National Digital Navigator Corps Program Evaluation Report

In February 2022, the National Digital Inclusion Alliance received a grant from Google.org to create the National Digital Navigator Corps, a pilot program intended to build and advance local digital inclusion work in rural and Indigenous communities and strengthen the digital navigator model in those contexts. NDIA supported Digital Navigator programs in 18 community-based organizations serving rural and Tribal communities across the United States while gathering lessons learned, identifying best practices, and developing replicable resources to share with others. This evaluation summarizes key findings from the NDNC program, including the status of proposed outcomes. It also describes the impacts of the NDNC program on the subgrantee organizations, the individuals and communities they served, NDIA, AMERIND, and the broader digital inclusion field; and provides a set of recommendations intended for funders and organizations interested in growing and sustaining the digital navigator model and digital inclusion work in Tribal and rural communities.

• The National Digital Navigator Corps affirmed and strengthened the core value proposition of the digital navigator model 
• NDIA’s understanding of and partnership with rural and Tribal communities has increased considerably, and there is more room for growth 
• The investment in NDNC produced lasting impacts beyond the digital navigation services subgrantees provided to community members 
• Delivering digital navigator services in rural and Tribal communities requires shifting expectations and strategies 
• Building awareness of digital navigator services and a referral pipeline takes time 
• Digital navigators took on many roles, risking becoming overburdened and burning out 
• Consistent and standardized data collection presented an ongoing challenge due to a range of technical and programmatic reasons 
• Digital navigators emphasized the value of building durable career skills 
• Lack of funding is the primary barrier to subgrantees continuing to offer digital navigator services