Non-for-profit organisations are being encouraged to apply for a digital support program delivered by TCS, which will see the technology consulting firm provide $1 million worth of pro bono services.
With applications due to close on the 10th of April, Tata Consultancy Services is calling for submissions to the fourth round of its Community Innovation Program, which offers more than $1 million in collective pro bono support.
Established in 2017, TCS’s Community Innovation Program aims to enhance the digital presence of Australian and New Zealand not-for-profits and social enterprises working in the areas of education, the environment and/or health.
The program can support non-profit organisations in areas such as IT consulting, app and website development, customer resource management (CRM), chatbots and gamification, and with back-end support through improved data & reporting systems. Applicants will need to be able to articulate how any proposed project will impact the organisation and its community beneficiaries.
While not a part of the criteria, the application material asks if such beneficiaries include one or more of a number of traditionally disadvantaged groups, including women & girls, Indigenous and Pacific Islanders communities, veterans or military families, people of a lower socioeconomic background, students, or LGBTQA+ identifying communities. The program has to date supported over a dozen organisations.
One of those engagements was with the Indigenous Marathon Foundation (IMF), founded by Australian Olympian Robert de Castella, which resulted in the development and launch of the IMF-Deadly Running Connect app to encourage a culture of running and well-being among Indigenous Australians. The app connects runners and coaches across the country, including through profiles, time logs and milestones.
“Technology is being used to benefit remote communities, and give kids the opportunity to grow and learn through something as simple as running,” de Castella said on its launch. “TCS has perfectly designed the app with input from Indigenous communities to make it relevant and culturally appropriate as a resource that measures levels of physical activity and encourages participation in a healthy lifestyle.”
TCS’s Community Innovation Program operates against a backdrop where less than a quarter of A/NZ non-profit organisations have established a digital transformation plan, according to a report by tech social enterprise Infoxchange from last year. Roughly 40 percent of survey respondents listed improved websites and digital marketing as key priorities, but funding and access to skilled tech resources remained the biggest roadblocks.
“Technology can play an enormous role in helping to address health, social, and environmental challenges,” commented TCS vice president and A/NZ country head Vikram Singh. “Enabling not-for-profits to leverage our global IT expertise will make a tangible and measurable difference to these organisations, their clients and the Australia & New Zealand communities.”
Sourced from Consultancy.com.au