 (New York, NY) this invitation only event for doers and investors who believe in investing in companies that can change the world is a new offering from Forbes and it’s certain to make an impression. Join seasoned impact investors who are moving capital and leading the next generation of investment.
NextGen Summit, June 18 (New York, NY) unites a global community of young entrepreneurs. The 2017 Next Gen Summit welcomed dozens of investors and founders of billion dollar brands and companies, NBA and NFL stars, Shark Tank alums, world-renowned fitness experts and underwater drone creators.
Aspen Ideas Festival, June 21-30 (Aspen, CO) unites leaders and influencers from around the globe for inquisitive discussions on the ideas and issues that shape our lives and challenge our times. Hundreds of award winning journalists, global leaders, scientists and explorers, former secretaries of states, startup founders and investors take the stage each year.
Fortune Most Powerful Women, October 1-3 (Laguna Niguel, CA) MPW has evolved into the world’s most extraordinary leadership community, convening the preeminent women in business—along with select leaders in government, philanthropy, education and the arts—for wide-ranging conversations that inspire and deliver practical advice. The program features one-on-one interviews, panel discussions, interactive breakout sessions and high-level networking.
Communications Network, October 10-12 (San Francisco, CA) brings together more than 500 social sector communications professionals from foundations and organizations across the globe for engaging dialogues on using the power of storytelling to drive social impact, demystifying design and the making of movements.
Global Impact Investing Network Forum, October 30-31 (Paris, France) investors from around the globe convene for the preeminent gathering of active impact investors and those who are interested in building an Impact Investing practice. Hosted by the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN) and PEI Media, the Forum aims to advance and scale the market through insight from industry leaders, leading-edge research and unrivaled networking opportunities.
PopTech, October 31-November 3 (Point Lookout, ME) is a robust gathering of more than 600 scientists, technologists, humanitarians, designers, artists, innovators, corporate and governmental leaders, academics and those who defy tidy categorization.
Inc Women’s Summit,Fall 2018 (New York, NY) unites savvy female business leaders with diverse backgrounds, passions, and pursuits for a day of dynamic exchanges and innovative business ideas. Speakers have included the likes of Spanx CEO Sara Blakely, Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary, Maria Malcolm Beck of Bluemercury and more.
Blavity Afrotech, Fall 2018 (Silicon Valley, CA) unites founders and employees of some of the fastest-growing tech startups to share the tactics and strategies they use to grow their products and businesses. Conversations range from raising venture funding, combining tech and culture, user design workshops, growth hacking and more.
Washington Ideas, October 2-4 (Washington, DC) is an annual must-attend event bringing the most consequential people and issues to D.C. featuring hundreds of political leaders and those shaping the future of business, science, technology, arts and journalism.
Fast Company Innovation Festival, Fall 2018 (New York, NY) taking place across NYC, the festival features dozens of events in content tracks ranging from tech to design, leadership to creativity, fashion to healthcare and more. CEOs and influencers from companies and organizations like Bloomberg Philanthropies, CARE, DonorsChoose.org, Robin Hood, Swell Investing and more.
Bonus: LIVE anything! Live content from media brands is a hot ticket for 2018 both in person and online. Check out the many upcoming LIVE events from media entities likeForbes,Washington Post,Bloomberg,AXIOS 360 andThe Atlantic announced each week.
Some time ago, the idea of putting your credit card number on the internet seemed unthinkable, but today almost 80 percent of Americans shop online. And with the holidays coming up, online marketplaces are seeing an impressive spike in both traffic and orders. In fact, this year, more people are expected to shop online than in-store.
While e-commerce has forced traditional brick and mortar retail to evolve, the convenience of online shopping for consumers has been advantageous for online giving. This summer, we talked about how tech trends like the emergence of online payment platforms have made it that much easier for everyone to jump into philanthropy. Millennials are key players in that trend too; the Millennial Impact Report found that 80 percent of Millennials made donations last year, and 62 percent have expressed interest in using mobile as a giving platform.
In 2012, we helped support the first official #GivingTuesday campaign, founded by the 92nd Street Y and the United Nations Foundation. We were very excited to play a part in #GivingTuesday’s transformation from a campaign to a movement, both through our own donation matching campaigns and by supporting the overall tracking of fundraising activity each #GivingTuesday.
