Funder Spotlights Archives - Community Tech Network

Strengthening Digital Equity in South Texas: A Closer Look at CTN’s Partnership with MHM

jess — Tue, 06 Aug 2024 20:53:53 +0000

In a continuing effort to bridge the digital divide in South Texas, Methodist Healthcare Ministries (MHM) and Community Tech Network (CTN) are making significant strides in enhancing digital equity across the region. With MHM’s commitment of more than $21 million over three years, this initiative is not just about providing access to high-speed internet but ensuring communities have the skills to leverage this access for better health, education, and economic mobility. A Holistic Approach to Health Monica Gonzalez, the Digital Equity Supervisor at MHM, underscores the importance of looking at health broadly to address patient needs. “We serve 74 counties across South Texas, and for the past 25 years, one of the things we’ve focused on is access to care. However, it’s more than just a doctor’s visit. We’ve broadened our approach to include social determinants that impact health, and have been looking at digital equity, economic mobility, and food security on top of access to care. We’re working to broaden the definition of patient healthcare by looking at a whole person and seeing how we can support them so that they can thrive and survive in today’s world.” Connecting Health and Digital Equity Unfortunately, Gonzalez says that about one […]

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Reflections on Success: CTN’s Achievements with Archstone Foundation

jess — Mon, 15 Jul 2024 17:54:47 +0000

At Community Tech Network, our mission to bridge the digital divide is at the heart of everything we do. Today, we are thrilled to recognize and extend our deepest gratitude to one of our key supporters, Archstone Foundation. Their generous grant of $50,000, awarded in November 2022, has significantly bolstered our programming, enabling us to amplify our impact and reach more older adults in need. Archstone Foundation’s Commitment to Capacity Building Archstone Foundation is a grantmaking organization with a mission to improve the health and well-being of older Californians and their caregivers through equitable, coordinated care. Understanding that access to technology is crucial to older adults’ healthcare outcomes, Archstone Foundation decided to invest in the work of Community Tech Network. While many grants for nonprofits are designated to support specific projects, Archstone Foundation recognizes that programmatic grants can only go so far and that nonprofits have ongoing needs to build operational capacity. Thus, they began offering a capacity-building grant program in 2019 to enhance organizations’ overall infrastructure and efficiency. This ensures that grant recipients can continue providing high-quality services even after the funding period ends. CTN used the grant to improve its digitalLIFT products, programming, and internal processes. The Impact […]

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CTN Named One of 22 National Organizations to Receive Grant as Part of the Alliant Quarter Million Dollar Challenge

jess — Wed, 21 Dec 2022 13:57:49 +0000

Community Tech Network is thrilled to be named a grant recipient of the Alliant Quarter Million Dollar Challenge. Alliant, a national digital financial institution, is committed to bridging the digital divide. As part of its most recent initiative, the organization gave $329,750 to nonprofits across the United States. Selected nonprofits were required to align with the Alliant Foundation’s mission “to provide reliable broadband, digital literacy resources and technology equipment for underserved communities including rural, digitally-challenged and under-resourced populations.” Alliant achieves its mission “through investments with strategic, charitable partners.” CTN is honored to be recognized for its work among other stellar organizations, such as Bidwell, C.B. Community Schools, Comp-U-Dopt, Computer CORE, Computers for the Blind, Computer Reach, Dress for Success Twin Cities, EveryoneOn, Free Geek, J&J Services, KC Digital Drive, Lutheran Settlement House, Mission: Ignite powered by Computers For Children, Inc., NTEN (Nonprofit Technology Enterprise Network), Northside Intercommunity Agency, PCs for People, Peer 2 Peer University, Sisterhouse, Tech Goes Home, The STEM Alliance, The Taylor Made Foundation, and Westhab Inc. To learn more about this grant, see Alliant’s press release.

