nten: change | march 2015

CHANGE A Quarterly Journal for Nonprofit Leaders · March 2015

FEATURES: addressing Digital inclusion in every Mission By Amy Sample Ward

aaRP in the Digital age By Tammy Gordon

Keep austin connected: a vision for Digital inclusion By Sharla Chamberlain and John Speirs

the Rise of civic tech for social good By Micah L. Sifry

Digital inclusion & technical DiviDes:

What’snext?

2 NTEN: CHANGE | MARCH 2015

I can be sure of one thing: this issueis going to surprise you. As you diveinto this quarter’s NTEN: Changejournal, prepare to have yourassumptions challenged on who’susing technology, and the role yourorganization may play in addressingthe digital divide.

This issue covers a range ofperspectives from organizations andinstitutions that are at the forefrontof bridging the digital divide: schools,libraries, city governments, andnonprofit organizations.

Features take us across institutions:from AARP, and how it continues todefy stereotypes through its digitalengagement efforts of its nearly 38million members over 50 years old, tothe City of Austin’s Digital Inclusionprogram to keep Austin-itesconnected, to Civic Hall, the latesthub in New York to foster discussionson civic tech. Plus, our CEO, AmySample Ward, shares how to addressdigital inclusion in every mission.

We also go behind the scenes withthe filmmakers behind the Cyber-Seniors documentary, the Weiss School,Geek Club Books, and the oldestlibrary west of the Mississippi River:Multnomah County Library in Oregon.

Sophia Guevara from EPIP shares hertips on virtual learning to supportprofessional development, Wiebke

Herding from On:Subject shows ushow to improve our website’saccessibility in 15 minutes, andVanessa Mason from ZeroDivideexplains how text messaging can be alifeline for vulnerable communities.

A key lesson gleaned from this issue:The future of technology requires anactive commitment to inclusiveness.Organizations need to challengethemselves to not just look at thenumber of people reached, but alsothe numbers of those they have not.

At NTEN, the topic of digital inclusion is at the forefront of our mission. As the largest network for nonprofit technology professionals, we are a small (but mighty) voice of change with our continuing commitment to serve and highlight a diversity of perspectives.

We hope this issue inspires you withthe knowledge, tools, and inspirationto get started in your organization.

Letter fromthe Editor JOLEEN ONG Marketing &Publications Director,NTEN

“ A key lessongleaned from thisissue: The future oftechnology requiresan active commitmentto inclusiveness. ”

ISSUE SEVENTEEN MARCH 2015

EditorJoleen Ong Marketing & Publications Director, NTEN

DesignPhilip Krayna Conifer Creativewww.conifercreative.com

Editorial Committee Members Jeanne AllenManager/Instructor, Duke University NonprofitManagement Program, and Consultant

Melanie BowerCredibility Manager, Green Electronics Council

Tobias EigenExecutive Director, Kabissa—Space for Change in Africa

Sophia GuevaraSocial Media Fellow, Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy (EPIP)

Wiebke HerdingManaging Director, On:Subject Communications

Josh HirschDirector of Development and Marketing, The Weiss School

Nicole LampeDigital Strategy Director, Resource Media

Bonnie McEwanAssistant Professor and Consultant, Milano-The New School & BonnieMcEwan.com

Rebecca ReyesCommunications Manager, Everyday Democracy

Cover Art: Beppe Giacobbe, MorganGaynin, Inc.

Advertising: Learn more aboutsponsoring NTEN:Change at nten.org/advertising/reserve

Permissions & Inquiries: Pleasegive credit to allreferenced or re-published contentaccording to the Creative Commonlicense: Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported. Example Attribution text:“First published in NTEN:Change(nten.org/NTENChange), March 2015, CC BY-SA 3.0(creativecommons.org/licenses/ by-sa/3.0/).” More information about the journal can be found atnten.org/NTENChange/Press

CHANGE A Quarterly Journal for Nonprofit Leaders

NTEN: CHANGE | MARCH 2015 3

INSIDEFEATURES:

PAGE 6 Addressing DigitalInclusion in Every Mission By Amy Sample Ward, NTEN

PAGE 10 AARP in the Digital Age By Tammy Gordon, AARP Studios

PAGE 12The Rise of Civic Tech forSocial Good By Micah L. Sifry, Civic Hall

PAGE 14 Keep Austin Connected:A Vision for Digital Inclusion By Sharla Chamberlain and John Speirs,City of Austin

BEHIND THE SCENES:PAGE 16 Cyber-Seniors: Capturingthe Real Senior Moment Interview with Saffron Cassaday andBrenda Rusnak, Cyber-SeniorsDocumentary

PAGE 18 Using Technology to Tellthe Story of Autism Interview with Jodi Murphy, Founder,Geek Club Books

PAGE 20 Technology Leadershipin the ClassroomsInterview with Susan Amsler-Akacem,Technology Teacher, The Weiss School

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT:PAGE 22 The Library’s Role inCultivating Digital LiteracyInterview with Amy Honisett, PublicTraining Librarian, Multnomah CountyLibrary

TECH SUPPORT:PAGE 24 Virtual Learning forNonprofitsBy Sophia Guevara, Social Media Fellow,Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy(EPIP)

PAGE 26 15 Minutes to BetterWebsite AccessibilityBy Wiebke Herding, Managing Director,ON:SUBJECT Communications;Editorial Committee, NTEN: ChangeJournal

PAGE 28 Text2Change: How toLeverage Text Messaging forCommunication By Vanessa Mason, eHealth SeniorManager, ZeroDivide

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AT A GLANCENTEN: CHANGE JOURNALMARCH 2015

4Addressing Digital Inclusion in Every Mission By Amy Sample Ward, CEO, NTEN Do you have a high-speed broadband Internet connectionin your home? According to the Pew Research Center’sInternet & American Life Project data, 30% of US adults(aged 18 and older) do not. Looking beyond the US, thatnumber increases to 68% of people globally. In thisarticle, NTEN’s CEO Amy Sample Ward provides morebackground on digital inclusion: what does it mean, thecurrent efforts that are underway to address this, and howall organizations can address digital inclusion in theirmissions.

4AARP in the Digital Age By Tammy Gordon, Vice President, AARP Studios Let’s get a stereotype out of the way. People over50 are using social media in droves, including half ofAARP’s nearly 38 million members. When it comes tocommunications at AARP, they go where our audience is.AARP The Magazine has the largest circulation in theworld. And, now millions are also connecting with theorganization on social networks as well.

4The Rise of Civic Tech for Social Good By Micah L. Sifry, Executive Director, Civic Hall Since 2004, the Personal Democracy Forum has grownfrom a gathering of a few hundred e-campaign activistsinto more than a thousand people focused on using technot only to change politics, but to reinvent governmentand enrich civic life. They’ve connected and woventogether literally thousands of change makers worldwide,and wondered how best to serve the growing ecosystemof people, projects, organizations, and networks focusedon using technology for social good. After speaking tohundreds of people including government IT leaders, civichackers, entrepreneurs, data mavens, journalists, andfuturists, here’s what they learned.

4Keep Austin Connected: A Vision for DigitalInclusion By Sharla Chamberlain, Digital Inclusion Program Specialist,City of Austin, and John Speirs, Program Coordinator, City ofAustin Grant for Technology Opportunities ProgramAs the “Silicon Hills” of the technology industry, Austin,Texas is leading the way in new technology innovationsand careers. However, 55,000 adult residents living in thecity today are disconnected from this increasinglyconnected world. The City of Austin’s vision for digitalinclusion is that every resident has access to theknowledge and resources needed to engage in ourincreasingly digital society. By providing funding,resources, and capacity building services for organizationsthat provide public access and digital literacy training, theCity’s Digital Inclusion program helps to keep Austinconnected.

4Cyber-Seniors: Capturing the Real Senior Moment Interview with Saffron Cassaday and Brenda Rusnak, Cyber-Seniors Documentary“Cyber-Seniors” is a humorous and heartwarming featuredocumentary that adds to the important internationalconversation about the growing generation gap. In thisinterview with its filmmakers, Saffron Cassaday and

CHANGE A Quarterly Journal for Nonprofit Leaders · March 2015

FEATURES: Addressing Digital Inclusion in Every Mission By Amy Sample Ward

AARP in the Digital Age By Tammy Gordon

Keep Austin Connected: A Vision for Digital Inclusion By Sharla Chamberlain and John Speirs

The Rise of Civic Tech for Social Good By Micah L. Sifry

DIGITAL INCLUSION & TECHNICAL DIVIDES:

WHAT’SNEXT?


Brenda Rusnak, we learn how the film breaks downstereotypes about seniors and narrates the connectionsbetween generations. Focusing on a group of seniorcitizens who take their first steps into cyber-space underthe tutelage of teenage mentors, the film renders athought-provoking look at a spirited group of men andwomen who are enriched by digitally re-connecting withtheir families and each other.

4Using Technology to Tell the Story of Autism Interview with Jodi Murphy, Founder, Geek Club BooksOne in 68 children are diagnosed with autism, and thepublic’s understanding of autism is shrouded in mysteryand misperception, leaving the autistic vulnerable tobullying and social isolation. The nonprofit organization,Geek Club Books, aims to bring forth positive views ofautism, with the goal of autism awareness, education forthe public, and empowerment programs for autisticindividuals through their own creative self-expression.Learn how Geek Club Books accomplishes their goalsthrough technology and the art of storytelling.

4Technology Leadership in the Classrooms Interview with Susan Amsler-Akacem, Technology Teacher,The Weiss SchoolHow is technology being taught in classrooms today?From 3-D printers to a robotics program, the Weiss Schoolis leading the way for STEAM (science, technology,engineering, art, math) learning. In this interview with theSchool’s technology teacher, Susan Amsler-Akacem, welearn about her approach to teaching, and how herbackground as a web designer equips her for thisimportant job.

