2010 Global Philanthropy Forum in San Francisco concluded a few weeks ago. This forum was of three days which emphasized a number of key international challenges and opportunities facing grant makers and investors, multi-sector partnerships and NGOs and civil society. The most important things in this session that were emphasized were: connecting mobile and internet technology for change, responsibility and social impact.
For example, Catalista has done the work in developing mobile platform to involve individuals who are interested in timely volunteer work for local non-profits in need. Till now, micro-volunteers have undertaken the completion of over 300,000 tasks for more than two hundred associations. The example of mobile and social innovation in act is the working of FrontlineSMS which is designed specifically to address the problem of widespread communications faced by grassroots NGOs who are working in developing countries. FrontlineSMS facilitates immediate two-way communication on a great scale. Such technology is utilized in disaster relief coordination, monitoring human rights violations, emergency alerts, mobile education, health care information requests, election monitoring and many more.
Latest online platforms are continuously emerging, as the Foundation Center launched Glasspockets.org, which is designed to motivate greater openness among private foundations. One of the academies namely the Khan Academy has done its best to spread education for everyone and everywhere.
From these examples we need to understand that technology, philanthropy and social change that have interlaced at inconceivable speeds across platforms, continents and devices. If philanthropic dollars are spent in the right manner for the social cause, it will definitely yield results.
Love the idea of a mobile application catered to volunteer work. The idea of bringing together technology and social responsibility has amazing possibilities.
Our work is devoted to the marriage of the two. For every sign up we donate 10 cents and for every purchase we donate 1% to the charity of your choice. Check us out and join us in our cause
Peace and love,
The Roozt! team