Beverly Schwartz, Vice-President of Global Marketing at Ashoka.

Each year at this time, world leaders from every sector—private, nongovernmental, academic, and everywhere in between—convene in New York City at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Annual Meeting. Former President Bill Clinton’s initial concept for the meeting is actually quite simple: bring together a diverse group of individuals dedicat ed to realizing positive, lasting change, and provide them with the enabling environment and inspiration to work together to turn their ideas into action. In short, the meeting is a time not only to develop a shared vision of the future, but also create tangible, measurable, and sustainable plans of action toward achieving that vision.

This year CGI invited us and Microsoft to develop and facilitate a pre-meeting workshop that would help non-profit, citizen sector leaders attending CGI make the most of the experience, leverage the participant network, and accelerate skills and knowledge. For the second straight year we were pleased to be partnering with Microsoft to present this session. Today, each participant was able to identify and articulate a unique value proposition that projects their organizational missions into the future, and think through ways in which information technology can help accelerate their vision and bringing to life their current and future value to other CGI members.

Additionally, this year four senior staff members of Ashoka will also be playing a mentorship role for all nonprofit leaders to help them work through their organizations’ strategic objectives and needs, as well as identify new connections and partnership opportunities during the course of the meeting. By working individually with these leaders, we can ensure that they make the most of their CGI experience. Our goal is to help participants seed innovative partnerships, develop new plans of action, leverage their impact, and enable everyone to fulfill their objectives for the meeting.

We know from experience that the value of these services is profound. Coming out of last year’s Annual Meeting, for example, Microsoft worked with Ashoka Fellow Hilmi Quraishi. This is just one of countless illustrations of the power of the CGI network to identify and instigate collaborations which advance worldwide innovative solutions and the type of partnerships Ashoka’s mentors will be helping nonprofit CGI members to create.

Microsoft is a critical partner in bringing to life this significant mentorship program, and we look forward to sharing numerous stories of change throughout the course of the CGI Annual Meeting and beyond. Stay tuned, and please join in the conversation!

Ashoka is the world’s leading community of social entrepreneurs and is actively building infrastructure for an “Everyone A Changemaker” world. 

Founded in 2005 by President Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative was created to turn ideas into action creating a more integrated global community with shared benefits, responsibilities, and values. It brings together people from around the world, and channels the capacities of individuals and organizations to realize social and economic change. It focuses on practical solutions to global issues through the development of specific and measurable Commitments to Action.

Microsoft is a proud partner of the Clinton Global Initiative. We share the same belief that collaboration between individuals and the private, public and nonprofit sectors can address the world's most pressing problems.

This week, the 2010 Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting takes place in New York from September 20-23 and we plan to share stories throughout the week that illustrate how our CGI Commitments to Action are having a positive impact addressing education, social and economic issues.

To mark this year’s event you can find a wealth of resources on the Microsoft Citizenship website.

Each day we’ll be bringing a different story or initiative to life with content, videos and photography, as well as a daily post on the Microsoft Unlimited Potential blog.

If you’re not in New York this week but are interested in following the proceedings, why not visit the CGI website where the events will be streamed live through your web browser.

It’s back-to-school this month for nearly 56 million K-12 students in the U.S. Many will participate in afterschool programs that offer supervised activities for children of working parents or caregivers and providing developmental opportunities to urban and rural youth. Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) is a great example. Their Club Tech afterschool technology program is now in its tenth year and recent studies by the University of Washington and others indicate that the program has positively impacted youth served by promoting learning and helping to retain and increase membership.

To celebrate the success of Club Tech, BGCA and Microsoft – a founding sponsor - are refreshing the model in selected sites to encourage further innovation and replication. With additional support from new partners, Comcast and the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop, BGCA has recently launched five sites known as Centers of Excellence to create a vibrant look and feel and update the technology and curriculum.

The first Center opened in May at the historic Dunlevy Milbank Club in Harlem, where Bill Gates and then First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton first launched Club Tech 10 years ago. The Harlem event was followed by four other openings during the summer in Chicago, Washington, DC and Puget Sound. This fall five more Centers are planned in cities across the East, Midwest and West region, including Atlanta not far from the BGCA national headquarters.

Grand Openings last month at the Bellevue BGC and the Smilow Clubhouse at Rainier Vista attracted enthusiastic audiences of Club members and friends. Robbie Bach, Microsoft executive, and chairperson of the national BGCA Board of Governors, and longtime Bellevue Boys & Girls Club board member, was a keynote speaker for their opening, along with Jon Roskill, Microsoft executive and Boys & Girls Club of King County board member. Roskill also spoke during the events at Smilow Clubhouse and in Harlem noting that “today’s kids are using technology in new ways not dreamed of even 10 years ago when we first launched Club Tech.”

To meet that challenge, the goal of Club Tech is to empower young people to do well in school and to prepare them for success in a 21^st century workforce. Thus, the Centers provide kids with state-of-the-art Microsoft software and new hardware in a dedicated space to foster creativity and teamwork along with cutting edge training and education for Club Tech Staff. Instruction in areas such as creating a resume, designing websites and restoring computers will be combined with activities to develop critical thinking, project management and problem-solving skills.