4The Library’s Role in Cultivating Digital Literacy Interview with Amy Honisett, Public Training Librarian,Multnomah County LibraryEstablished in 1864, Multnomah County Library (MCL) isthe oldest public library west of the Mississippi River. Aslibraries are often considered a safe, free place for peopleto come learn digital skills, MCL is no different, offering arange of free technology training classes and support tohelp bridge the digital divide. In this interview with AmyHonisett, MCL’s Public Training Librarian, we learn moreabout the library’s approach and strategy to help cultivatedigital literacy in this Oregon county community.

4Virtual Learning for Nonprofits By Sophia Guevara, Social Media Fellow, EmergingPractitioners in Philanthropy (EPIP)Professional development is important to keep onecurrent and marketable in today’s job market. How canyou help your colleagues improve their tech know-how?This article offers a few lessons learned that could help

your nonprofit develop its virtual professionaldevelopment.

415 Minutes to Better Website Accessibility By Wiebke Herding, Managing Director, ON:SUBJECTCommunications; Editorial Committee, NTEN: Change JournalThough estimates vary, most studies find that about one in five people have some kind of disability. Some ofthem are in severe need of assistance, for others smalladjustments can make a big difference. This way, theInternet has become an essential tool for communicationand empowerment for many people with disabilities inthe past decade. Making websites more accessible doesnot have to be difficult, and often has surprising benefits.Take this 3-step accessibility audit to see how accessibleyour website is, and get tips to improve it.

4Text2Change: How to Leverage Text Messaging for Communication By Vanessa Mason, eHealth Senior Manager, ZeroDivideVulnerable communities face more obstacles to accessinginformation and resources. Text messaging offers anaccessible, inexpensive lifeline. ZeroDivide shares tipsfrom their NTC session about success stories, culturallycompetent communication strategies, troubleshooting forcommon challenges, resources for design considerations,and lessons about technology adoption.

CHANGEA Quarterly Journal for Nonprofit Leaders · December 2014

FEATURING:

Tech Forward Leadership: Executive

Staffing for the Digital Age

By Miriam Barnard

Navigating the Mobile Security

EcosystemInterview with Jeff Forristal

How to Prepare for the Heightened

Scrutiny of Social Media

Prepared by Bonnie McEwan

BEHIND THE SCENES:

· The Denver Foundation

· Emerging Practitioners

in Philanthropy (EPIP)

· InterAction· International LivingFuture Institute

PLUS:

· Rethinking the PDF

· 6 Tips for Online Board

Engagement

BEST OF 2014

CULTIVATINGLEADERSHIP

CHANGEA Quarterly Journal for Nonprofit Leaders · June 2014

PLUS:The Missing Middle: Neglecting Middle Donorsis Costing Nonprofits Millions by Alia McKeeCrowdfunding: Tomorrow’s Fundraising ModelsToday by Miriam Kagan and David J. NeffChanging the Conversation About Overheadby Rick Cohen

Bitcoin: A Fundraising Digital Disruptorby Jason Shim

INTERVIEWS:· SURFRIDER FOUNDATION· URBAN MINISTRIES OF DURHAM

· KIVA· GLOBALGIVING

· FUNDSFORNGOS· FOOD & WATER WATCH

REINVENTING THE ASK:FUNDRAISING IN THEDIGITAL AGEHOW NONPROFITS ARE GETTINGDONORS TO CHOOSE THEM

IT’S TIME FOR A CHANGE!READ PAST ISSUES OF THE NTEN:CHANGE JOURNAL & SUBSCRIBEFOR FREE TO GET THIS IN YOURINBOX: NTEN.ORG/NTENCHANGE.

Do you have a high-speedbroadband Internet connectionin your home? According to the

Pew Research Center’s Internet &American Life Project data, 30% ofUS adults (aged 18 and older) do not.Looking beyond the US, that numberincreases to 68% of people globally.

For those of us that do haveInternet in our homes, we are able tocommunicate with others regardlessof location, connect to services andinformation, and even createopportunities for growth andimprovement in ways that thosewithout Internet simply cannot. Wecan just as easily send a message toour elected officials as we can to ourcolleagues or even our child’s teacher.We can look for a doctor or research ahealth issue. We can learn aboutbreaking news or complete a collegedegree. In 2011, a report to theUnited Nations General Assemblyby UN Special Rapporteur Frank LaRue states that “the Internet hasbecome a key means by whichindividuals can exercise their right tofreedom and expression.”

There are a number of definitionsin use when it comes to Internetaccess and adoption. At NTEN, weconsider the “digital divide” definedsimilarly to Pew, as adults that do nothave broadband access at home. It isimportant to understand thedifference between focusing on

access to the Internet at all, versusaccess at home. Recognizing that thecity has a public library with acomputer that is available for Internetaccess is important to the largerecosystem of community services. Itdoes not, though, help us measure(or, to go further, ensure) that allmembers of our community or cityhave the same opportunities toparticipate in civic life, make socialconnections, and be an advocate fortheir own health and wellbeing

through access to the Internet. Libraryor other community center accesspoints are critical to serving thecommunity. They are not equal tohome Internet access because theyare, by their nature, limited to theopen hours of the facility, the numberof individuals trying to share limitedcomputers, and the available supportto keep both the machines and theusers connected.

“Digital inclusion,” then, can bedefined as efforts to address thedivide – from resources to education,and individual interventions togovernment-led initiatives. As La Ruenoted in the UN report, “the Internethas become an indispensable tool forrealizing a range of human rights,combating inequality, andaccelerating development and humanprogress, [so] ensuring universalaccess to the Internet should be apriority for all states.”

efforts to address the DivideThe digital divide is not new; neitheris the existence of organizationsworking to address it locally andglobally. The programs and initiativesfor digital inclusion work havenaturally evolved over the last twodecades as both the communitiesand as the digital tools themselveschange, as have the resourcesavailable and partners interested inbeing part of this work.

There are three core focus areasfor digital inclusion traditionally,including,

1)Awareness and interest:knowledge and understanding

of the value of the Internet and theservices and access it provides.

2)Affordable devices: access toacquire or purchase devices that


aDDRessing Digital inclusion ineveRy Mission BY aMy saMPle WaRD, CEO, NTEN

“UNLESS EVERYCOMMUNITY MEMBERWE SERVE IS ABLE TOPARTICIPATE IN ANDBENEFIT FROM ALL THATIS AVAILABLE ONLINE,WE ARE NOT TRULYBUILDING CAPACITY FORCHANGE IN OURCOMMUNITY AND WILLNOT BE ABLE TOSUCCESSFULLY MAKELASTING CHANGE IN THE WORLD.”

are within the budget of everycommunity member.

3)Digital literacy: skills andknowledge of how to use a

device and navigate the Internet.Organizations and programs

working on digital inclusion are asdiverse as any other sector area.There are myriad ways to createsolutions and address the digitaldivide as it impacts the communityyou serve, for example: Organizationsproviding literacy training andservices have expanded programs tohelp learners use digital literacy toolsthat provide education on the tools atthe same time as they increase theirwritten literacy; workforcedevelopment organizations includedigital trainings that help job seekerslearn to use digital tools for resumewriting and job searching; immigrantand social service organizationsinclude digital literacy trainings as ameans to connect individuals with theservices they need and can apply foronline; and advocacy organizationsprovide information about the waysthe Internet can be used to advocatefor changes and access beneficialservices during site visits and grouptrainings.

Digital inclusion in all Missions NTEN and Mobile Citizen launched aresearch survey February 2015 tocreate benchmarks and a betterunderstanding of nonprofitorganizations’ knowledge ofcommunity access and needs. (Thesurvey is open through April 15thif you want to participate!)Preliminary data shows a fewimportant indicators of need:• The majority of respondents

indicate their constituents needInternet access to benefit from orparticipate in their programs andservices.

• Decisions about online services aredriven more by organizationalleadership than direct communityfeedback.

• More than 40% of respondents donot track adoption rate of onlineprograms and services.

• Well over one third of respondentsindicated they did not know if theircommunity members had barriersto access (including lack of Internetconnection, devices, or literacy andtraining).At NTEN, we believe digital

inclusion should be a component ofhow every organization meets itsmission, regardless of location,budget, or staff size. Unless everycommunity member we serve is ableto participate in and benefit from allthat is available online, we are nottruly building capacity for change inour community and will not be able to

successfully make lasting change inthe world.

What does that mean for anorganization that does not havedigital literacy, refurbished devices, orInternet awareness called out directlyin its mission statement or strategicplan? It does not mean you need tochange your mission. Instead, this isan opportunity to evaluate the needsand challenges faced by yourcommunity members and use thosefindings to inform the most successfulways you can serve them throughyour mission.

There are common challenges fororganizations venturing into newerwork or adapting programs inprogress – from the fear that theseare not areas of specialty for theorganization and thus not areas thatneed investment to the staff trainingand capacity for successfulimplementation. And we want tohelp.

Digital inclusion at nten This is an exciting time to be part ofthe nonprofit technology sector. Asorganizations advocate for a free andopen Web through Net Neutralityregulation, we have enormouspotential ahead of us. When everyorganization accepts the opportunityto be part of the solution to thedigital divide, meeting and servingindividuals through our respectiveservices and programs, we candramatically increase the numbers ofindividuals engaged, trained, andonline. NTEN is invested in helpingevery nonprofit be a digital inclusionpartner.

