

TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION AWARD APPLICATION
Instructions
| Step 1: Eligibility |
Verify that your organization meets the following eligibility criteria: - Is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization (as defined by the Internal Revenue Service). The following organizations are not eligible: churches, or organizations whose primary mission is to promote a religion; private schools, colleges or universities; nonprofit hospitals or cooperative hospital service organizations; governmental agencies; - Has an annual operating budget in the current or most recent fiscal year larger than $50,000; - Demonstrates fiscal responsibility, the appropriate use of funds and accounting standards; and - Follows EEOC guidelines and provides equal employment opportunity to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, status as a disabled veteran or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. |
| Step 2: Vision |
| The 2009 Award will go to a nonprofit that puts forward the most compelling plan for an innovative project to leverage technology to more effectively deliver on its mission and serve our community. The winning award includes $25,000 (approximately 300 hours) of TechBridge technology consulting services. The prize package will be customized to meet the specific needs of the winning organization, however must fall within the realm of services offered by TechBridge to its’ clients. Specifically these services include: - Web development Are you happy with the look/feel of your website? Do you want your stakeholders to interact with your website? Do you want them to interact with each other via your website? Do you collect payments online? Is there other information you’d like to gather online? Would you like that information to be dropped into another application you use without your touching it? Can volunteers sign up on your website? Can people register for events? Can people access a special secured area of the site with information tailored just for them? Do you have a blog? - Collaboration and automation tools, such as portals and workflow Do you have repetitive, paper-based processes you long to automate? What if you could get approvals remotely without needing a paper form? What if you could automatically trigger other actions/emails upon approval? Can you easily find and share current documents? Do you have one place for all contacts and shared calendars? How about having a central, secured info hub for your staff and another for your board, and another for your volunteers? - Infrastructure stabilization and modernization Do you want all of your computers running the same software versions? Do you want the confidence of knowing your system will work each day? Do you want to get an outdated server out of your building and have someone else worry about hosting your critical applications/data? Do you want remote access? Do you want the relief of knowing your data is backed up? Do you want a game plan for when/how best to replace your computers and hardware? Please note the 300 hours must also include time for project planning, training and transition activities. TechBridge reserves the right to recommend technologies other than those proposed in the application. Before moving on to the next step, verify that your proposed project meets the following criteria: - The project incorporates one or more of the specific TechBridge services outlined in this section; - The project can be implemented within 6 months and must start in June 2009; - The technology and supporting processes implemented must be sustainable long term; - Your management commits to support the outcomes; - The technology will be used by a Georgia nonprofit; - The project must have a material, measurable impact on the community. |
| Step 3: Application |
Click here to complete the online application. All entries are due by February 3, 2009. Note: Essays are limited to 1,000 words. Please use the word count feature in Microsoft Word to measure the length of your copy. All supporting information should be included in your online application. A copy of your submitted application will be emailed to you to as an acknowledgement of receipt. |
| Step 4: Review |
To ensure all applications meet the criteria outlined above, they will be independently reviewed by Accenture consultants. After submitting your application, you may be contacted by a consultant to clarify information and help you round out your proposal. Please respond in a timely manner to any questions. Email award@techbridge.org with any questions. |