Five years later, it’s more convenient than ever to give. New platforms allow users to search for charities that match their interests, donate by shopping for things they’d already buy and use social media to donate and fundraise.
Here are some easy ways you can use tech to give on #GivingTuesday.
Donation Platforms
If you’re not sure where to start, there’s a variety of platforms that can help you find a cause you’re passionate about and verify the credibility of the organization behind it so you can donate with confidence.
If you shop online, you’re already familiar with PayPal, but did you know that you can also use the payment service for donations? The Paypal Giving Fund lets you browse charities and donate to them online through your PayPal account.
If you’re searching for a specific charity, or already know which issue you want to support, Network for Good* has an online database of over a million charities of all sizes and issue areas. You can also purchase Good Cards on the site if you want to give someone else a gift card that they can use to donate to the charity of their choice.
Interested in taking a more international approach to your giving? Global Giving allows you to donate to vetted projects from around the world and will send you updates on how your money is being put to work.
And if you’re interested in helping educators in the U.S., Donors Choose can connect you to a public school in need. Teachers use the site to share the projects for which they need funds, and how much they need to reach their goals. You can use the site to donate to the classroom project of your choice.
Crowdfunding platforms
Donating to a crowdfunding campaign is a great way for people on a wide range of budgets to work with others in the online community to help someone in need, and there are several platforms you can use.
GoFundMe allows online donors to contribute to individuals or groups taking on a wide variety of projects and problems. And it’s making a real difference—more than $4 billion has already been raised through the site. If you’re looking to contribute to an individual or a new organization that hasn’t registered as a charity yet, GoFundMe provides that flexibility.
Crowdrise is a social fundraising tool that supports corporations, nonprofits and events. Nonprofits and individuals can set up fundraisers for their favorite cause with specific goals and timelines. Do you want to use your network to expand your impact on #GivingTuesday? Crowdrise can help you do that. The website also allows users to explore trending fundraisers and look for ones in the categories they’re interested in.
A different type of online crowdfunding source is Kiva. Kiva gives users a chance to lend as little as $25 to help people across the globe with everything from going to school to launching a business. Kiva donors get their loans repaid, and then can reuse the repayment for another loan, or withdraw it.
Purchase roundups
When checking out at a brick and mortar store, you’ve probably been given a chance to round-up your purchase to the nearest dollar or more and have that extra change go to charity. Now you can do that online, and you can choose which charity receives that extra money.
We micro give is an online platform that rounds your online and in-person purchases up to the nearest dollar and donates the change to the charity of your choice. The site allows you to set monthly maximums and provides users with an online dashboard to summarize their giving activity.
Similarly, Coin Up offers a website and an app that donors can use to have their credit and debit card purchases rounded up and donated. The site tracks your donations over time and sends a year-end donation total so you can see your yearlong impact.
Network for Good* recently launched Hippo Give, an app that also helps you make secure donations through purchase roundups. You can support multiple organizations with your spare change and see your donation activity tracked in real time. Hippo Give even makes a donation on your behalf when you get started. It should be noted that this is still in minimum viable product development stage (MVP), but it’s an exciting new platform that shows promise.
And finally, if you use Amazon.com, you can give back without spending an extra dime just by changing the URL. If you use https://smile.amazon.com/, 0.5 percent of your purchase total will go to the charity of your choice.
#Donate Using Social Media
Organizations and individuals often use social media to give their fundraisers a promotional boost, but now there are ways to donate directly though the social media sites themselves.
Facebook has a donating platform that organizations can use year-round to give their followers an easy way to donate and share. And this #GivingTuesday, the site is stepping up its commitment to support online giving through an up-to-$2 million matching campaign in partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
You can also donate instantly across social platforms with Goodworld. All you have to do is comment or reply #donate on a participating cause’s Facebook or Twitter post, and you’ll be sent a secure, one-time link you can use to apply your donation.
Last year, #GivingTuesday saw a record $168 million in charitable donations, and we expect to see similar results from today’s activity. Every year, online platforms like these make it that easier, more interactive and more fun for users to donate to causes close to their hearts. Charitable giving is truly just a click away. We hope you’ve been inspired to give to a cause you care this #GivingTuesday (November 28 this year) and throughout the year.
