Re: Kansas City Digital Inclusion Fund - August 2013

Please note that I am a small business entrepreneur & trainer/educator in all aspects of business-marketing-management, I also partner in 3 new entrepreneurial endeavors in Topeka that can support all aspects of training and small business support needs: Topeka Office Suites (TopekaOffice.com); Topeka Virtual Offices; Topeka Event Center (TopekaEventCenter.com).  I have attached brochures on both the Office-Virtual Office Suites and Topeka Event Center.  Please contact me if I can ever provide a service or be of any assistance with these type of programs in our area.

 

Regards,

 

Clark W. Trammell, CEO

Topeka Event Center/Topeka Office Suites

 

785-338-8892 (o)

785-213-5090 (c)

-----Original Message-----
From: Robyne Stevenson <RobyneStevenson@gmail.com>
To: Lazone Grays <lazoneg@ibsa-inc.org>; Zachary Beall <letsservekc@gmail.com>
Cc: visionkc <visionkc@aol.com>; cprice27 <cprice27@aol.com>; Brennan Crawford <bcrawford@kckcc.edu>; Thomas M. Scott <tscott@kckha.org>; Tarence Maddox <tmaddox801@yahoo.com>; LaVita Gassoway <lavitaw34@gmail.com>; Beverly J Darby <bettyjdarby1@yahoo.com>; Pamela McKnight Cyrus K. <pdmck23@hotmail.com>; Edwards, Mildred [GO] [GO] <Mildred.Edwards@ks.gov>; april.dohle <april.dohle@hotmail.com>; Richard Mabion <rmabion@sbcglobal.net>; senhaley <senhaley@aol.com>; rollins <rollins@ucmo.edu>; Doris Williams <dwill918@sbcglobal.net>; cwiliet@aol.com <cwilieT@aol.com>; Matthew Gassen <matt@winstonmeriwether.com>; IBSA Grants Blog <lazone.grants@blogger.com>; Trent Howerton <trenth@workforcepartnership.com>; Scott Anglemyer <scotta@workforcepartnership.com>; Christal Watson <cwatson.kbcc@gmail.com>; christalwatson <christalwatson@kbccinc.com>; Mike Green <amikegreen2@yahoo.com>; terrance gunn <tgunn421@yahoo.com>
Sent: Thu, Aug 15, 2013 9:56 am
Subject: Re: Kansas City Digital Inclusion Fund - August 2013

I'm on vacation, but the fun never stops in KC! Thanks for sending this Lazone. I've been in KC long enough to know that Mike Green has a spot on assessment of the situation. It also is apparent that the most innovative non profit in the area - Connecting For Good - will be quite limited in what they can do with the funds, but would be able to pay staff and support volunteers that do the digital literacy part of their program. The one opportunity I see in this grant is that one of the eligible activities is 
areas with high unemployment, with emphasis on Internet-related career skills and job hunting

That provides an opportunity for actually supporting business development that includes tech infusion and job hunting could mean finding a client base for those new businesses. But I am quite doubtful that the granting fund envisions or would entertain something that strays away from the highly privileged viewpoint from which this grant notice is written. I am really tired of the "lets help poor people and then we're done" mentality - as if the digital divide is simply dumb poor people who have never used a computer. The fastest growing penetration of smart phones is in black and latino urban communities. The lines for computers at urban branch libraries is crushing. Urban students do their homework, research, and write papers on their smart phones. Cloud based computing enables great mobility and portability of your work regardless of what device you use. Today digital literacy is about being able to take advantage of the phenomenal growth in online apps and programs that are available and useful in developing and operating a business, building a product and market, and collaboration. Most successful entrepreneurs are those that are working in a collaborative environment where others are working on similar projects. I continue to believe that such space is lacking in urban communities where poverty and joblessness are high yet where there are entrepreneurs are in place. Digital skills start at basic access, but the real impact is in going well beyond that and building economic opportunity.  I'll be back in KC in time to attend the first session and I have my reservation. I have been working with another nonprofit in the midtown area that has interest in the collaborative space idea. If anyone else is interested in that approach - please feel free to contact me directly - Robyne Stevenson robyne@viablethird.com. I own a business, not a nonprofit, so I am not eligible to be the grantee. However, I am open and willing to partner with nonprofits. 

Thanks, Lazone for putting together this email list as a forum of interested people. 

Robyne

Robyne Stevenson

robynestevenson@gmail.com 

816-217-8532

find me on LinkedIn, Scribd, Facebook, Twitter

On Wed, Aug 14, 2013 at 7:02 PM, Lazone Grays <lazoneg@ibsa-inc.org> wrote:

FYI

#####

Kansas City fund aims to bridge digital divide

August 14

BY DIANE STAFFORD

The Kansas City Star

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/08/14/4409852/kansas-city-fund-aims-to-bridge.html#storylink=cpy

Kansas City Digital Inclusion Fund, unveiled at a Wednesday luncheon, has been created with $1 million in corporate and foundation gifts. The fund will allow area nonprofit organizations to apply for grants to provide computer access or teach residents about using computers and the Internet.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/08/14/4409852/kansas-city-fund-aims-to-bridge.html#storylink=cpy

http://www.kansascity.com/2013/08/14/4409852/kansas-city-fund-aims-to-bridge.html

Kansas City Digital Inclusion Fund

Greater Kansas City Community Foundation

• The challenge: Recent data show that 25 percent of Kansas Citians don;t have broadband at home, and 17 percent don't use the Internet at all. When asked why they aren't online, non-users cite two main reasons: lack of relevance and lack of access.
• The opportunity: The Digital Inclusion Fund will support local projects that provide computer access; make it easy to get online; help make the Internet relevant, exciting, and beneficial for new users; and increase people's digital skills.

http://www.gkccf.org/grant/kansas-city-digital-inclusion-fund

• The grant application for the Kansas City Digital Inclusion Fund can be found here: Kansas City Digital Inclusion Fund Grant Application

Eligible projects will target one or more of the following focus areas:

• people who don't use the Internet but are interested in learning how to get online and need help 
• people who don't use the Internet and who lack a computer or perceive high costs to Internet access
• areas with high unemployment, with emphasis on Internet-related career skills and job hunting
• seniors who don't use the Internet, with emphasis on access to health information
• school children in homes without Internet access 

Eligible expenses and activities to be supported may include, but are not limited to:

• Program costs including reasonable staff time associated with the implementation of the program / project
• Training and support for volunteers who assist in program / project implementation
• Hardware, software and Internet connectivity to be used to provide digital skills training for target population members (e.g. devices + portable hotspots for mobile computer labs)*

Contact person: 

Matthew Fuller, fuller@gkccf.org or 816.627.3420