NTEN has a number of new andexpanded educational resourcesfocused on digital inclusion efforts,recognizing that for manyorganizations the hurdle toaddressing the digital divide is first


“WHEN EVERYORGANIZATION ACCEPTSTHE OPPORTUNITY TO BEPART OF THE SOLUTIONTO THE DIGITAL DIVIDE,MEETING AND SERVINGINDIVIDUALS THROUGHOUR RESPECTIVESERVICES ANDPROGRAMS, WE CANDRAMATICALLYINCREASE THE NUMBERSOF INDIVIDUALSENGAGED, TRAINED,AND ONLINE.”

and foremost in knowing how toexpand or add interventions wherethey can have the most impact withinexisting efforts. The initialbenchmarks, as mentioned previously,will come from the NTEN and MobileCitizen digital adoption report thisspring, helping identify the prioritytopic areas from the sector foradditional training or resources.

To support nonprofits of allmission areas and sizes incorporatedigital literacy, Internet awareness,and access to devices or services intotheir work, NTEN will also provide anumber of new educational programsand resources, including:• Webinars on digital inclusion

programs and how to expandexisting community outreach workto include digital literacy or Internetadoption awareness

• Training materials and compilationsof digital literacy curriculummaterials

• Access to leaders, experts, andpeers advancing digital inclusionefforts across the US and beyond

• Program resources includingworkbooks and templates to helpyou and your staff develop strategicinterventions that serve yourcommunity’s needs

• Sessions and workshops at NTENconferences including the NonprofitTechnology Conference and theLeading Change Summit

• An ongoing series of interviews andcase studies from organizations atall stages of adopting and adaptingdigital inclusion effortsWe are inspired by the work of

many NTEN Member organizationsthat have already taken on the workof digital literacy training and Internetadoption campaigns. Highlightingtheir voices and successes, along withnew leaders in this area of work, willbe central to telling the story ofchange.

Creating solutions to challengesthat touch every city and impactevery community requires theparticipation and collaboration oforganizations from all sectors. Fullyaddressing the digital divide will take partnership between nonprofits,governments, and companies. And we hope you’ll join us.

If you have ideas, feedback,suggestions, or specific needs, wewould love to hear from you: you canemail me, or call any time (415-397-9000). I look forward to working withyou to bring all community membersonline to be part of changing ourworld.

AMy SAMPLE WARD is the CEO ofNTEN: The Nonprofit TechnologyNetwork. She is also a blogger,facilitator, and trainer having workedwith groups and spoken at events inthe US, UK, and around the world.

In 2013, she co-authored Social Change AnytimeEverywhere: How to implement online multichannelstrategies to spark advocacy, raise money, and engageyour community with Allyson Kapin.


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When it comes tocommunications at AARP, wego where our audience is.

AARP The Magazine has the largestcirculation in the world. And, nowmillions are also connecting with theorganization on social networks aswell.

Let’s get a stereotype out of theway. People over 50 are using socialmedia in droves, including half ofAARP’s nearly 38 million members.

They join as a way to keep up withfriends and family (much like all agegroups.) A third of grandparents andgrandchildren surveyed actuallyfound that going online to connecthelps them better understand eachother. And, while connecting withgrandkids has certainly been the

entry point for the older AARPgeneration to sign up, our youngermembers are digital natives.

According to an AARP study,nearly 60% of our members betweenthe ages of 50-59 have a smartphoneand a whopping 76% of those who doare checking their social media on it.

And those numbers trend evenhigher as Generation X (Gen X)becomes AARP-eligible starting thisyear. So, we take a fairlyentrepreneurial look at socialcommunities. If we see data showingpeople over age forty are using aspecific platform, we start testing andlearning. That means we have apresence in places like LinkedIn,Pinterest, Instagram, and Vine.However, we invest the majority of

our time and energy into the placeswhere our audiences are the largest.Right now, that means the big three:Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.

AARP has invested in connectingwith our members and the 50 plus onsocial media at the local level, with allof our state offices on Facebook.Leaders and communicators at ourorganization are trained on socialstrategy and etiquette. Jo Ann Jenkinsis AARP’s first-ever tweeting CEO(@JoAnn_ Jenkins).

All together, our social audience ismore than two million and drivesmore than a billion engagements ayear across all platforms.

As our presence has evolved, oneof the biggest surprises has been thatthe second largest age demographicfollowing our accounts are Gen X-ers.Whether it’s tips on caregiving for aparent, sharing the latest viral video,or celebrating Dr. Dre’s 50th birthday,we believe our social content andvoice is connecting new generations

aaRP in the Digital age BY taMMy goRDon, VICE PRESIDENT, AARP STUDIOS

PHOTO BY SANDY HUFFAKE

R/AP IMAGES FOR AARP


to our organization.In addition to our organic strategy,

we use sophisticated, targeted socialmarketing tools to ensure the rightmessage meets the right audience atthe right time. We are all aboutwinning the moment, whether thatmeans going hyper local to engagevolunteers in an event via Twitter orconnecting our exclusive Bob Dylaninterview with his fans on Facebook.

In a move focused on the future,we recently aligned our social mediaand broadcast TV and radiooperations into one team called AARPStudios. By teaming up multimediaproducers and social strategists todevelop more sharable content, we’vealready seen a huge lift in reach andengagement. AARP Studios also nowhas in-house social marketing,analytics, and sponsorshipdevelopment.

Each organizational goal has anAARP Studios strategist who isdeveloping real time and long termsocial messaging and content,distribution, marketing, and analyticsto ensure we’re moving beyond the“like” and really delivering actionsand engagements that matter.

By thinking ahead and developingcommunications plans and editorialcalendars, we are able to designcontent proactively, but also capitalizeon whatever is driving theconversation among our audience inreal time.

For example, during the Oscars,AARP Studios developed advancegraphics and content celebratingnominees and winners over age 50.At the same time, we live tweeted thered carpet and awards shows,interacting with our audience andinfluencers. Moments people connectedwith included JK Simmons’ first win atthe age of 60 and Julianne Moore’sfirst win at 54. Our marketing advisorworked with our team in real time toboost the reach of trending posts.This resulted in a 450% lift in socialengagement over the previous year.

We let our audience lead the way.They tell us where they are interactingand what they like to share each andevery day on social. We see it as ourjob to amplify what is working andcreate experiences just for them.

Even though most of our membersare online, we are committed toraising our level of digital literacy. Wehave a full time social media traineron our team to teach AARP staff,volunteers, and members how to stay

savvy, smart, and safe when itcomes to social networks. AARPFoundation launched Mentor Up,which pairs high school and collegeage kids with seniors to teach themtechnology and how to stayconnected. Last year, we launchedAARP RealPad, a tablet designed for50+ users and AARP TEK designed todeliver hands-on technology training.

Most importantly, AARP’sleadership has allowed us toexperiment, lean into youngeraudiences, take chances, and yes,sometimes fail. The ability to operateas a flexible start-up within a largeorganization gives us the nimblenessto change as fast as our industrychanges. At the same time, social hasbecome a huge part of editorial,events, marketing, CRM, customerservice, and more. So, we arebecoming more integrated across theAssociation and more accountablealong the way.

TAMMy GoRDoN is the VicePresident of AARP Studios, whichmanages social content creation,distribution, marketing, and analyticsfor the 50+ audience. Since foundingAARP’s first social media department

in 2010, she has trained hundreds of AARP staff andvolunteers, and has grown the organization’s socialaudience to more than two million followers. Followalong the team’s adventures via #AARP’Studios onTwitter.

IMAGES BELoW: Screenshots from AARP’s Facebookpage that feature celebrities over age 50 that theiraudience connects with: Bob Dylan & Julianne Moore.


Two years ago, I visited Auschwitz,accompanied by my businesspartner Andrew Rasiej. We had

just finished producing the firstCentral Europe incarnation ofPersonal Democracy Forum (PDF), ourlong-running conference on theintersection of technology and politicsthat we founded in 2004 in New York.Walking through the death camp wasan intense and sobering experiencefor both of us: I’m Jewish, and manyof my relatives were killed or sufferedgreatly during the Holocaust.Andrew’s parents, who are Polish,were exiled during the war and hisgrandfather was a casualty in theKatyn forest massacre.

Later, our conversation in the longtaxi ride back to our hotel turned,perhaps inevitably, to our commonenterprise and its future. In theprevious ten years, we had watchedas the Internet grew from somethingthat many people derisively thoughtof as a “fad” to a huge new forcereshaping everyone’s lives. PDF,which started as a one-day eventmainly gathering a few hundred e-campaign activists, had blossomedinto an annual two-day festival ofmore than a thousand people focusedon using tech not only to changepolitics, but to reinvent governmentand enrich civic life. We’d connectedand woven together literally

thousands of changemakersworldwide.

We wondered: now what? Howbest to serve the growing ecosystemof people, projects, organizations, andnetworks focused on usingtechnology for social good? Wedecided that the only way to answerthat question was to ask that verycommunity to tell us what it needed.Thus we dove into figuring out theemerging world of civic tech, talkingto hundreds of people includinggovernment IT leaders, civic hackers,entrepreneurs, data mavens,journalists, and futurists. Here’s whatwe learned.

Civic tech is at a ripe moment,where interest from different sectorsof society and government is rising,but its impact on the lives of ordinarypeople remains nascent. Four trendsare converging to power the field.

First, the spread of connectiontechnologies into more hands isgiving the people who have always

the Rise of civic tech foR social gooD BY Micah l. sifRy, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CIVIC HALL

SNAPSHOT FROM CIVICHALL IN NEW YORK.CREDIT: MICAH L. SIFRY.


been engaged by solving theproblems of their communitiestremendous new capacities to “do-it-ourselves.” Old-fashioned communityorganizers and new-style civic hackersalike are exploring all kinds of newways to get important stuff done.