*Brian Sasscer is on the Board of Trustees for Network for Good
Open source software, by its simplest definition, is a work of software whose source code is available for others to read, study, modify and redistribute with little restriction other than that the free access is maintained. Earlier this week, I wrote in an op-ed in the Stanford Social Innovation Review (SSIR) about how we at the Case Foundation see open source as another form of philanthropy—a digital one whose contributions influence the success of many by providing publicly accessible software. In the article, I shared how we see the potential of open source software and how it can spark innovation, accelerate social good and ultimately help change the world.
Building on the early work of Jean and Steve Case—pioneers in the democratization of information with AOL—technology has always been a crucial part of how the Case Foundation works, and our tech-centric legacy has led us to champion early ideas that are now commonplace such as online giving and digital advocacy. In the course of that work, we have often used open source technologies because of their scalability and opportunity for customization. Giving the technology we create for projects at the Foundation back to the open source community is the next logical step. As we take on new challenges and new campaigns that serve our movements, we will also begin to take the time to ask ourselves and the community if a project that we think would be good for our efforts would also be good for others’ efforts. If that is true, we will dedicate time and resources in the project to open source the components that the community needs. Our contributions will always follow the needs of our broader goals, and we will open source the work in which we and the community find of real value.
So, as a part of our commitment to this open source ideal, we are excited to release the code that powered our #FacesofFounders campaign. This open source code includes features that powered the social photo upload and filters, applicant and story submissions, and the distributed judging platform. By releasing this platform’s code into the community, we are aiming to help those looking to launch similar campaigns where applicants must submit information and have a pool of judges evaluate the submissions.
We designed this platform that powered the first phase of the #FacesofFounders campaign to attract entrepreneurs, particularly women founders and entrepreneurs of color, to share their photos and stories of entrepreneurship on FacesofFounders.org or on Twitter using #FacesofFounders. Launched at the White House’s South by South Lawn festival, in partnership with Blackstone Charitable Foundation, Google for Entrepreneurs and UBS, along with Fast Company, #FacesofFounders sought out and lifted up America’s dynamic entrepreneurs who are key to driving innovation and job growth. The winners of the crowdsourced contest, who were reviewed by our panel of 40 guest judges, were selected because they bridged innovation and a commitment to inclusiveness. We then featured the winners of the contest on FastCompany.com and our #FacesofFounders Medium publication.
The technology powering this campaign was a huge part of its success, and we’re excited to share this code with the open source community. Throughout the judging process, we received numerous comments on how easy it was to use. The platform has three unique components that are all a part of a combined codebase.
Social Media Profile Photo Filter
The first of which is the photo upload feature that allowed visitors to upload a photo (or select their Facebook or Twitter profile photo) and place a campaign-themed filter on top of it. The visitor could then make that filtered photo their profile image on their social media profiles, and the photo was added to a shared photowall on the homepage, which continually displayed all new and past filtered photos. In addition administrators had the ability to remove inappropriate photos from the homepage.
Story Submission
The second feature is the story submission system. In addition to, or instead of, uploading a photo, visitors could submit their story to the judging platform. This submission tool contains customizable forms and can be placed in a “closed” state once judging begins. All submissions entered through the form then go into a queue for a site administrator to assign to judges. Because the platform is built into WordPress, it is also possible to directly upload submissions via WordPress’s dashboard.
Story Review and Judging
The third and final component of this codebase is the judging platform. As visitors submit stories, they queue in the judging section of the backend. Once all submissions are final, assigned judges can log into the platform and request submissions to review. The judges score each submission on a numeric scale, and the platform uses those scores to begin ranking each submission. Site administrators can then log in and view the stories ranked by their aggregate scores to determine winners. The entire codebase comes packaged as a WordPress theme for easy deployment and visual customization using WordPress’s robust theme system.
This open source #FacesofFounders platform is a useful tool for organizations running any sort of applicant submission and review process, and it could be modified to accommodate a grant or scholarship application review, among other uses. If you have a pool of judges or reviewers who are geographically separated or difficult to coordinate on schedules, the platform accommodates such logistical challenges by facilitating an individualized back-end review process. We believe that this code will be integral for the prizes and challenges community.
