Building a tech and data-savvy social sector
About This Collection
No one expected millions of social impact workers to start working online all at once, and the shift is revealing serious gaps in the development and delivery of programs and services — a result of inadequate technology and data literacy, capacity, and resourcing. What would a sector-wide tech upgrade look like? What will it take to get there? Read these stories to complement the Future of Good plenary on building a tech and data-savvy social sector.
Canada’s first recovery-focused data platform is letting youth lead the way
Employment among student youth is 23 percent lower than 2019. Meanwhile, the federal government has earmarked $4 billion to help struggling municipalities deploy public services. Through Pivot 2020, 1,200 youth across Canada will collect valuable, localized data on how best to allocate these services, while learning new skills that can help them find employment.
5 tips on going digital from the CEO of the world's first and only tech non-profit accelerator
With 82 percent of social impact organizations digitizing some or all of their services, many organizations cancelling fundraising events, and a massive drop in donations, Canada’s social impact sector is facing a reckoning. Fast Forward founder and CEO Shannon Farley shares five ways non-profits can use tech to support their beneficiaries and scale their impact.
What Canada can learn from global tech non-profits pivoting to address COVID-19 needs
As the social impact world tries to adapt to the impacts of COVID-19, organizations are pivoting and re-tooling to help with relief efforts. Here’s what Canadian non-profits can learn from these eight organizations about pivoting, and zeroing in on where they can make the most impact right now.
Community-based COVID-19 relief could be more effective. Here’s how.
Front-line service organizations like food banks are overwhelmed, trying to respond to the needs emerging in the wake of COVID-19, so communities are stepping up to care for their neighbours. But, as Rahul Chandran, managing director of CARE writes, they need the social impact sector’s help to do so safely and effectively.
How 211’s data-sharing is transforming social services in Canada
Most people know 211 as a 24-hour phone line available in 150 languages to help users navigate the complex network of human services — but the data this service collects are used for so much more. Find out how this data makes a lasting impact at a community level. This is the first story in our series on Innovative Local Impact, crafted in partnership with United Way Centraide Canada.