Second, governments at all levels,but especially the city level, arediscovering that it makes sense toopen up their warehouses of publicinformation and enable outsiders toco-create new solutions building onthose resources. Third, economicnecessity is the mother of invention –and there’s a great deal of potentialvalue to be unlocked and wastedresources to be saved in tech- anddata-driven approaches to publicproblems. And last but not least,there’s significant interest fromacademia, philanthropy, journalism,and the corporate sector in exploring,and in some cases, funding tech-powered civic innovation.

All of that explains why civic techis suddenly on a lot of people’s minds.The reality, of course, is that manycivic-oriented problem-solvers havebeen using innovative technology aspart of their work for years. But thepace of experimentation andimplementation now seems muchfaster. A closer look, however, showsthat there are some critical gaps thatneed to be filled before civic tech canreally claim to be solving importantproblems at scale.

The first, we discovered as wetalked to many participants in thismovement, is that there is amismatch between community needsand technological talent, and betweenthe two main ways this field is usingto match them up. Put another way,there is an oversupply of eagerdevelopers and designers who wantto do something more meaningfulwith their skills than get more peopleto click on banner ads, and anundersupply of meaningful entrypoints into serving public needsrather than the marketplace.

One way this problem keepssurfacing is with the hackathon modelof community engagement. All toooften, a weekend marathon ofhacking yields little beyond a prize fora few developers, a bragging pressrelease by the sponsoring institution,and a fleeting sense of communitythat is quickly forgotten wheneveryone goes back to their day jobs.And frequently, coders develop appswithout any grounded sense or inputfrom communities who need theirhelp the most. As a result, winningapps at hackathons rarely ever growto a scale of usage that reachesordinary users.

The second and related problem isthat incubators and accelerators onlywork for people who have alreadyquit their day jobs and decided toplunge into building start-ups. Thatcan be great for a team in need ofcoaching, product refinement, andaccess to capital, but this model ofcivic tech development leaves outpeople who can’t or don’t want toleave their current jobs.

Somehow, people told us, thereneeds to be a way for peopleinterested in innovative approachesto civic challenges to work andnetwork together that is more lastingthan a hackathon but not asstructured as an incubator. And forthe field to gain coherence, theyadded, there needs to be bettercuration of our common knowledgeof what works, along with whatapproaches have failed in the past.

Our solution, which is itself a formof civic tech, is to create Civic Hall, ayear-round community space forongoing interchange andcollaboration among civic-mindedtechies, social entrepreneurs,activists, government officials, andcommunity organizers. In creatingthat space in New York City, webelieve that we’re filling a local gap aswell—many of the people coming tojoin Civic Hall tell us that they need acommon place to interact with their

like-minded peers, which moregenerally-themed co-working spacesdon’t offer. And with telecommuting acommon practice for many in the civictech field, escaping the isolation oftheir own home workspaces is also anattraction.

There’s a rich array of similar civictech hubs popping up in many places,including the Smart City Collaborativeand CivicLab in Chicago; OpenGovHuband 1776 in Washington, DC; DistrictHall in Boston; the Center for CivicInnovation in Atlanta; and thenetwork of Impact Hubs that startedin the Bay Area. Code for America’slocal volunteer network of Brigades isproviding lots of energy to theseefforts, along with similar groups likethe Civicmakers meetup in SanFrancisco and the CivicHacks group inColumbus, Ohio.

It’s a messy, scary world out there.As our trip to Auschwitz reminded us,it’s a world where humanity’s worstimpulses can combine with powerfultechnology to produce consequencesthat are difficult to even comprehend.But the growing field of civic techoffers hope that we can also harnesstechnology’s potential to connectcommunities and empower them tobetter solve their own problems.

MICAH L. SIFRy, the executivedirector of Civic Hall, is also co-founder and editorial director ofits parent organization PersonalDemocracy Media, which hosts ofthe annual Personal Democracy

Forum conference and publishes the dailytechPresident.com news-site.

“CIVIC TECH IS AT A RIPE MOMENT, WHEREINTEREST FROMDIFFERENT SECTORSOF SOCIETY ANDGOVERNMENT ISRISING...”

As the “Silicon Hills” of thetechnology industry, Austin,Texas is leading the way in new

technology innovations and careers.Austin residents demonstrate everyday what amazing and creativepossibilities can come from creatingand using digital and communicationstechnology. But 55,000 adultresidents living in our city today aredisconnected from this increasinglyconnected world.

The City of Austin’s vision is forevery resident to have access to theknowledge and resources needed toparticipate in our emerging digitalsociety. We need affordable andavailable devices for all residents.And, it is critical that all Austinites

understand technology and itsrelevancy to their daily lives, whetherfor helping with their kids’homework, looking for jobs, gettingaccess to health information, oraccessing online governmentinformation.

Austin is fortunate to have arobust system of nonprofitorganizations committed to digitalinclusion, and that nationalorganizations like NTEN provide anational platform for learning aboutchallenges and best practices in usingtechnology for social good. Austinalso benefits from a competitivebroadband market represented byfour Internet providers: AT&T, GoogleFiber, Grande Communications, and

Time Warner Cable. Internet accessand usage in Austin outpaces thenational average. But as technologycontinues to become more ubiquitousin the workforce, governmentservices, and interpersonalcommunication, the digitally excludedare falling further and further behind.

Residential technology usageresearch conducted by the City ofAustin in partnership with TheUniversity of Texas at Austin’sTechnology and Information PolicyInstitute shows that approximately8% (or 55,000 adult residents) do nothave a home broadband connection,and roughly the same amount doesnot use the Internet at all. Of those55,000 Austin residents not currentlyusing the Internet, two-thirds areworking age (18-65) and 84% have ahigh school education or less. Manyof these residents lack the necessaryresources to secure stableemployment and maintain acomfortable standard of living.According to our research, cost wasthe top reason for not using theInternet, with two-thirds of non-users


KeeP austin connecteD: avision foR Digital inclusion BY shaRla chaMbeRlain, DIGITAL INCLUSION PROGRAM SPECIALIST, CITY OF AUSTIN, AND John sPeiRs, PROGRAM COORDINATOR, CITY OF AUSTIN GRANTFOR TECHNOLOGY OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAM

AUSTIN CHILDREN’S MUSEUMTECH REACH PROGRAM IS ARECIPIENT OF THE CITY'S GRANTFOR TECHNOLOGYOPPORTUNITIES PROGRAM.

reporting that they cannot afford thistechnology. Relevancy is anothermajor barrier to digital inclusion, withtwo in five of resident non-usersstating that they were “simply notinterested in the technology.” Thismeans that tens of thousands ofAustinites are not realizing thebenefits digital technology canprovide like online banking, electronichealth portals, and even social media.

The City of Austin has a longhistory of supporting front-lineprograms that help residentsovercome these barriers to digitalinclusion. The City’s Grant forTechnology opportunities Program(GToPs) was launched in 2001 andsince then has provided and been amatch to more than $6.5 milliondollars in support to digital inclusionprograms throughout the community.From one-on-one trainings onbuilding a resume, to new cognitivesoftware for disabled individuals, toSTEM camps for youth, the programsfunded by GTOPs are paving the wayfor a more skilled and equitablesociety.

GTOPs allows the City to build vitalrelationships with some of Austin’smost dedicated and successful serviceorganizations. Austin Free-Netprovides free computer centersthroughout the city and teaches basiccomputer skills like filling out onlinejob applications. Skillpoint Alliance isa workforce developmentorganization that offers in-depthcomputer training courses thatempower residents to compete intoday’s modern job market. TexasFolklife’s Stories from Deep in theHeart program helps youth usetechnology to tell their storiesthrough radio documentaries that arebroadcasted on public radio. Theseand other nonprofit organizations arethe boots on the ground, sharingknowledge and providing tools fordigital inclusion. It is the City’s goal tohelp these organizations achieve theirmissions through financial and

strategic support. Technological devices, capabilities,

and expectations are evolving daily,and the City of Austin recognized theneed for strategic direction to keepup with changing community needs.In March of 2014, Austin City Counciladopted a resolution that called forthe development of a Digital InclusionStrategic Plan that would act as aroadmap to address access andadoption of digital technology. Thisplan was developed over six monthsbased on strategic insights fromleaders in the nonprofit, K-12 andhigher education, public health,business and entrepreneurial, publicservice, and other key sectors. Theseleaders spoke to their sectors’challenges, assets, and opportunitiesregarding technology and digitalinclusion. And most importantly, theyestablished priorities for takingaction.

The foundation of the 2014Digital Inclusion Strategy is anevolving set of Taking Action:Initiatives centered on objectives tohelp overcome identified challenges.Twenty-five action items, theirprimary audiences, and accountabilitymetrics are outlined across five actioncategories: Connect, Engage, Include,Integrate, and Coordinate. The City isnow working with its digital inclusion

partner organizations and individualsacross all sectors to execute theseInitiatives. Taking Action: Initiativesrepresents the top priorities fromongoing brainstorming and strategysessions, but it is by no meanscomplete. The 2014 Digital InclusionStrategy remains a dynamicdocument, always open to new ideasfor civic and social innovation. It willbe updated annually to reflectprogress made and new opportunitiesrelated to digital inclusion.

It is our connection to technology,creativity, and collaboration that willallow Austin to thrive in thisconstantly changing world, leaving noone behind. Austin has the resources,knowledge, and expertise to addressthe challenges we face in bridging thedigital divide. The real challenge isthat we must connect what’s availableto what’s needed, and determine howgovernment, the private sector, andnonprofits can work together toensure all residents are able toparticipate in our digital world. Austinlooks forward to continuing toparticipate in, and learn from, localand national discussions about howwe can connect communities acrossthe United States.