Given the collaborative nature of the open source community, we are looking for organizations interested in using this code in their own campaigns, as well as suggestions for ways to improve the #FacesofFounders codebase. Moving forward, we plan to share more of the software powering other campaigns and efforts with the open source community.
We at the Case Foundation hope our work can help others, and we’ll do our part to help catalyze the open source movement as we share our resources, our time and our talents with the community. We are excited to share this multifunctional platform with the community, and we look forward to further contributing to this part of digital philanthropy.
Every year, MCON—the Millennial Engagement Conference—is a great chance for us to celebrate how Millennials are changing the world, and to talk to conference attendees about how they’re getting involved with the causes that matter most to them. Since this year’s MCON coincided with our 20th anniversary where we’re rallying people to “Get in the Arena” we partnered with Comcast NBCUniversal who brought along their Chat Box. We invited attendees to jump in and record their answers to the question “How are you using technology and innovation to #GetInTheArena and inspire change in your community?” We received nearly a hundred video stories from attendees about how they are turning their interest into action.
A #GetInTheArena moment that stood out to us came from Elizabeth Lindsey, Executive Director of Byte Back, who talked about how she and the organization teach DC area adults technology and help them find tech jobs. Her story stood out to us because of its mission similar to ours with Inclusive Entrepreneurship, where we work to promote the recognition and success of underrepresented entrepreneurs. Similarly, Byte Back propels underserved DC area residents to career success through adult education.
Just like the Case Foundation, Byte Back is celebrating their 20th anniversary. And they’re using the milestone to step up their commitment to tackling the digital divide and providing high quality technology training to adults in need. You can see her video where she discusses her work here:
We wanted to learn more about Lindsey’s vision for Byte Back, her #GetInTheArena inspiration and motivation, and how the organization is setting new goals for their 20th anniversary and beyond. Read on for more about Lindsey and Byte Back.
Can you tell us about Byte Back and your vision for the organization? Byte Back is a Washington, DC based nonprofit providing free technology education and career training to unemployed adults. We teach our students tech skills from the very beginner level—how to use a mouse, how to send an email—to advanced IT skills that prepare them for careers in IT and business services. I’ve been the Executive Director here for two years, and we’ve been serving people in DC for 20 years. Byte Back is one of the only organizations in the country where someone with limited access to technology can start with the basics and move up a training pathway to IT skills training and into living-wage careers that use technology. I know that communities beyond DC need us. This year we’re expanding into Maryland, and we’re excited to continue planning how we can expand our reach even farther.
What inspired you to “Get in the Arena” on this cause? I’m the first person in my family to go to college and grew up in a very financially unstable home. My life was completely transformed by having access to quality education, and I’m passionate about helping others access these same types of opportunities.
I know there are so many opportunities in today’s society for people without college degrees, people like my parents, to build careers that can help them to support their families and thrive. 31 million Americans have low tech skills. There are 5.5 million more women in poverty than in 2000. And only four percent of the tech workforce is made up of women of color. Imagine what poverty in this country would look like if people on the other side of the digital divide were given the opportunity to have living-wage careers in tech. There are diverse people who have enormous untapped potential, who can change their lives and our economy. I believe they deserve a chance—to learn for free, to have a living-wage career, to have the skills and access that equity demands.
How does Byte Back use technology to address the digital divide and seek solutions to poverty? Access to technology is extremely important. But I think that sometimes we overlook the importance of providing people with the training to use that technology. A laptop or access to broadband isn’t enough if a person doesn’t know how to access the internet on their device or connect the device to Wi-Fi. So, we teach people to use the technology that’s so ubiquitous now, and by doing so, we’re helping them lift themselves out of poverty. With tech skills, our students are able to create resumes in Word, fill out online job applications and compete for in-demand jobs in the new economy.
As the organization celebrates its 20th anniversary, what are some of the goals you and Byte Back are working towards? As of this summer, we’ve achieved a major 20-year anniversary goal—to move into a state-of-the-art consolidated headquarters. We spent our first 20 years in a converted row home, and we really outgrew that space. Our move is a huge step up for us. We have new technology, including new computers for students and staff and a new video production studio, and a space that really reflects the careers that our students are training for. For most students, these will be the best classrooms and technology they’ve used in their lives, and they really deserve it.
