Is This Nonprofit Accelerator a Problem-Solver or a Roadblock?


Foundation: Google.org

credit:

Martin Levine of NonProfit Quarterly examines a tech-backed nonprofit accelerator and poses a round of questions asking if this philanthropic effort helps solve problems like inequality, environmental threats, forced migration, and illiteracy or its partnerships make it part of the problem.

Cueing from a Fast Company article describing a tech-backed nonprofit accelerator, Fast Forward, Levine writes that the company is available to very-early-stage nonprofit startups, providing them with $25,000 coupled with training and mentoring. Just recently, Fast Forward has announced it had secured a new round of funding and raised $5 million in new philanthropic funding from leading companies, such as Google.org and many others.

Levin points out that Fast Forward claims its network has touched 51 million individuals and received more than $100 million in funding. So skeptics might wonder if the $5 million might be better spent going directly into the nonprofits' coffers.

Levine asks, do efforts of this kind obscure the severity of the problems an out-of-control extractive economy creates?

Levine quoted Ruth Cambridge who underscored the message of Anand Giridharadas, author of Winner Take All, "It remains to be seen... whether the nonprofit sector will begin asking itself some deeply uncomfortable questions."

According to Levine, these are tough questions when money is tight and dreams and passion are high.

Read the Entire Article


Selected Grant News Headlines

A customized collection of grant news from foundations and the federal government from around the Web.

Legacy Foundation Grants $25000 To Local Non Profits

The Legacy Foundation in Ottumwa, Iowa, is putting its money where its mouth is. The foundation has awarded $25,000 in grants to six local nonprofits, including $10,000 to the Cardinal Youth...more

Pee Wee Homes to Receive a $40,000 Grant from Secu

A tiny-home nonprofit in North Carolina is getting $40,000 over the next two years to build three new homes for homeless people. Pee Wee Homes will use the funds to hire a property or...more

Legacy Announces $25000 in Nonprofit Grants

The Legacy Foundation in Ottumwa, Iowa, is putting its money where its mouth is. The nonprofit has awarded $25,000 in grants to six local nonprofits, including $10,000 to the Cardinal Youth...more

Pressr: Weyay Bank Launches Podcast to Spark Conversations on Kids' Financial ...

A bank in Kuwait is trying to make it as easy as possible for kids to get their hands on money. Weyay Bank has launched a podcast called Jeel, in which kids between the ages of 8 and 14 discuss...more

Accelerating Government Efficiency through Advanced Technologies and Innovation

When it comes to getting a driver's license in the US, there's a lot of red tape. In fact, more than half of the country's DMV offices are still manual, according to a new report from the...more

7.4 Representative Jennifer Mcclellan Talks Climate Resilience and Environmental Justice ...

Virginia Rep. Jennifer McClellan is the first black woman elected to Congress from her home state, and she's also the first black woman to represent it in the House of Representatives. But...more

Texas Apparel Company and Digital Asset Advocacy Nonprofit File Suit Against the ...

When Beba, a startup based in Waco, Texas, offered customers a chance to buy exclusive products at a reduced price with its digital token, BEBA, it didn't think much about the Securities and...more

Nonprofit Mission Statements: 30 Examples of Brands Who Are Crushing It [Infographic]

If you're in the market for a new website, you might want to check out this list of 30 nonprofit mission statements, rounded up by Nonprofit World. They're great if you're in the market for a new...more

Senior Director, Global Communications

One of the world's most prominent anti-poverty groups is looking for a senior director of global communications to help it "catch the moment" and "lift up the diversity of IPA's voices," Fortune...more

Emory Initiative for Arts and Humanistic Inquiry Awards New Grants for Creative Programming

Atlanta's Emory University is putting its money where its mouth is. Per the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the university's provost announced this week that the Bill and Carol Fox Center for...more


Here are the star companies that have succeeded in their corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs. The companies were gathered by Civic 50, a national initiative to survey and rank S&P 500 corporations on how they engage with the communities they serve and utilize best practices in their corporate cultures.




Human Services Jobs

  Social Work Jobs
  Substance Abuse Jobs
  Social Work Jobs
  Foundation Related Jobs
  Fundraising & Development Jobs


Federal Government Grant and Assistance Programs


Native American Community Research, Demonstration, and Pilot Projects | Disposal of Federal Surplus Real Property | Strong Start for Mothers and Newborns | International Research and Research Training | National Flagship Language Program Fellowships | Protection of Essential Highways, Highway Bridge Approaches, and Public Works | Second Chance Act Prisoner Reentry Initiative | ECA Individual Grants | | Site Style by YAML | Grants.gov | Grants | Grants News | Sitemap | Privacy Policy

Edited by: Michael Saunders

© 2008-2024 Copyright Michael Saunders