SHARLA CHAMBERLAIN is aDigital Inclusion Program Specialistfor the City of Austin. She holds aB.S. in Public Relations from TheUniversity of Texas and is currentlyworking toward a Master’s degree

from The Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs.Sharla is driven to create tangible, positive changethrough her work. She uses data analysis andstrategic planning to achieve Austin’s vision of givingevery resident access to the knowledge andresources needed to be fully engaged in our digitalsociety.

joHN SPEIRS is a ProgramCoordinator for the City of AustinGrant for Technologyopportunities Program (GToPs).Under the direction of the City ofAustin- Telecom & Regulatory Affairs

Officer, Rondella Hawkins, he coordinates the City’sdigital inclusion programs (Community TechnologyInitiative) and related strategic partnerships. A nativeof California, John has a B.S. in Political Science witha minor in Environmental Planning from NorthernArizona University. He is currently completing hisMasters in Public Administration from Texas StateUniversity- San Marcos.


“TECHNOLOGICALDEVICES, CAPABILITIESAND EXPECTATIONS AREEVOLVING DAILY, ANDTHE CITY OF AUSTINRECOGNIZED THE NEEDFOR STRATEGICDIRECTION TO KEEP UPWITH CHANGINGCOMMUNITY NEEDS.”


cybeR-senioRs:

caPtuRing the Real

senioRMoMent

INTERVIEW WITH saffRoncassaDay AND bRenDa RusnaK,

THE DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKERSBEHIND THE “CYBER-SENIORS” FILM THAT’S BREAKING DOWN

STEREOTYPES ABOUT SENIORS, ANDNARRATES THE CONNECTIONS

BETWEEN GENERATIONS.

Q:Congratulations on thefilm! As Cyber-Seniors isnow on a nation-wide tour, can youshare some of the feedback thatyou’ve received from viewers? Thanks! The most commonfeedback we get is how relatablethe film is for all ages. People arereminded of experiences with theirolder family member interactingwith technology. Others relate tothe tech challenges in their ownlives and laugh along with thefrustrating, but funny, learningmoments. We also hear how it hasinspired people to get involved,which encouraged us to create theCyber-Seniors: ConnectingGenerations campaign. Fromyoung people wanting to volunteerand start a Cyber-Seniors programin their community, to older peoplewanting to find tech lessons – weare always so excited to hear whenthe film has sparked an interest tohelp bridge the digital divide.

Q:Do you think that thisfilm helps to defystereotypes of seniors? Definitely. Outside of family, youngpeople and older adults don’t havea lot of opportunities to interact andspend time together. Because of that,I think the teen mentors started theprogram thinking the participantswould be afraid of change andscared of new technology. Wequickly learned, and you see in thefilm, that the seniors do not fit intoany typical molds society has created– they are active, curious, and livingvery fulfilling lives. I think the filmalso breaks down stereotypes ofteens as well. The teen mentors arepatient, kind, and the type of peoplewho really care about making adifference in their communities. I think that is representative of alot of young people.

Q:After shooting this film,what are some keytakeaways or surprises thatyou’ve learned?

In general, we found that olderadults who were in the habit oflearning new skills were the mostsuccessful, regardless of age. It’simportant to make life-longlearning a priority to keep one’smind sharp and be confident thatyou’re never too old to trysomething new!In terms of specific struggles

when learning to use the Internet,the physical factors of aging canmake things more difficult, such asmemory loss and poor eyesight.There are workarounds, such ashaving a mentor who helps bywriting everything down andmaking your computer’s font sizesand icons larger. Also, certaindevices and websites were easier tonavigate than others. We foundthat tablets were the moststraightforward for seniors to use,and busy webpages with pop-upads could be overwhelming andconfusing.

Q:What advice would yougive to nonprofitorganizations working withsenior populations on digitaldivide-related work? It’s not enough to just providetraining and resources, we need toinspire older adults to see howtechnology can benefit them andshow tech savvy youth that theyhave the power to make adifference. Screening events offeran innovative approach to connectwith people, solicit support, andidentify resources from localgovernment, businesses, andcommunity leaders.We also feel getting young

people involved in this kind ofwork is very important - this is afun and social way for them to helpout in their communities. Teenstoday grew up using the Internet,and I think they feel a real sense ofpride in being able to share their

expertise. The generation gaptoday is larger than ever before. Itused to be more common to seethree-generations living under thesame roof, now it’s common to liveon the other side of the world fromour parents and grandparents. So itis important to first of all, giveolder adults the tools they need tostay connected to family andfriends, but also give the young andold an opportunity to cometogether and bridge that gap.

Q:What technology tools doyou rely on tocommunicate and shareinformation with your team?Our team uses Dropbox as an easyway to organize and share files. It’sgreat being able to instantly seewhen files have been added orupdated, and have immediateaccess to them.We also utilize social media –

Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube– to share information and interactwith supporters and partners,including a regular segment called“Ask Annette” featuring one of myfavorite Cyber-Seniors! Our Cyber-Seniors Corner YouTube channelincludes fantastic senior-createdcontent and tech-tutorials.

Q:Aside from viewing thefilm, how can people getinvolved?We hope the film is the catalystthat inspires people to get involvedand help bridge the technology gap,but know we can’t do it alone. Ourwebsite includes lots of resourcesthat make it easy to teach an olderadult or start a Cyber-Seniorsprogram, including downloadablehandbooks that give both teacherand student step-by-step tips andlesson guides. We are engaging partners to hold

screening events and promoteCyber-Seniors programs in their

communities. Those interested inbecoming a Cyber-Seniors Partnerby holding a screening or starting aprogram in their community, cansign up through the partner registryon our website. We also encourageorganizations and individuals to letus know about their program andinvolvement. So far almost 200signed up on our website,(retirement residences, communitycenters, libraries, etc. who arecommitted to running Cyber-Seniors programs), and almost 500young mentors pledge on ourwebsite to help teach seniors techskills. Our hope is that people willbe able to go to our website, type intheir city name or zip code, and beable to see a list of all the availableprograms in their area. We also have DVD packages for

sale on our website, including a 3-disc set that contains aneducational discussion guidesumming up 7 important themesfrom the film such as life-long-learning, ageism, bridging thegeneration gap, and more! Thispackage also includes a publicperformance license so groups canhost screenings in theircommunities and inspire andencourage people to get involved.

SAFFRoN CASSADAy is theDirector/Editor of Cyber-Seniors.Born and raised in Toronto, SaffronCassaday traveled to New York Cityimmediately after completing highschool to study acting at the

prestigious Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute.Her next film project aims to document the journeyof men and women who were incarcerated beforethe Internet existed, as they return to a tech-dependent society.

BRENDA RUSNAK is founder andpresident of Best Part Productions,and the producer of Cyber-Seniors.She is an entrepreneur with 35 yearsof business experience. She is thefounder and president of Best Part

Productions Inc., which seeks out innovative, creativefilm projects to invest in and produce.


CHECK OUT THE CYBER-SENIORS DOCUMENTARY:

CYBERSENIORSDOCUMENTARY.COM/

Q:What inspired you tocreate this initiative? One in 68 children are diagnosedwith autism, and the public’sunderstanding of autism isshrouded in mystery andmisperception, leaving the autisticvulnerable to bullying and socialisolation. 70% of autistic childrenreport being bullied in schools. Ifwe do not change this, thesechildren will grow up to becomeeven more isolated and financiallydependent as adults. Today, 85% ofautistic adults are unemployed orunderemployed.To me, these aren’t just statistics

but real individuals with familieswho just want their children tohave the same opportunities to livemeaningful, productive lives. Ifounded Geek Club Books, a 501c3nonprofit, to bring forth positiveviews of autism focusing on‘abilities’ rather than disabilitiesand highlighting similarities over‘differences’ for betterunderstanding and connection. Atour core, our mission is autismawareness, education for thepublic, and empowermentprograms for autistic individualsthrough their own creative self-expression. We accomplish this through

technology and the art ofstorytelling.

Q:How does technologyplay a role in your dailywork? We use technology to becompelling and relevant, and todraw the attention of the generalpublic. We want to capture thehearts and minds of those outsidethe autism community and movethem past ‘awareness’ into adeeper understanding and humanconnection to those on the autismspectrum. When we can create acompassionate environment, wecan affect change. For example, weuse app technology to createinteractive children’s stories andcurriculum that entertains whileeducating about autism. We’re alsobuilding a digital publishingplatform for autistic writers.Again, their stories connect us inways we can all relate to on ahuman level—the struggles, the


Using Technology to Tellthe Story of AutismInterview with Jodi Murphy, Founder of Geek ClubBooks, on how the organization uses technology and theart of storytelling to raise awareness about autism.

BEHIND THE SCENES: GEEK CLUB BOOKS

triumphs, the joys, and the dreams.

Q:What are some of the keytools that Geek ClubBooks uses to communicate withits audience?There are so many! Let me sharemy top five:1) Blackfish Children’s Books –Our apps are developed on thisproprietary platform that allowssimultaneous development for iOSdevices, Kindle Fire, Android, PC,and Mac. 2) Post Planner for Facebook –Our target audience is primarily onFacebook. Post Planner helps usfind great content to share inaddition to our own. 3) Yoast for SEO –We publishoriginal content on our websitetwice a week but no one will see itif we don’t optimize our site forthe search engines. Yoast has anSEO WordPress plugin that’s freeand it makes sure you’ve addedsearchable keywords in all yourpages and posts.

4) SumoMe List Builder –Building an engaged communitymailing list is critical for anonprofit. SumoMe is a free andeasy way to add sign up forms thatwill integrate with your emailservice provider. 5) LeadPages™ – LeadPages is amobile responsive landing pagegenerator with templates you cancustomize. It’s helped us increaseour conversion rates significantly.

