The Tech That Comes Next

Chapter EightStart Building Power for What's Next

Now that we have examined the roles of key players in the social impact ecosystem and explored how to expand access, it is time to consider how the work to build the tech that comes next might actually be done.

The Social Impact Organizations That Come Next

We have already discussed how important it is to consider not just what work social impact organizations do but also how they do the work they perform. By involving all staff in strategic conversations about technology, social impact organizations can adopt and increase an organizational culture that keeps the focus on the mission and community instead of on the technical tools, allowing for investments in technology to be more successful. The implemented technology should help with repetitive, straightforward tasks that people shouldn't have to spend their time on, thereby freeing them to work on the many activities that require a human's attention, empathy, and judgment. While changing individual mindsets about technology is important, the impact can be magnified if organizations move away from a scarcity mindset and act on the value of collaboration within the sector; leveraging shared infrastructure can allow organizations to more quickly launch and sunset programs, as well as test and learn from the work they do.

The Technologists That Come Next

Technologists in the social impact sector serve a broad variety of functions. Whether a technical designer, developer, or ...