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The examples cited here meet several criteria: they are proven and affordable; they can be adapted to a variety of settings--the use of technology in the field of health care, for instance, might easily by adapted to the social service sector; they can be brought to scale--for instance, the use of technology to serve one city might be applicable nationwide, or it might be possible to adapt one that already serves a national audience to a single city or neighborhood; and they represent uses of technology that are both innovative and appropriate to the resources of nonprofit groups--these applications achieve specific goals and reach target audiences.
As these and many other examples demonstrate, the Information Age could be a golden era for the nonprofit sector. New information and communication technologies are creating enormous opportunities for nonprofits to increase their efficiency, improve the quality of services they provide, and influence policymakers.
People's House: Connecting clients to service
providers
People's House uses three-way calling and a data base to directly
connect those in need with the particular service provider that
can help them.
Emergency Hunger LifeLINE: Extending the reach
of local nonprofits
The Emergency Hunger LifeLINE uses an 800-number and automated
answering system to give those in need local information about
getting food and instruct others on how to volunteer or donate.
Civic Network Television: Training leaders by
satellite
Civic Network Television uses satellites to broadcast educational
courses and forums to grassroots sites across the country.
ImmuneWatch: Reaching the hard-to-serve
client
ImmuneWatch uses an automated voice answering system to give
doctors and families easy access to immunization records.
United Neighborhood Houses of New York: Making
the most of limited resources
United Neighborhood Houses of New York uses computer networks to
make social service providers' jobs easier and give people
training and access to on-line resources.
Electronic publishing: The Civic Practices
Network and the Alliance for National Renewal
The Civic Practices Network and the Alliance for National Renewal
have their own sites on the World Wide Web that give easy access
to large numbers of contacts and resources.
I*EARN: Linking children to the global
village
I*EARN uses e-mail, on-line conferences, and other high-tech modes
of communication to help students from around the world learn how
to solve the problems that face their communities.
TEAMS: Educating kids by connecting schools and
homes
TEAMS uses a network of personal computers and e-mail to improve
communication among students, parents and teachers and teach
students about new technologies while they do their homework.
Dial 1-800 for efficiency: The American Indian
College Fund and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation
The American Indian College Fund uses an 800-number to get
information to potential donors without burdening its small
staff. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation uses an 800-number to allow
people to order a postcard sent to state legislatures expressing
an opinion on an issue important to the group.
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Last updated: 19 December 1996 jss