Q:Can you tell us moreabout your app? Howwas that received? Our first autism story app, TheMighty League, Vol. 1: TheTerrible Taunting, was releasedin September 2013. It was in thetop 25 downloads of all apps iniTunes on World Autism Day. Itwas selected by Toys”R”Us to beone of the featured apps in theirTabeo Tablet, and we received aTemple Grandin Award for itspositive contribution to the autismcommunity.

Q:For nonprofits that arestarting to do morestorytelling, can you share somelessons learned? In today’s environment, it’s moreimportant than ever to let youraudience get to know yournonprofit on a personal level. Didyou know that over 27,000nonprofits in over 68 countriesparticipated in #GivingTuesday onDecember 2, 2014? I personallyreceived over a dozen emails fromcharities my husband and I havesupported over the years askingfor a donation on that day. It’sindicative of just how many of usare out there with worthy causes. Whom do you choose? You pick

those in which you feel a strongemotional connection. So tell thestories about the board members,the staff, and the people you serve.

Let people see ‘behind the curtain’of your organization, yourstruggles, and successes…andthey’ll care enough to contribute.

Q:Looking ahead, whatdoes success and impactlook like for your organization? We are a very new nonprofit and2015 will be a year of growth andexpansion. We are working on thesecond app in the Mighty LeagueSeries: Mighty League, Vol. 2: TheHorrible Hug, funded through anIndiegogo campaign. Threeautistic adults are contributingtheir talents to make it happen,and they are getting paid for it! Weare working with curriculumpartners to make our CommonCore curriculum to accompany theapps more robust and, hopefully,launching a pilot program inelementary schools in the fall.Success for us is defined byproducing stories throughtechnology to change views aboutautism and putting autisticindividuals to work to help usachieve that goal. And we’ll do itone story at a time…one autisticindividual at a time.

Q:Is there anything elsethat you’d like to share? We believe in the power ofcollaboration and mutual support.If there are any nonprofits whosemembership can benefit from ourapps, please reach out. We arealways interested in ways we cancross-promote our campaigns. We can be reached through ourwebsite at (geekclubbooks.com).

Jodi Murphy is the founder ofGeek Club Books(geekclubbooks.com), a 501c3autism charity affecting changethrough storytelling andtechnology. She is also co-founder

of Zoom Autism Magazine, an uplifting andinformative digital lifestyle magazine for theautism community.


Q:How does your previousexperience as a webdesigner play into your currentwork as a STEAM educator?Being a web designer prior toteaching has certainly allowed meto bring in a real world applicationof the use of technology into theclassroom. Not only the knowledgeof how web design and graphicalmarketing pieces are used forcompanies and the culture of our

world, but also coding and programming which have becomeso popular in the computersciences classes where studentslearn these days. I am verycomfortable with teaching theseaspects and it is easy for me tolearn new ones that come out.

Q:What might be somesimilarities anddifferences in teaching adultstechnology versus children?

Students have a wonderful thingcalled time on their hands and thecomputer/technology gives theman infinite amount of patience.Those two things combinedcreates an environment for greatsuccess and learning. With adults,it is a little different because theyhave not grown up with all thetechnology students have and theyare a bit timid to get to work onsomething new. Lives are busy and to learn a new thing that iscompletely foreign can beintimidating. So, teaching kids andadults each take patience but thepatience is used in very differentrealms.

Q:How does STEAMlearning provide a moreintegrated approach to usingtechnology?The STEAM teaching style breaksdown all the barriers betweenLanguage Arts, Math, Science, and


BEHIND THE SCENES: THE WEISS SCHOOL

Technology Leadershipin the Classrooms From 3-D printers to a robotics program, the Weiss School is leading the way for STEAM learning. In thisinterview with the School’s technology teacher, Susan Amsler-Akacem, we learn about her approach toteaching, and how her background as a web designerequips her for this important job.

STUDENTS AT THE WEISSSCHOOL WORK TOGETHERTO ASSEMBLE A ROBOT.

Art, and puts them together into acohesive unit for the student tolearn on all levels. If you breakdown the different topics you cansee the overlay of all the subjectsand how they can come together asone cohesive project or lesson.Math and science are two veryobvious overlays because of howdata collected in science,geometry, and physics relate sowell together. But now, educationis really looking into theengineering side of learning andcombining it with the arts.Creating sets, instruments, andincorporating literature in theform of theater, can all relatetogether and generate somegenuine learning for the studentstoday.

Q:From computers tocurriculum, you played akey role in securing the grantfunding for the Weiss School’srobust STEAM learningprogram. What advice wouldyou give to nonprofits that areworking to do the same? As an independent school, we areconstantly fundraising and lookingfor the additional funds to cover15% of the school’s expenses thatlack from the tuition that is given.So reaching out to donors andparents alike helpget that coveredand possibly evenmore. The WeissSchool studentshave had a greatwillingness to learnabout technologyin today’s world. Inefforts to supporttheir desire, wehad to show thedonors someresults. Given thetechnology we

already had, students createdprojects in technology that provedthey were ready and able to jumpto the next level. We were able topique the interest in a few donorswith these projects, and had anopen door policy that allowedthem to come in and take a look atwhat their students were alreadydoing.

Q:What tools are yourstudents currently usingas part of your curriculum? Through generous donations, wewere able to get a 3D printer forthe technology lab that hasincorporated the science, history,math, and even the language artssubject areas. With this addedtechnology, the students have beenable to produce Greek temples,elements of the periodic table,characters that were developedinto a writing story, and evengeometric shapes that were sizedto measurement. We were alsoable to get a robust roboticsprogram that we can nowincorporate with measuring forthe younger students andprogramming languages that gobeyond graphical programmingskills.

Q:What is somethinginteresting that younotice in thechildren youteach? This youngergeneration ofstudents areworking extremelyhard to break themold, not do whateveryone else isdoing, but to createsomething genuineof their own.Students have thechance to explore

and invent their own idea. Oncetheir idea is there, they are readyto share it with the world in a waythat everyone can use it, notnecessarily show it off, but to allowothers to use their code on a gameor create a 3D printed piece thatcan help someone in need.

Q:Looking ahead, what isthe impact of STEAMlearning on children, and how doyou think it will help to create amore digitally inclusive society? Incorporating a STEAM way oflearning in a school and in theclassrooms is extremely helpful forour students to get real life lessonsat an early age. Teamwork, thedesign method of doing a project,and the forward thinking ofcreating projects, were nevertaught to me when I was in school.But now, I am able to facilitate amethod of thinking that studentswill take with them for the rest oftheir lives working with others andbeing able to edit and critiquetheir work in order to make a fullysuccessful project.

Susan Amsler-Akacem is thetechnology teacher for grades K-8at the Weiss School in PalmBeach Gardens, Florida. She has abachelors degree in GraphicDesign from Florida Atlantic

University.


WHAT DOES “STEAM”MEAN? STEAM is an educationalapproach to learning thatuses Science, Technology,Engineering, the Arts, andMathematics.

“This youngergeneration ofstudents are

working extremelyhard to break themold, not do what

everyone else isdoing, but to createsomething genuine

of their own.”

Q:Can you tell us moreabout MultnomahCounty Library’s program tobridge the digital divide?Multnomah County Library offersa number of programs designed tohelp bridge the digital divide. Thelibrary is a safe, free place forpeople to come learn digital skills,including the most basic computerskills – learning to use a mouse,learning to use a computerkeyboard – to more advanced skillslike email, spreadsheets, and wordprocessing. The beginningcomputer learner may feelintimidated. Library classes are alow stakes way to gain familiaritywith the computer, for the learnerto build their confidence and gainthe skills needed to move on tomore advanced subjects. Libraryclasses also bring learnerstogether, in order to learn fromeach other. Multnomah CountyLibrary offers a number of freeclasses, as well as one-on-one helpwith volunteers and with librarystaff. The library has partneredwith Portland State University’sLiteracy, Language, andTechnology Research group towork on a study funded by aNational Leadership Grant fromthe Institute of Museum andLibrary Services. This study willinvestigate how library patronsand non-patrons solve problems in

a technology-rich environment,and we hope this will help usdetermine ways to further meetour patrons’ technology-trainingand digital literacy needs. Access isanother extremely importantfactor in bridging the digitaldivide. The library system is thelargest provider of free broadbandaccess in the area. Nearly twomillion people accessed public PCand wifi sessions at MultnomahCounty Library infiscal year 2013.

Q:Who arethe peoplethat participate inthis program?People from avariety of agegroups andbackgrounds attendMultnomah CountyLibrary classes.Seniors oftenattend our classesto gain technologyskills, as do jobchangers andpeople who want toincrease theirtechnology skillsfor work or for apersonal project.The library hasrecently startedoffering classes in

Spanish, Russian, and Chinese, aswell as English, and we hope tosoon offer classes in Vietnamese,too. Multnomah County Library alsooffers lab time, during whichpatrons can use Internet-enabledcomputers, with support from acomputer lab assistant. At variouslibrary locations, this assistance isoffered in English, Spanish,Russian, Chinese, and Vietnamese.

Q:How do you promote thisproject to yourcommunity to get participation? Library classes and events arepromoted on the library’s website(multcolib.org), as well as in localnewspapers and on flyers at thelibrary and in the community. Library staff are instrumental ininforming the community aboutclasses. Not only do staff discuss

class options withpatrons in thelibrary, they alsospend time in thecommunities weserve.

Q:What isyourapproach toteaching digitalliteracy tocommunities thatare nottraditionallyonline?I believe insupportinglearners withwritten materialthat contains clearand easy tounderstandlanguage, ratherthan jargon.


