A relaunched Kansas City-area fund is expected to help citizens who are struggling due to the lack of easy technological resources: tools that can often be taken for granted among their neighbors who the internet – and the opportunities that come with it – are already easily accessible.
Eleven non-profits in the region were recently awarded a total of $75,000 to purchase equipment for their students, social service clients, seniors, patients, residents, parishioners, members, and parents because of KC Digital Inclusion Fund Resources Grants program.
Aaron Deacon, KC Digital Drive, sits on stage during the 2022 event celebrating KC Digital Drive’s 10th anniversary; Photo by Channa Steinmetz, Startland News
While many community organizations work hard to support the people and families they serve, they often lack the resources to provide technology that can make a big difference in the lives of their clients, said Aaron Deacon, managing director at. KC Digital Drive and is a member of the Fund’s Advisory Council.
“The number of applicants and the amount requested is more than the available amount, which shows that there is a lot of demand and it is causing a lot of damage,” he said. “We started with the Devices Grant when we launched the Fund in June because it’s important to connect people to digital opportunities.”
“Without a device, you’re just left out of the digital economy,” Deacon added.
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In the Kansas City metro area, 158,000 households (19 percent) do not have a desktop or laptop computer at home – a total of 25 percent less than the highest income households. Seventeen percent of low-income people rely solely on cell phones, compared to 5 percent of the rest of the population.
Not having a home computer is a significant barrier to pursuing education, developing workforce skills, and accessing health care, Deacon said. The KC Digital Inclusion Fund Devices Grants program aims to address this gap by providing the necessary electronic devices to those who need them most.
Grantee Rosalyn Sykes, Black Family Technology Awareness Association (BFTAA), teaches a class on digital literacy where participants receive a laptop device when they successfully complete 15 hours of training; image courtesy of KC Digital Drive
The 2023 Devices Grantees have shown a clear need for technological support and a strong plan to integrate these devices into their programs to increase the effectiveness of the external evaluation group made up of entrepreneurs, non-profit leaders, and corporate experts, according to the Fund.
Asupervisors included:
Applications were reviewed by an external panel of respected nonprofit and corporate experts familiar with the challenges of the digital divide.
“It’s clear that the digital divide is still wide for many of our communities, and I’m encouraged by like-minded organizations and leaders who continue to connect and work together to bridge this divide,” said Kaylee Peile, director of development. Linda Hall Library of Science, Engineering and Technology. “Being a part of the evaluation and selection has helped me a lot, as I’m always looking to better understand the needs of our district.”
By numbers:
- 43 organizations applied for funding
- $592,482 total amount requested
- 1,318 devices were requested in total
- $75,000 in total funding to 11 organizations is awarded
KC Digital Drive leads the Fund, managed by the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation and Advisory Council, and helped raise an initial $175,000 in funding provided by the Health Forward Foundation, the Kauffman Foundation, the Kansas Health Foundation, and GFiber (Google Fiber).
Two additional grants will be funded later this year, including IT support and new digital skills courses.
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