The number of Byte Back graduates who are hired into living-wage jobs continues to increase. In our last fiscal year, which ended in June, 65 students were hired. On average, our graduates who are hired are making $28,000 more per year than they were before Byte Back courses. As we expand into Maryland this year, we’re teaching more advanced CompTIA A+ Certification courses, which means more graduates will have the training to succeed as IT help desk professionals. Our services are unique nationally, and communities across the country are asking for Byte Back services, so we know that our 20th year is the first in our geographical expansion, but not the last.
How do you rally people to get off the sidelines and support Byte Back through donations, volunteering, partnerships and hiring students? We have so many fabulous supporters who are so inspired by our mission and our students’ success. The DC tech community has been so supportive, and we’re such a natural tech for good cause for them. In March, we won a $360,000 WeWork Creator Award to scale, which has been so huge for us. We have the support to expand, and a lot of new supporters have found out about our work and are joining us as partners, volunteers, funders, donors, and student employers. We have a lot of new supporters, but we’re always looking for more to join us as partners, volunteers, funders, donors, and student employers. We have opportunities to get involved and Get in the Arena at byteback.org.
How do you and your team view technology as a pillar of civic engagement? The people reading this article right now online probably cannot fathom not knowing how to use the internet, or how to use an Excel spreadsheet, or email a city official. But the fact is there are still millions of people who are being left out of digital civic life. While online-run social justice movements have had amazing success, it’s a fact that many people are left out of participating and engaging and fighting because of their inability to use technology.
How have you had to challenge assumptions and take risks during your time at Byte Back? When I started at Byte Back as Executive Director, I inherited an organization that had grown exponentially in the past seven or eight years but didn’t necessarily have the systems and processes in place to keep up with this growth. I really had to question my assumption that programming and staff and systems were put in place for a reason – I had to start asking why we did things a certain way, why we conceptualized our organizational structure the way we did, why certain individuals were placed into their roles. It was challenging, but Byte Back embraced the change and need for us to grow and evolve, and we’ve significantly improved our operations and our organizational culture over the past two years.
Are there any student success stories that stand out and inspire you to continue getting in the arena for adult technology training? The first time I met Olivia Byrd, she came up to me and said, “Byte Back saved my life.” Four years ago, Olivia was living in her car. She didn’t have the skills and experience to build a career. And then Olivia came to Byte Back. Three months after finishing her training, Olivia was hired as an IT Help Desk Technician. She now has her own apartment. Olivia’s life has not only been changed, but she brings a new face and perspective to the tech world.
Thank you so much to Elizabeth Lindsey for sharing how she’s Getting in the Arena with us. To learn more and get involved with Byte Back, check out their website. And to learn more about our 20th anniversary celebration, check out our Get in the Arena page.
Every year, MCON—the Millennial Engagement Conference—is a great chance for us to celebrate how Millennials are changing the world, and to talk to conference attendees about how they’re getting involved with the causes that matter most to them. This year, we partnered with Comcast NBCUniversal to bring attendees the #GetInTheArena Peacock lounge presented by Comcast NBCUniversal, where participants had a chance to jump into a chat box and record their answers to the question “How are you using technology and innovation to #GetInTheArena and inspire change in your community?” We captured nearly a hundred stories from attendees about how they are turning their interest into action.
One of those stories that inspired us came from Angela Richardson, Communications and Partnerships Manager at BUILD (Businesses United in Investing Lending and Development) Metro DC. Richardson shared how she works with the organization to help students from under resourced communities pursue entrepreneurship. Angela and BUILD are making a difference by providing communities with the resources and connections their residents need to succeed as students and entrepreneurs. Much like the Case Foundation’s Inclusive Entrepreneurship work, BUILD promotes social, financial and inspiration capital through their four year program for high school students. You can see her inspiring video here:
We wanted to learn more about Richardson’s vision for BUILD, her #GetInTheArena motivation and how she rallies supporters to get involved with the organization, so we caught up with her after MCON. Read on to see what she shared with us and how you can learn more about BUILD Metro DC.
Can you tell us about BUILD Metro DC and your vision for the organization?
BUILD Metro DC is an in-and-out of school incubator that introduces high school students to entrepreneurship. With BUILD’s guidance and support, DC students learn to create and run their own start-ups, learning the fundamentals of what it takes to have a successful business. Although our students are doing amazing work, their stories go untold. As the Communications and Partnerships Manager, my vision for BUILD is for every Washingtonian to know the powerful impact BUILD Metro DC has on each high school student we are serving.