BEHIND THE SCENES: MULTNOMAH COUNTY LIBRARY, OREGON

The Library’s Role in Cultivating DigitalLiteracy Interview with Amy Honisett, Public TrainingLibrarian, Multnomah County Library

Fast Facts • State: Oregon• Year Established: 1864, it is the oldestpublic library west of theMississippi River• Number of StaffMembers: 604 regularstatus employees, 91 on-call staff (March 2015)• Number of PeopleTrained: Over 2,000 (2014)• Funder: Funded as alibrary district throughproperty taxes providedby Multnomah Countyproperty owners inOregon

• Operating Budget: $67.2 million (FY 2014)

Multnomah County Library getsmuch of its curriculum from anorganization called OASISConnections, an organizationdevoted to lifelong learning. Thecurriculum is well-organized, usesplain language, and contains manyeasy to understand images. It isimportant to make the materialrelevant to the learner’s life. Goingthrough rote exercises will nothelp an adult learner synthesizethe concepts. Instead, the learnermust be given the opportunityduring class to practice skills thatmean something in that learner’slife. For any class, a supportive,patient instructor is essential. Theinstructor has to be able to balancethe needs of each individualstudent with the needs of the classas a whole. With this in mind, ourinstructors frequently haveclassroom assistants who can helpindividual learners who get stuckon a concept, allowing that learnerto catch up with the rest of theclass. The instructor also should bewilling to work with the student tolearn together.

Q:What might besomething surprisingabout your work that somepeople might not realize? All sorts of people come to thelibrary to learn technology skills;our classes are definitely notlimited to a certain age group.

Q:Can you share a successstory? A library staff person facilitates avery popular Chinese computerlab at one of our locations. Werecently offered a beginning iPadclass at that library, and some ofhis students signed up for theclass. Then some more signed up,and more. In order to best servethese patrons, I added a note to theclass description on our website toindicate that this class is gearedtowards people who speakCantonese. The instructor (awonderful volunteer) does notspeak Chinese, but with help fromthe bilingual library staff person,the class was a great success.

Q:In your opinion, why isdigital literacyimportant? The ability to use technology wellis imperative for success. Manyemployers accept applicationsexclusively online, and it would beexceedingly difficult to search foremployment without using theInternet. The ability to find andevaluate health informationempowers patients to act aspartners in their own health care.Perhaps most important, theability to use technology improvesquality of life by saving peopletime, exposing people toinformation, and allowing peopleto stay connected with family,friends, and communities ofinterest.

Amy Honisett is the PublicTraining Librarian at MultnomahCounty Library. She earned anMSLIS from Drexel Universityand an MA from Portland StateUniversity. Previously, Amy was

the Education Librarian at University of Utah’sSpencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library.


“The ability to use technology

improves quality oflife by saving people

time, exposingpeople to

information, andallowing people to

stay connected withfamily, friends, and

communities ofinterest.”


Professional development isimportant to keep one currentand marketable in today’s job

market. With my background indistance learning and interest inhelping others grow, I havelearned to be creative in the toolsand techniques I utilize indeveloping virtual learningsessions. How can you help yourcolleagues improve their techknow-how? The following are afew lessons learned that can helpyour nonprofit develop its virtualprofessional development.

GOOGLE HANGOUTSAbout a year ago, I had theopportunity to present a learningsession using Google Hangouts onAir. Free and easy to use, I usedthis option and recorded the sessionon my YouTube account. With theoption to watch the live streamfrom my YouTube channel or myGoogle+ profile page, viewerscould quickly access the content.With almost 160 registrants, this

was by far the most popularsession I’ve put together so far.Recording the content onto myYouTube account to make itavailable after the fact helpedthose who may have had

scheduling conflicts not miss theopportunity to learn. In addition,the recording was forwarded toothers by those who wanted to sharethe content with their colleagues. But, if you are looking to

provide tech training to a smallerand more private audience, GoogleHangouts also has an option foryou to invite up to ten other usersover a free video call. You canshare your screen and watch a pre-recorded video together by addingthe YouTube Hangouts app.Learn more about Hangouts

https://www.google.com/+/learnmore/hangouts/.

WEBINARS If you are connecting withcolleagues who may be away fromthe office or at remote locations,perhaps webinar software mightbe the right fit for you. Often these tools require

participants to create an accountand require the downloading ofsoftware on each participant’scomputer. Attendees are providedwith the option to use theircomputer’s microphone or a call-inoption. While many of these toolsare fee-based, there are a fewopportunities to make use of

webinars for free - although on arather limited basis. An example of this technology

being used to provide professionaldevelopment on a larger scale isthe Special Libraries Association’sInformation Technology Division.Libby Trudell, past chair of thedivision shared more about howthe program was established:

SLA’s Information TechnologyDivision exists to help its globalmembers stay abreast of technologytrends and information products. In 2014, a webinar program wasestablished to support membersunable to attend the annualconference. While conferencesessions may have 100 attendees,webinar registration exceeds 200per session, and multiple sessionscan be offered throughout the year.The webinar program has greatlyexpanded the learning opportunitiesfor SLA members.

DEVELOP AN ONLINE COURSE Think about creating an onlinecourse for your learners. Onlinecourses can be part of a blendedlearning program with a few face-to-face learning opportunities ordesigned with no in-personcontact. Using tools like Wix orGoogle Sites, you can develop alearning program that helpsprofessionals gain access to thematerial they need. Coursecreation doesn’t have to becomplicated. With Google Sites,you can make use of templates toget your course started. Inaddition, you can restrict access tothe content you have developed. As part of the course content,

think about screencasting.Screencasting software allows youto record what is on your screenand add comments to help thoseviewers learn. Two free

TECH SUPPORT

Virtual Learning for NonprofitsBy Sophia Guevara, Social Media Fellow, EmergingPractitioners in Philanthropy (EPIP); EditorialCommittee, NTEN: Change Journal

screencasting solutions are: • Screenr: screenr.com• Jing: techsmith.com/jing.html

SELF-PACED LEARNINGPROGRAMS Think about creating a self-pacedlearning technology program tosupport the self-discovery of newtechnology. Inspired by HelenBlowers’ Learning 2.0 Project, Ideveloped a similar page on theConsortium of FoundationLibraries’ blog. The learningprogram was broken up into tenweekly assignments. Participantswere encouraged to set up theirown blog to compose theirreactions to the potential use ofeach tool introduced, and theweekly discussion questions.

DEVELOP AN ONLINE LEARNINGCOMMUNITYOne tool that I have seen work incontinuing the learning

conversation is LinkedIn Groups.Groups are free to use and onlyrequires that participants make afree account on the site. Groupmanagers can highlight topics tofoster communication amongmembers, and professionals canhelp each other learn bycontributing to the conversation. Learn more about LinkedIn

Groups: http://www.linkedin.com/directory/groups.

MARKETING LEARNING Once you have the tools andcontent developed, what shouldyou keep in mind when it comes tomarketing the learning session?

1)Be aware of the knowledgeand needs of your audience,and focus the learning opportunityappropriately.

2)Be innovative and delivercontent in a way that not onlyhelps grow the technology abilities

of your audience, but also allowsthem to try a new learning tool.

3)Develop opportunities thatreduce barriers like schedulesor distance.

4)If the professionaldevelopment opportunity youare creating is for your employer,team up with fellow trainers or thestaff development lead in your HRdepartment to ensure that allemployees are made aware of theopportunity. In conclusion, don’t let a lean

budget minimize your creativity indeveloping successful virtuallearning opportunities.

Sophia Guevara is currently aSocial Media Fellow withEmerging Practitioners inPhilanthropy (EPIP). Inaddition, she is a member of theNTEN: Change Journal Editorial

Committee and chair elect of the InformationTechnology Division at the Special LibrariesAssociation.


YOU SPEND MOST OF YOUR LIFE AT WORK.

DO WHAT YOU LOVE! Find and post jobs in the nonprofit technology sector with NTEN’s Nonprofit Tech Job Board. JOBS.NTEN.ORG @NTENJOBS

NONPROFIT TECHNOLOGY NETWORK

Though estimates vary, moststudies find that about one infive people have some kind of

disability. Some of them are insevere need of assistance, forothers small adjustments can makea big difference. This way, theInternet has become an essentialtool for communication andempowerment for many peoplewith disabilities in the past decade. At the same time, even those of

us that consider ourselves able-bodied might be facing reducedvisual or auditory perception, orlower motor-related or cognitiveskills due to injury or aging at onepoint in our lives. Making websitesmore accessible is thus not justabout people with disabilities.Most of us have experienced the

challenge of using the web withouta “normal” computer. How oftendo dropdown menus fail to openon a touch screen? And why do thebuttons need to be tiny when Iaccess a page using my phone?Now imagine you’re using a brailledisplay, a screen reader, or anyother assistive technology tocommunicate with the world. Making websites more

accessible does not have to bedifficult, and often has surprising

benefits: A radio button in a formwithout a proper label, forexample, requires you to click theradio button itself, but if you haveproperly implemented the labeltag, the text is also clickable.Semantic markup, while makingthe site more understandable forblind people, also has SEO benefitsand maintainability benefits.Almost everyone benefits from

helpful illustrations, properlyorganized content, and clearnavigation. Similarly, whilecaptions are a necessity for deafusers, they can be helpful toothers, including anyone whoviews a video without audio. Since

not everyone has the same abilitiesor equal use of the same senses,one of the main keys toaccessibility is ensuring thatinformation is transformable fromone form into another, so that itcan be perceived in multiple ways.Text is unequaled for itsuniversality: it remains accessiblewhen viewed on large and smallscreens, when read out loud, orthrough touch. We can evenautomatically translate it from onelanguage to the next.

