Over the last year Tech For Good Global has been working with Comic Relief and Paul Hamlyn Foundation as a learning partner on the Tech For Good programme. Part of this work was to understand how to create a stronger ecosystem surrounding “tech for good” projects and indeed to continue building this field. Cassie Robinson explains in her blog post:
“Funders, charities and wider civil society organisations that are only just beginning to adopt digital as part of their working culture or fund ‘tech for good’ projects and programmes, really struggle to know where to find digital expertise and also what good looks like.”
As part of their response to this problem, Tech for Good Global are working with Comic Relief and Paul Hamlyn Foundation, tech for good projects, other funders and wide range of stakeholders. They are curating the following resources and events to continuing building the field:
1) An open directory for finding digital and design expertise
The open directory is something that any charity looking for digital expertise can use to find people and organisations to hire, and also something that funders can use if they want to bring in digital expertise to support their grantees or their own organisation in commissioning digital projects.
The list so far includes organisations and individuals that we know have worked with “tech for good” projects. However, please note that they are not suppliers that are endorsed by Comic Relief or Paul Hamlyn Foundation and we recommend using this great Conversation Menu that CAST have developed as a guide to initiate any new working relationship between charities and tech partners.
This is an incomplete and growing list and if you want to be added then please fill out this form.
In 2018, Tech for Good TV also plan to do some events throughout the next year to help funders and charities meet more suppliers. Please see their website and sign up to their newsletter for further announcements.
2) Key events to get involved with the Tech for Good Community
- Tech for Good – regular Meetups in London, Bristol, Bath, Cambridge, Manchester and Sheffield. CAST co-runs the London one with Bethnal Green Ventures.
- NetSquared – regular Meetups across the country, with a focus on hands-on help for nonprofits using digital. CAST co-runs the London one with Technology Trust, Nesta and Superhighways.
- Open Charity– quarterly Meetups in London exploring how charities are embracing open source. CAST co-runs these with Cancer Research UK, Comic Relief, Woodcraft Folk and CiviCRM.
- One Digital– selection of events in Scotland run by SCVO and NetSquared.
- Service Lab – monthly Meetups with interesting and varied guest speakers
- ICT4D London – focused more on the humanitarian and development sectors but always with great thought-provoking speakers.
There are also monthly breakfasts for funders who want to understand and learn more about tech for good. To sign up please get in touch via techforgoodfunding@gmail.com.
To learn more about the evaluation and a range of recommendations we are continuing to work on please see here. You can also find out more about the work of Tech for Good TV on their website and read Cassie’s blog post outlining further reflections on the need for visibility and connection.