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CTN Receives Grant from Google Fiber to Launch Affordable Connectivity Program Enrollment Specialist Training

jess — Fri, 16 Dec 2022 14:23:36 +0000

Community Tech Network is thrilled to announce that it has received a $20,000 grant from Google Fiber to support us as we launch an Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) enrollment specialist training program. The Affordable Connectivity Program provides eligible low-income households with discounts on their monthly internet services. However, many people are still unfamiliar with the program and uncertain about how to sign up. To address this issue, CTN is training members of nonprofit organizations, social service providers, and other agencies so that they are equipped to help their clients register for the ACP. To officially kick off this initiative, Google Fiber funded an event during Digital Inclusion Week 2022 (October 3 – 7) , in which CTN, along with Austin Urban Technology Movement and Goodwill of Central Texas, trained 20 individuals as ACP enrollment specialists. Both Google Fiber and CTN are extremely excited about their partnership. Google Fiber’s John-Michael Cortez says: “Access to fast, reliable internet is a basic need in today’s society. You can’t fully participate in the economy, democracy, and entertainment without it. Yet, there are many digital deserts, as low-income neighborhoods tend to have less access. We think that the ACP represents an incredible opportunity to address these gaps […]

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Okta Donates $75,000 to Community Tech Network in Lieu of Conference Swag

jess — Mon, 12 Dec 2022 15:52:38 +0000

Last month, Okta hosted its Oktane2022, a major three-day event featuring world-class speakers such as Serena Williams and Magic Johnson. Typically, attendees at conferences return home with bags full of swag: free tee-shirts, hoodies, stress balls, pens, USB drives, totes, etc., branded by conference vendors. The majority of these items are unnecessary and later end up in landfills. This year, Okta decided to make better use of its funds. In lieu of Oktane2022 swag, Okta donated $75,000 to Community Tech Network. Says Victor Cordon, Okta’s social impact senior manager: “Okta recognizes the digital divide as the gap between those who use the internet effectively for daily life and social progress, and those who do not. Aligned with our vision of enabling everyone to safely use any technology, we build long-term partnerships with organizations addressing this critical issue. Community Tech Network is a known leader in this work, and we are proud to support this incredible organization and the communities they impact.” Okta has a long history of supporting social change. The organization has given over $25 million over the years to nonprofits around the world through its social impact wing, Okta for Good. Okta for Good has also served as […]

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Funder Spotlight: Okta for Good

jess — Tue, 23 Aug 2022 13:48:51 +0000

According to Keenan Harrell, Okta for Good’s Community Impact Program manager, promoting digital inclusion is a key to building an equitable society. Says Keenan: “Technology is embedded in just about every aspect of our society. It’s more ubiquitous than ever before. Today, we rely on technology for education, healthcare, managing finances, and so much more. If we want equity embedded throughout society so that everyone can equitably thrive and live a meaningful life, we need to invest in strategies and in people doing this important work.” Okta for Good is a new funder for Community Tech Network and is the social impact wing of Okta, a cloud-based software company. Okta for Good aims to strengthen the connection between people, technology, and the community. “A lot of people are on the wrong side of the digital divide, and we want to be sure to close that divide in an equitable way. CTN is an expert in this. We’re very proud to support CTN’s work, as it aligns with what Okta wants to accomplish — creating impact at the intersection of technology and people.” While there is still much work to be done, Keenan is hopeful for the future. “Forty percent of the […]

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Promoting Health Equity in Rural Texas with St. David’s Foundation