THE 3-STEP ACCESSIBILITYAUDITTo check your website forpotential accessibility issues, youcan review it from three differentangles.

1)Try without visuals: Yourwebsite should still makesense when you switch off images,stylesheets, and other visual cues.You can do so, for example, usingthe Web Developer extension inFirefox or Chrome. A few things to check: • Does the reading order makesense? Is content organizedlogically (using semanticmarkup, e.g. headings and lists)?

• Can you skip the navigation – ordo you need to read through it onevery single page? Even better: Isthere a search box at the verybeginning to jump directly to thecontent you’re looking for?

• Can you navigate the websiteusing the keyboard only? Areform fields in the right order?How about beautifullyresponsive javascript?

• Have you defined alternative textfor images? Is it meaningful?

2)Try without sound: Videos,slide casts, and audiointerviews are great tools forstorytelling and to add depth to

TECH SUPPORT

15 Minutes to BetterWebsite AccessibilityBy Wiebke Herding, Managing Director, ON:SUBJECTCommunications; Editorial Committee, NTEN: ChangeJournal


“the internet hasbecome an essential tool forcommunication andempowerment formany peoplewith disabilities inthe past decade.”

your communications. Theyshould still remain accessible withthe sound switched off. A fewthings to check: • Do you provide captions and/ortranscripts for your multimediacontent?

• Is it possible to pause andrewind during playback?

3)Try without complexity:Websites can be hard tonavigate, even in the best of times.Simple adjustments can help usmake it easier for ourselves (andall other users). A few things tocheck: • How readable is your copy? Canyou make it shorter? Easier?

• Does your website remain usable

if you enlarge the font in yourweb browser by 150%?

• Does your website use sufficientcolor contrast? This isparticularly important for peoplewith reduced color vision.

• What happens if users makeerrors, e.g. when filling in forms?Is it easy for them to correct andtry again? Utah State University’s Center

for Persons with Disabilities offersa handy tool to evaluate webaccessibility and color contrast atwave.webaim.org that willhighlight issues with your site, e.g.missing form labels and imagedescriptions. If you want to delve deeper,

you can find a morecomprehensive set of criteria inthe Web Content AccessibilityGuidelines (WCAG), aninternational technical standard

for web content accessibility. They are the basis for most webaccessibility laws in the world. Links and References1. Web Developer Extension forFirefox and Chrome:http://chrispederick.com/work/web-developer/2. Web Content AccessibilityGuidelines: http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/ 3. WebAIM: Quick ReferenceTesting Web Content forAccessibility: http://webaim.org/resources/evalquickref/

Wiebke Herding s theManaging Director ofON:SUBJECT, the Amsterdam-based change consultancy. She works with organizationsaddressing complex

sustainability issues and seemingly intractablecommunications challenges. She loves perfect,simple solutions that increase impact,accessibility and inclusiveness. Find her at@wiebkehere.


The quickest way to test your website foraccessibility issues is with the WAVE evaluationtool. The BBC website does a good job withaccessibility of constantly updated content andmultimedia.

Text messaging offers aninnovative, cost-effectivemethod for community

mobilization that can improveengagement within underservedpopulations. How can nonprofitsutilize this channel to connecttheir communities? During our recent session at the

2015 Nonprofit TechnologyConference, “Text2Change: Howto Leverage Text Messaging forCommunication,” we shared keyconsiderations for the design andimplementation of text messagingprograms. Read on for a fewguidelines to consider!

WHY TEXT MESSAGING?Underserved or vulnerablecommunities have historically seenpoor social and economic mobilityas a result of both concentratedpoverty and isolation fromknowledge and resources. Theevidence clearly shows that thereare distinct opportunities formobile phones and SMS to haveunprecedented impact oninteractive sharing, learning, andengagement, providing

unprecedented connections thatwould otherwise not exist.Although SMS is not a panacea,text messaging is valuable forsocial impact for many reasons:• Accessible: 98% of textmessages are opened within 4minutes compared to 22% ofemails in the first few hours.

• Inexpensive: Thanks to theFederal CommunicationsCommission (FCC)’s Lifelineprogram or “Obama phoneprogram” as it’s knowncolloquially, low-incomeconsumers can obtain free anddiscounted mobile handsets andpre-paid wireless plans.

• Convenient: The portability ofmobile phones means eachindividual has access to real-timecommunication wherever theygo, regardless if they are a 14-year old teen in school or a 45-year old adult who is homeless.

SUCCESSES FOR SMS FORSOCIAL IMPACTGiven the direct and indirectnegative impacts of poor health onoutcomes ranging from economic

opportunity to educationalattainment, ZeroDivide hasfocused on text messaging as anessential tool to achieve healthequity by addressing the socialdeterminants of health for greatestsocial impact. Some of our recenteHealth text messaging programsinclude:

1)Text4Wellness andMobilize-4-Fitness:ZeroDivide and the Institute foreHealth Equity (IeHE) partneredon two mobile health projects,with support from the AetnaFoundation, aimed at improvingthe health and wellness of AfricanAmerican women who aremembers of historically African-American congregations.Text4Wellness is a mobile healthservice that provides timely andactionable information abouthealthy lifestyles, diseaseprevention, general wellness, andactive living. Mobilize-4-Fitness isa mobile health service thatprovides mobile reminders tofitness class members aboutstaying active and engaged inhealthy living through fitness andwellness tips.

2)Stress Less About Sex:ZeroDivide, in partnershipwith the Asian and Pacific IslanderWellness Center (API Wellness) inSan Francisco with support fromthe Google Bay Area ImpactChallenge, developed Stress LessAbout Sex, a text messagingintervention for high school youth(ages 14-18) living in theTenderloin neighborhood toincrease knowledge and awarenessabout sexual and reproductivehealth needs, and to increaseutilization of family planningservices at API Wellness offered


Text2Change: How to Leverage TextMessaging forCommunication By Vanessa Mason, eHealth Senior Manager,ZeroDivide

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through the Family Planning,Access, Care, and Treatment(Family PACT) program.

TROUBLESHOOTINGText messaging, like any othertechnology, is not without itsobstacles. One common concerninvolves the relatively high rate ofturnover for phone numbers.Within vulnerable communities,phone numbers may change overtime as a result of lost or stolenhandsets or changing pay-as-you-go cell phone plans. Google Voiceis a great tool to use to ensure thatyou keep in contact with yourconstituents. Once yourconstituent secures a Google Voicenumber, any phone that he or sheuses can be linked to the GoogleVoice number to receive calls andtexts.Another frequently asked

question involves privacy andsecurity issues. While ZeroDividecan provide general guidance, it’shelpful to turn to the experts inyour particular sector for specificadvice. In general, it’s best to notshare sensitive or very personalinformation via text messaging astransmission is not secure.Additionally, mobile phones can bepicked up and viewed by almostanyone at any time even withpasscodes. Otherrecommendations are:• Advise constituents on how todelete messages for especiallysensitive issues (ie. rescue fromhuman trafficking).

• Implement two-stepauthentication via the website orapp connected to SMS to ensurethe right person sees the correctinformation at the right time.

HOW TO GET STARTEDStarting a text messaging program

is not as simple as pushing abutton. Often the first stepinvolves research to ensure theapproach adopted has the bestchance of success.ZeroDivide’s co-design

methodologies for SMS contentdevelopment in eHealth bringstogether data from academicliterature with insights fromunderserved communities. Thishelps us to develop culturallycompetent messaging thatreinforces the social support andcommunity assets needed to sparkand sustain behavior change. Thiswill help reduce healthcaredisparities and ensure thattraditionally underservedcommunities are not at risk ofbeing left further behind. The most important questions

to answer while designing a textmessaging intervention are: • What problem are you trying tosolve?

• Why are you using textmessaging for your population orconstituency?

• What impact do you want tohave?The answers to these questions

will help to determine yourresearch methods, and identify andbuild relationships with keystakeholders. These keystakeholders will help ensure theacceptability of the interventionand support recruitment andengagement, as they often serve ascrucial key influencers for theprogram.For more resources about text

messaging for social change, take alook at ZeroDivide’s newestpublications, theMobile4ImpactSeries. The Series, supported bythe Vodafone AmericasFoundation, explore key issues in

the design, funding, deployment,and evaluation of nonprofit andpublic sector mobile interventionsin underserved and vulnerablecommunities, focusing on threemobile technologies: SMS (ShortMessage Services), Geo-location,and Mobile App Development.

RECOMMENDATIONS TO SCALE& SUSTAIN SMS• Foundations need greaterfamiliarity and expertise inmobile tech interventions, andtheir potential role foraccelerating social change.

• Nonprofits and Social ServiceAgencies should employthorough internal planning toassess organizational readinessbefore offering text messaging.

• Technologists should embraceand pursue public-privatecommunity partnerships withtech sector entrepreneurs,developers, and businesses toensure the design andimplementation of the mostimpactful mobile tech solutions.

For more information aboutSMS for social impact, you candownload the entire report seriesat mobile4impact.org. We wantto hear how you are using textmessaging in your work. Tweet tous at @zerodivideorg using thehashtag #Mobile4Impact to shareyour programs and experiences!

Vanessa Mason is the eHealthsenior manager at ZeroDividewhere she advises on productdevelopment in digital health forthe underserved. Vanessa hasworked at the intersection of

health, tech, and social impact throughout hercareer. She earned her BA from Yale Universityand her MPH from Columbia University. Followher on Twitter at @vanessamason.

ZeroDivide (ZD) is a nonprofit consultingorganization focused on the design, developmentand implementation of technology solutions toincrease digital equity and accelerate socialchange in underserved communities.

nten: change | march 2015

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