What inspired you to “Get in the Arena” on this cause?
I started my career as a communications professional in the beauty and fashion industry. Although that world may seem glamorous and pretty, I wasn’t fulfilling my life’s work. My journey from a beauty and fashion publicist to a social change communicator has led me to tell the powerful untold stories of young people. Having the opportunity to capture the resilience and great potential of our students is what truly inspires me daily to stay in the arena.
How does BUILD foster entrepreneurship in underserved DC communities?
We believe that entrepreneurship is a mindset and because we believe it is a mindset, there are a number of skills that can be developed that we refer to as Spark Skills (Communication, Grit, Problem-Solving, Collaboration, Innovation, and Self-Management). In addition to the development of those skills, students have the opportunity to develop and grow their own business, generating revenue which ultimately teaches them financial wellness and sustainability. These skills have the potential to eradicate generational poverty, in turn putting resources in communities that would otherwise not have them.
What are some of the goals you and BUILD are working towards?
To fulfill our mission, we are working towards growing our student enrollment, ensuring that are student body is fully engaged in our program over time, and that we collectively drive the students BUILD works with towards postsecondary acceptance and college and career readiness.
How do you encourage your students to turn their interest into action?
We challenge them to identify their interests. We then have to encourage and affirm their interest through celebrating the diversity of them and strength of their ideas. Finally, we share with them resources to turn their interests into action.
How do you rally people to get off the sidelines and support BUILD through donations, volunteering and mentorship?
We highlight the power of our students. Donors, volunteers, and mentors join and support BUILD because they want to have a real impact on each of the students and to give them the tools they need to succeed. When we highlight our students, we are making it clear that everyone has an opportunity to play their part in guiding and supporting this next generation.
How does technology play a role in your and BUILD’s social change work?
As part of a pilot program, we partnered with Friendship Tech Prep Academy, utilizing technology as a tool for students to create tech-driven startup businesses. Through this pilot, we have opened the windows of opportunity for our students to learn coding, web design and graphic design, tools we believe every entrepreneur needs to advance his or her business. One of our student teams even created a pop-up device, Insta-Laptop, that turns any smartphone into a functional laptop. The team generated the idea after realizing that many of their peers did not have access to computers at home, but majority of them owned smartphones. This is the perfect example of how we are teaching our students to solve problems like the digital divide.
How do you and your team view entrepreneurship as a pillar of civic engagement?
To create the world that we want to see, we must be willing to think and act in ways that are naturally entrepreneurial. Civic engagement and entrepreneurship share a process for seeing what is, brainstorming improvements, making a plan, and convincing people that they should support the outcome. Helping BUILD students develop their entrepreneurial skills has a strong side effect of preparing them to be civically engaged. The skills of teamwork, grit, and innovation that make our students successful entrepreneurs are the same skills that make them community leaders today and tomorrow.
How have you had to challenge assumptions and take risks during your time at BUILD?
At BUILD, we work to challenge assumptions everyday about the identities of our students – where they are from and the implications that exist because of that. We work to celebrate their individual identities while coaching them to grow, providing them with support and access to resources in an effort to change the narratives that are created for them.
Are there any student entrepreneur success stories that stand out and inspire you to continue getting in the arena for underserved youth?
Two words: Lorrin Davis. Lorrin’s story has truly inspired not only me but our entire BUILD community. She is the perfect example of how gaining a BUILD Spark Skill like Grit can impact all areas of one’s life. She’s journeyed through the BUILD program, starting as young freshman entrepreneur to now a high school graduate on her way to George Washington University as recipient of the highly coveted Trachtenberg scholarship – a full ride valued at $300,000. Despite the many adversities and personal challenges Lorrin may have faced during her time in BUILD, her resilience and dedication to making her dreams come true drives me to the do the work I do daily. She inspires me to continue to tell stories of the many young people overcoming an enormity of challenges, in hopes of uplifting another young person in the process.
Angela, thank you for sharing how you’re Getting in the Arena with us. To learn more about BUILD Metro DC, visit their website. And to learn more about our 20th anniversary celebration, check out our Get in the Arena page.
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