Good Things Foundation

Covid-19 has exposed and exacerbated digital exclusion in the communities we work in, across the UK and Australia. The pandemic has also had an unprecedented impact on our charity, Good Things Foundation: digital services have increased exponentially; our community partners have struggled to meet demand; and funding is harder to earn. Digital inclusion has never been more crucial and there is a huge need for what we do. 

We have a scaled solution that can scale further to benefit more people and non-profits in more countries.

Now, we need to innovate to drive more impact, for more people, for less money. This needs investment and support and the Elevate Prize could make a real difference.

 I'm looking for expert help:

• to focus on whether and how to enter new territories
• to review our operational and delivery model
• to advise on how to raise funds, improve our sustainability and increase our impact.

I've had no formal business education; I've built Good Things on a combination of instinct, experience and support from others. I'm looking for fresh eyes and experienced mentoring, access to new networks and partners, and the opportunity to gain new skills and knowledge from a social impact masters programme.

When my son realised I’d been involved in the early days of the world wide web, he asked, ‘Why aren’t we rich?’ I told him some things are more important than money. 

During my whole career I’ve developed solutions to improve humanity and transform lives through technology. I believe that the internet has brought huge benefits to society but these benefits are not spread evenly - my goal is to empower people who are digitally excluded and left behind. 

I started Good Things Foundation as a spin out from a Government project. I had to overcome huge barriers and bureaucracy but we'd created an extraordinary network of local organisations. Each one inspired and humbled me, and I recognised the impact we could achieve by working collectively. 

Digital exclusion is global, so in 2017, I created a successful subsidiary in Australia. Now we're ready to increase our impact and expand our reach globally. Covid-19 has accelerated our tipping point; the need for digital inclusion is unprecedented, but our income isn't rising to meet demand. We need to innovate, bringing together our best assets so we can do more for less, and alleviate digital poverty around the world. 

Globally, 45% of households have no internet connection. 120 million people in the EU are offline. 9 million people in the UK can’t use the internet without support. 

Good Things Foundation wants to be a big part in fixing the digital divide. Digital exclusion correlates with social exclusion; it is more likely to affect those already disadvantaged - through education, income, disability, unemployment - deepening inequality of opportunities. A lack of digital skills, affordable access, and motivation, are the major barriers to getting online. 

We work in the UK and Australia to tackle these barriers, helping disadvantaged people get online and use the internet in specific ways to benefit their lives. Our diverse digital inclusion programmes deliver social impact through digital skills, devices, and connectivity, and we work in partnership with a network of thousands of local trusted organisations with deep roots in excluded communities. We enable and empower the network with free training and tools, including online learning platforms. This model is both hyperlocal and scaled across two countries.

Since 2010 we have supported 3.4million people: to be digitally confident (86%), more able to get work (66%), to manage their money (58%) and health, and live better lives.

Our success is because of a unique delivery model that is both personal and scaled. Our local partners are located in deprived communities and use our research, tried and tested solutions and tools to enable people to take their first digital steps. 

The diversity of our networks is our strength - their wide geographical distribution and their proximity to excluded people is a proven model for building trust and making learning accessible to people who, the data shows, don't usually seek out help. 

We personalise learning. We recognise that the people we support have been through a lot. They may be at a crisis or turning point. Staff and volunteers are welcoming and non-judgemental; they first acknowledge the problem and embed digital skills learning, where appropriate, in the solution. For example: someone needing to see a doctor might register for an online appointment; someone lonely might learn to use video conferencing. 

But our networked approach makes this not just one community project but 8,000, all working independently and connected. The difference we can make by working together is greater than the sum of our individual efforts. We’re a movement for change - a big club with a shared vision.

Our theory of change at individual, community and society levels, delineates how we achieve our outcomes so that people are more digitally able, safe and equal, and therefore become happier, healthier and better off. 

Negative experiences (with education, health, employment) leave people feeling powerless: that they have no future, they can’t learn, they don’t believe change is possible. Our community partners play a unique role - people are not judged, learning is informal and pace is personalised, and done alongside people who are like them. Learning is independent, online, and is carried out in a supportive environment; this results in improved self belief and self efficacy, ensuring that digital is not about the deficit of skills but it’s a pathway to solve life problems and to future opportunities. 

Our ambitions are rooted in the reality of people’s everyday lives. We design with, not for, people; this helps us to understand and respond to underlying behaviours. 

We also have an impact on humanity at a society level. We work with Governments to support them in making better policy and with organisations to design services which are inclusive. Our networked approach means we are having a mass impact on attitudes and behaviours.