Each Center of Excellence includes designated, specially designed instructional and exploratory zones:

• The Instructional Zone - a traditional lab space where youth will learn and master technology fundamentals
• The Exploratory Zone – a space designed for team project work using advanced technology and skill sets to help teens become experienced technology users

During the past decade, more than 3,600 Club Tech locations have opened in the U.S. and on military bases worldwide, serving close to 1 million kids each year. These Centers of Excellence are intended to have a positive impact on the next generation of youth as they develop skills and confidence about their future outlook.

Pulling it All Together

Not long ago, we introduced you to the Nonprofit IT Pyramid – a simple framework we use to (1) help us understand how nonprofits adopt technology, and (2) guide our own programs to ensure they are well-aligned with the needs of nonprofits. Over the last few weeks, we’ve taken a closer look at examples of nonprofits using IT at each level, but we aren’t done yet! After years of teaching nonprofits strategic technology planning, I have found that the Nonprofit IT Pyramid doesn’t fully “click” until we follow one organization’s experience from the bottom to the top of the pyramid (or from the transactional to the transformational use of IT, as Akhtar recently put it). Seeing how it all comes together helps organizations start envisioning what their own path up the pyramid could be. And that’s just the kind of forward thinking we want to inspire!

NetHope versus the Pyramid

NetHope formed in 2001, when Edward G. Happ – then CIO at Save the Children – realized that several of the world’s largest development organizations (Save the Children, World Vision, Red Cross, etc.) all faced very similar IT challenges in delivering their missions. Happ saw the opportunity to help the CIOs of these NGOs share resources, skills, and knowledge around technology. What resulted is a unique collaboration of more than 30 of the world’s leading international humanitarian organizations working together to tackle social challenges in the developing world. Today, NetHope represents humanitarian development, emergency response and conservation programs serving millions of beneficiaries in more than 180 countries. The organization is a catalyst for collaboration and innovative IT solutions.

But, we all start somewhere…

Even NetHope, tech beacon that they are today, had to start at the bottom (of the IT pyramid, that is). Their experience in the pyramid illustrates the importance of building a strong foundation of stable and secure technology that enables an organization to focus on more mission-focused IT solutions. In its early days, NetHope struggled with the same issues many nonprofits do: its members were on different versions of software and operating systems and their staff lacked the know-how to use the IT tools it had. Before NetHope could tackle the big IT vision, they had to start with the basics: get its members on a common software platform and train staff. With the help of donated Microsoft software and curriculum, they did just that.

Next, NetHope members, in partnership with Accenture, the Rockefeller Foundation, and others, launched a shared-services model to provide greater collaboration among its members. With the standard platform in place, members were able to use IT to address an array of common services such as help desk, procurement, and training. The shared-services collaboration realized 15-40 percent savings gains and, more importantly, it built capacity in the field to enable greater service delivery.

With a stable foundation and optimal service delivery processes in place, NetHope was well-positioned to pursue how IT could serve their mission and beneficiaries. They set out to transform connectivity, communication, and collaboration during disaster response by developing the Network Relief Kit (NRK). Created with help from Cisco, Microsoft, Intel, the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, Accenture, and others, the NRK is a backpack that uses solar power and satellite communications to provide Internet connectivity, even in the most remote of locations. Requiring only 15 minutes of setup time, this innovative IT solution (dare I say, Jetpack?) enables communications in the field during the critical days immediately following a disaster. As I write this, NetHope member organizations are using connectivity tools and resources (including the kits) to coordinate on-the-ground relief efforts in Pakistan. (The NetHope consortium has also played a critical role in resuming broadband Internet connectivity in Haiti, facilitating ongoing relief and rebuilding efforts there). This is the ultimate in transformative technology – NRKs truly help NetHope save lives.

But I can’t design (nor do we need) a solar-powered backpack, you say!

Well, thank goodness for that! We know that not all organizations are going to have the need, resources or alignment that NetHope did to create the equivalent of the Network Relief Kit for your organization. What matters is this: That we understand what’s possible when we stop thinking of technology as a back-office, administrative headache, and start thinking of it as a strategic mission-delivery tool. The solution at the top of the pyramid for your organization may be completely different than NetHope’s (likely much simpler), but I hope their example will help you think creatively.

A Call to Action

Understanding the pyramid framework can change the way nonprofits talk about and approach technology adoption. As Edward G. Happ said, “We have to start, not with an inward technology focus, but with a look outward to the technology that can move our missions forward!” Happ advises that we cannot spend all our technology time and resources at the “Lights-on, base of the pyramid” stage, and that – even as we shore up our IT foundations – we should be thinking about technology at upper levels of the pyramid.

So here’s my call to action: Look up. Take the pyramid framework to your next staff/board meeting, and talk about where your organization’s use of IT is today. Then take 30 minutes to talk about what technology at the top of the pyramid could look like for your organization. I can’t guarantee you that having this conversation will get you to the top of the pyramid, but I can guarantee that – if you never have this conversation – you won’t get there. Imagine if NetHope didn’t take the time to have this discussion… How would their ability to respond to disasters be different today?

