Did you know 42% of youth have experienced cyberbullying, and of this group, 54% became depressed or anxious, 21% skipped school, and nearly 16% used alcohol or drugs to cope? It’s a sad reality that YTH (Youth Tech Health) recently discovered in a study by the Vodafone Americas Foundation that analyzes the current cyberbullying landscape.

In October 2016, YTH and the Foundation held a briefing in New York City to present findings from the study and bring together experts and key stakeholders to put the research to action. It was an incredibly special event as we also had young people bravely share their personal cyberbullying experiences with the group. To be in a room with allies who want to create safer online experiences for youth was inspiring and invigorating. However, our research is just half of the story. More →

Bay Area nonprofits are being priced out of the Valley as salaries and overhead costs continue to skyrocket

When you imagine a typical nonprofit, you may picture a soup kitchen, a community center, or a homeless shelter. While such services still exist, many nonprofits now design apps, build websites, and design digital tools that help deliver social programs and services to those in need.

“A lot of organizations that were previously not integrating technology into their programs have quickly realized that you can’t do work in the social sector or the public health sector without embracing technology, because it’s cost effective and impactful,” says Bhupendra Sheoran, the executive director of Youth Tech Health (YTH), a San Francisco Bay Area-based nonprofit organization. “Almost every organization that we work with has some level of technology integration in their organization and their programs,” he adds.

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In 2014, MobileODT won first prize in the Vodafone Americas Foundation’s Wireless Innovation Project for its smartphone-based technology that converts the camera of the phone into a device capable of providing the evidence clinicians need to catch cancer before it develops. With its WIP prize, MobileODT’s first priority was to use its technology to fight cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer is responsible for the deaths of more than 270,000 people annually, about 85 percent of whom live in low- or middle-income countries, and it is a leading cause of death for women in developing nations. More →

The Vodafone Americas Foundation is excited to announce the launch of a new program with Kiva, a non-profit organization that allows people to lend money through an online platform to low-income entrepreneurs and students in over 80 countries. With this new program, the Foundation is providing a grant to Kiva to give Vodafone employees the opportunity to direct a loan to an entrepreneur or project of their choice through the Kiva platform.

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United Nations Global Pulse will partner with the Vodafone Americas Foundation to embark on a several month study to evaluate the state of mobile data for social impact.

Consultations begin today with a panel discussion among industry experts on “data for development” at this year’s GSMA Mobile 360 – Africa conference in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

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The application submission deadline for the Vodafone Wireless Innovation Project has been extended until midnight PST on Sunday, March 6th. We hope that this extension will allow you the chance to quickly finish the application you have already started and submit your project that can help people around the world!

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2016 is well underway and we’re getting closer to finding our winners for this year’s Wireless Innovation Project (WIP). Since launching in 2009, the Wireless Innovation Project has awarded $4.2 million to unique solutions made to help address critical issues around the world with a focus on helping people in the most vulnerable areas. This year will be no different! With the deadline quickly approaching on February 27th, we wanted to send a reminder to all who wish to enter and also highlight a few past WIP winners.

Organizations such as US universities, NGOs and entrepreneurs with nonprofit partners can enter for the Vodafone Americas Foundation Wireless Innovation Project competition 2016. Entries must be submitted by February 27th, 2016. For more details visit the Wireless Innovation Project (WIP)

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Vodafone Americas Foundation funds connected toilet project which could help 2.5bn people access better sanitation

I didn’t start out to become the creator of a texting toilet, but my team’s invention, with the Vodafone Americas Foundation’s help, will make a major contribution to solving one of the world’s biggest development challenges.

About 2.5 billion people—around half the people in the developing world—do not use an improved sanitation facility according to the United Nations.

Improved sanitation is not the inside toilet you and I are used to, but covers facilities as basic as a pit latrine covered by a slab. This is a major problem with a wide-ranging impact on health, environment and livelihoods.

A few years ago I joined a project to tackle that problem by creating a low cost, solar-powered wastewater treatment and recycling system for developing countries. The system is an electrochemical reactor that converts human waste into disinfected water. More →