Anna Beth Lane — Tue, 12 Apr 2022 15:20:59 +0000

St. David’s Foundation is one of the largest healthcare foundations in the United States, investing over $80 million each year. Through a unique partnership with St. David’s HealthCare, the foundation reinvests proceeds from the hospital system back into the community, with a goal of advancing health equity and improving the health and well-being of our most underserved Central Texas neighbors. Through direct service programs and collaborative funding partnerships, the foundation works across five counties in Central Texas to reduce health inequity, increase access to healthcare, and support communities to take an active role in their health and well-being needs. Oftentimes, when we think about health equity, we think about access to affordable healthcare. Yet building a culture of health goes far beyond access. Health equity is achieved when a person’s health can no longer be predicted by their race, ethnicity, gender, access to resources, or zip code. While clinical healthcare plays a role in a community’s health outcomes, approximately 80% of health outcomes are determined by social and communitywide factors — whether environmental, socioeconomic, or behavioral. “Health is more than healthcare,” says Abena Asante, MHA, senior program officer at St. David’s Foundation. “Problems such as poverty, unemployment, inadequate housing, lack […]

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Teaming Up with Twitter for an Inclusive Internet

Anna Beth Lane — Thu, 24 Feb 2022 14:00:13 +0000

“CTN fills the gap between a product like Twitter and the people who we want to enjoy and use it,” says Karl Robillard, Twitter’s head of social impact. In many ways, Twitter acts as a watering hole for the digital age; it is a space for sharing information, connecting with your community, and staying up to date. Yet, unlike physical gathering spaces, Twitter requires a few extra tools to participate, namely, internet access, a digital device, and the skills to use them. If we want to ensure that the internet is a place of inclusiveness, diversity of experience, and community-building, it’s essential that we help everyone access it — regardless of their age, income level, or primary language. This is just what CTN and Twitter’s partnership aims to accomplish. As a longtime funder of CTN, Twitter’s social impact arm, Twitter for Good, strives to use the positive power of Twitter to strengthen communities. Its robust initiatives fall into three categories: People: By connecting its employees to digital inclusion programs and organizations like CTN, Twitter encourages its people to educate themselves about the community, volunteer their time, and share their knowledge and skills by engaging with the San Francisco community. Platform: […]

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Expanding Digital Inclusion with the City of Austin

Anna Beth Lane — Mon, 14 Feb 2022 19:19:03 +0000

“We feel CTN is a thought leader in the digital inclusion space. There are not a lot of organizations that do what CTN does, which is having a specific and explicit focus on technology and the digital divide.” — Jesse Rodriguez, interim program manager of the Community Technology Division of the City of Austin. When the City of Austin first launched its website in the ’90s, it seemed like a natural development given the growing popularity of the internet. Yet soon after its launch, the City realized that the more services they make available online, the more they have to ensure that people can access those services. This meant that they would need to take extra steps to promote access and use of the internet — not only to access city services but also to participate in the city’s growing digital economy. “Technology raises the ceiling of what is possible, but it also raises the floor of what you need to be able to participate,” reflects Jesse. “The City’s programming is designed to kind of make sure that we’re not leaving anyone behind by advancing technology, while also making sure that folks are able to still access it.” A subset […]

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Funder Spotlight: CTA Foundation

Anna Beth Lane — Tue, 07 Dec 2021 16:11:30 +0000

Today we are excited to highlight the CTA Foundation, one of CTN’s longtime funding partners. Affiliated with the Consumer Technology Association, the foundation links seniors and people with disabilities with technologies that enhance their quality of life. It accomplishes its mission by cultivating strategic funding partnerships with a range of nonprofit organizations whose programs align with the CTA Foundation’s goals. While many of these programs focus on digital literacy and access to devices, the CTA Foundation funds a wide range of tech-related programs. One grant provided to AbleGamers Charity is helping to create prototypes for custom gaming setups and modified controllers to fit the needs of people with disabilities. Another grant provided to the Council on Aging of Southwestern Ohio supports an innovative pilot program that utilizes virtual reality to train caregivers. No matter the means, each program funded by the CTA Foundation leverages technology to offer people a greater sense of independence, freedom, and connection. “The CTA Foundation focuses on assisting people who aren’t receiving assistance. When we gather different organizations together and listen to grant proposals, we are asking, ‘Where are we lacking?’” reflects Dacia Turner, foundation coordinator. “A lot of times, there’s a lack of assistance with […]

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