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Benetech
URL:
www.benetech.org
Project Description:
Benetech is a non-profit venture that combines the impact of technological solutions with the social entrepreneurship business model to help disadvantaged communities in our society and across the world.
The Benetech Initiative is a non-profit venture that provides social benefits by harnessing the power of technology. Benetech delivers these benefits using the new model of social entrepreneurship, which combines market forces with philanthropic capital and entrepreneurial drive. Benetech focuses the efforts of technology and technologists to solve important problems facing society.
Benetech's purpose is to use the high technology model to address pressing social problems. Many great technologies can easily be applied to social needs, but the profitability of such efforts rarely meets the financial expectations of high technology investors. Benetech specifically pursues endeavors that emphasize a strong social, rather than financial, rate of return on investment. Benetech explores the application of technology to social needs in the areas of disability, bridging the digital divide, education, literacy, human rights, employment of the disadvantaged, and the prevention of suffering.
Points of interest:
Benetech offers a powerful new philanthropic option to the technological community, providing an outlet for the positive social intentions of many of its corporate and individual members. Large donors will find philanthropic investments that are closer to the venture model, complete with business plans rather than grant applications. Active donors will find the opportunity to directly apply their technology skills to social good, thus leveraging their investment. Executives will find rewarding interim opportunities after major career transitions. Professionals reaching a point in their family lives where they want to dedicate less than 70 hours per week to their jobs will find fair compensation with high personal rewards. Companies will see their technologies applied to exciting, beneficial applications and will reap marketing and public relations benefits.
