Bridging the Tech Knowledge Gap Takes a Nonprofit’s Vision from Concept to Reality.
TechBridge and Healthcare Georgia Foundation

Nonprofits are born from a vision of fulfilling human needs and improving communities through service.  Technology can help a nonprofit evolve its vision by expanding its capabilities and capacity to serve. One Atlanta-based organization with a big vision is demonstrating how engaging technology expertise can be a process of discovery and learning that results in a roadmap for taking that evolutionary leap.

Healthcare Georgia Foundation

Established in 1999, Healthcare Georgia Foundation’s mission is to advance the health of all Georgians and to expand access to affordable, quality healthcare for underserved individuals and communities.   The Foundation oversees grantmaking to public and private nonprofit health organizations throughout the State of Georgia.

The Foundation’s vision is to evolve beyond its role as a grantor to become a facilitator of education and information sharing amongst all of its grantees across the state.  “Our commitment as an organization is to have a continuous presence with our nonprofit health organizations, providing support, technical assistance, training, capacity growth building and networking,” said Dr. Gary D. Nelson, the Foundation’s President.

Taking the First Steps into Distance Learning

In considering strategies for achieving its vision, the Foundation has two perspectives: first, that the most economical way to deliver these services was by developing a distance learning capability and second, that such a system would have to employ a statewide communications network.  What the organization didn’t know was what the technology to support the system should look like or cost.    “We were searching for a feasible and effective solution and it became clear to us that the search ought to be guided by an organization with technology expertise,” Nelson explained. “We became aware of TechBridge notably because of its reputation for being a nonprofit dedicated to nonprofits and because of the comprehensive technology services it provides.”

The Foundation engaged TechBridge to help the organization come up with a strategy for delivering distance learning.  In particular, they asked TechBridge to help think through technology options and costs, and help define the Foundation’s role in delivering distance learning services. Upfront, the Foundation shared its vision for the distance learning system, and described its concept of a “hub and spoke” service delivery model that would allow the Foundation or another lead organization to become a central repository for resources for its client agencies. Based on this insight, TechBridge went to work, researching networking and distance learning technologies and their associated costs. 

“The project called for TechBridge to call on a great deal of expertise outside of our team, so we researched potential technology partners and arranged meetings between the vendors and the Foundation,” said Michael Nachman, TechBridge’s Chief Operating Officer.  “For example, a critical component of the distance learning strategy was the overall capability for the Foundation’s client agencies across the state to connect to a broadband communications network. If we didn’t have a critical mass of agencies able to connect to the system, the project would not be viable. We facilitated a dialogue with BellSouth, which helped us determine that the level of broadband coverage in Georgia would support the initiative.”

TechBridge also coordinated product demonstrations for the Foundation, in which different applications including audio conferencing, video conferencing, and Web conferencing were integrated to show the full range of distance learning tools that could be delivered both live and on demand.  “Ultimately, the Foundation will have a cadre of distance learning options that it can adapt to specific distance learning events,” said Nachman.  To help the Foundation determine which technologies to deploy for a particular event, TechBridge developed a decision tree that evaluates the distance learning event, identifies the best way to present it and maps out the optimal technologies to support it.

TechBridge created a comprehensive evaluation report that outlined the various technologies the Foundation could use to create its distance learning system, along with the associated costs for each solution.  While the report was highly technical, TechBridge helped the Foundation translate it into language that the organization could understand and share with its Board of Directors, grantee and partner organizations.

What’s Next

The next step is for the Foundation to identify a specific distance learning strategy and invest in a beta test of the chosen distance learning system, which would take place in the fall of 2005.

“We are now far enough along to take this initiative to the next step. Our biggest milestone in this project will be conducting a beta test of the new system in the fall,” Nelson stated.  “TechBridge gave us the technical side of the equation that we needed and is helping us sharpen the pencil so that we can present a clear and compelling model to others.”

In reflecting on the project, Nelson also shared an insight about how the Foundation’s experience with TechBridge helped show the organization a new way to interact with an intermediary agency.   “Throughout the project, the Foundation and TechBridge have developed a deep level of trust, thanks to the discovery that we’ve taken together. We now understand the value of engaging a consultancy to help us streamline the evaluation and selection process in choosing vendor organizations for our projects.

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