How to start a tech for good movement?

Hi everyone,

I recently had the pleasure of joining Andrew Grill on his “Digitally Curious” podcast. First off, I want to thank Andrew for having me on the show. His expertise and passion for technology are truly inspiring, and he brings unique insights to every discussion.

We talked about how Tech to the Rescue (TTTR) got started as a movement during the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland. It was a challenging time for everyone, in every sector of society and economy, but we used the moment to make the the best use of tech companies’ unused resources and capacities to support nonprofits, who were on the frontlines of dealing with the new and urgent challenges. 

This big idea – that tech companies can and want to get engaged with nonprofits and support them pro bono – quickly became the core of what we do at Tech To The Rescue, and it’s been amazing to see the impact grow over the last 4 years. Today, TTTR is a global movement, with a fast-growing community of over 2000 nonprofits and 1500 tech companies from over 80 countries, interacting and collaborating for pro-bono impact projects. 

We also discussed our flagship program, AI for Changemakers, and how AI can be used for social good. Through TTTR’s “impactful matches,” we’ve enabled AI applications like improving air quality monitoring and supporting political engagement. Ensuring AI is used responsibly and ethically is crucial, which is why we run free AI bootcamps for nonprofits in our AI for Changemakers accelerator program.

It’s never easy to chose one impactful project from our portfolio, but this time I brought up Bikara Udara’s voter empowerment platform in Indonesia – a tech solution that was born during one of our TTTR Hackathons for nonprofits. It’s a fantastic tool that’s helping people make informed decisions about their leaders, and it’s just one example of how technology can drive social change.

I strongly believe that building a global movement requires strong partnerships. Collaborating with organizations like Google.org and AWS has been vital for our AI for Changemakers program, and Lenovo and Twillio, among others, have been sponsors and supporters of our Crisis Response program for years. Even more recently, it’s been amazing to have the support from influential figures like Werner Vogels, Amazon’s CTO. His backing is a huge boost for us and helps drive our mission forward.

Looking ahead, our goal at TTTR is to facilitate $1 billion worth of tech services for nonprofits by 2030. It’s ambitious, but with the tech community’s support, we believe it’s achievable.

If you’re interested in how technology can be used for social good, I’m sure you’ll find our conversation insightful.

Thanks for reading, and let’s keep working together to make a positive impact.

Best, 

Jacek Siadkowski