Try it. Tell me what you think. And here’s to using technology, not just because it’s cool, or the hot latest trend, but because it’s going to help us change the world.

Missed the previous installments?
Part One in this series available here.
Part Two in this series available here.
Part Three in this series available here.

Lindsay Bealko helps Microsoft Community Affairs put technology know-how in the hands of nonprofits through resources like webinars, NGO Connection Days, and software donations. With several years’ experience in the nonprofit sector, Lindsay understands the unique challenges and opportunities nonprofits face when trying to adopt technology to help them meet their missions. She tweets (occasionally) from @linzbilks.

Rosalyn in Nairobi, Kenya is a 40 plus year old mother who has a business of manufacturing shoes from recycled tires which she sells over the web around the world. Ma Jianlu, a farmer in the remote Loess Plateau in China is selling eggplants online which he has grown on his small greenhouse. Since 2003 Microsoft through its Unlimited Potential Community Technology Skills Program has helped over 160 million people around the world to get access to basic and intermediary level IT training leading to both economic and social empowerment. Through over 1500 non-profit partners and 60,000 Community Technology Centers the program has supported, youth, women, the elderly and people with disabilities get training at no-cost or very low cost. In the United States we have reached over 23 million people through our programs to date. A good example is Michelle Hartman, unemployed at age 63, she had little or no computer skills, but needed to obtain those skills to meet the requirements of local employers. After successfully mastering several Microsoft Office applications, a prospective employer offered her $4 more an hour that they had planned to pay because of her upgraded skills.

In 2009, when the economic downturn began hitting it’s full stride, Microsoft launched Elevate America, incorporating a number of programs and resources that share a common focus; providing technology skills training, and resources to help people find employment. Through the Elevate America state voucher program, we distributed nearly 900,000 no cost Microsoft e-learning and certification vouchers for the unemployed and underemployed in partnership with 32 States, and the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and American Samoa. In the words on of one the person who has participated in the state voucher program, Sandy Mills of Missouri, “I missed the computer wave...but now I’m catching it. And, it’s amazing what the general software programs can do now. I remember when it was all customized software, which was complicated and expensive. Now these more powerful programs are out there. Being able to learn them is a real excitement for me.” The aspiration of Elevate America is to help 2 million people over the next 3 years get IT training so that they are prepared for the jobs of the 21^st century workforce.

In February 2010 we launched the Elevate America veterans initiative to support returning veterans and their spouses successfully transition to civilian jobs. In partnership with a coalition of veterans serving organizations including, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), The American Legion, Paralyzed Veterans of America, United Service Organizations (USO), and the Wounded Warrior Project we announced a competitive Request for proposals (RFP) process that will fund eligible nonprofit organizations interested in contributing expertise, cash and in-kind resources to give U.S. veterans and their spouses the skills and resources they need to be successful in today's workforce. The response we received to this RFP has been very positive and we are in the final stages of the selection process. We are very excited with the number of organizations that are providing holistic services in support of our veterans and their successful transition to the civilian workforce.

Elevate America community initiative

Continuing our commitment to skills training and workforce development in the United States, last week we announced that we will invest $10 million ($4 million in cash and $6 million in software donations) in nonprofit organizations that truly embody Microsoft’s commitment to help people from communities gain the skills they need for success in the workforce. We are looking for innovative solutions to get people trained with the critical 21^st century skills required to get back to work in long term, family wage employment. It is estimated that within 10 years, 77% of all jobs will require some level of IT proficiency. Through this RFP, it is our goal to open up opportunities for organizations and their partners who are providing proven, comprehensive and innovative training and job placement services to get people back into the workforce.

Through a competitive funding process, Microsoft will award cash, software and other resources to eligible IRS registered 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organizations and their partner organizations which may include: workforce agencies, community colleges, labor organizations, and other nonprofit organizations. Over the next two years, grant recipients will be funded to provide individuals with the support needed to help people find employment. Successful applications will include collaborative partnerships between two or more organizations in the nonprofit, workforce development, labor and education sectors. We are looking for organizations with a demonstrated track record of serving underserved communities especially women and young workers, in job training and job placement. The services provided by successful applicants to ensure a fully supportive experience for participants will include technology skills training, job placement and strong employer connections and may also include career counseling and other support services such as childcare, transportation and housing.

Microsoft has a long history in supporting IT skills training and we are committed to working with nonprofits that share our mission and zeal to improve through IT skills training the ability of the underserved community to get into the workforce. As Washington State Governor Chris Gregoire stated when Elevate America launched in the state, “This is an example of what we need to emerge stronger from this recession. When this downturn ends, we will need more skilled workers ready to enter the job market. Microsoft’s generosity will provide thousands of men and women the skills they need to work with the software that runs our businesses. This will help strengthen our economy and increase our state’s global competitiveness.”

Click here for more information on the Elevate America community initiative.