Note: Over the course of many successful years, Full Circle Fund's Tech Circle completed a number of innovative projects on issues related to digital inclusion. However, within the three other circles, more and more grant partners were asking for technological expertise. It became clear that Technology was no longer a stand-alone issue. In 2009, Full Circle Fund began a process to infuse technology into the other circles as a critical tool for social change. Technology Circle members gradually moved to other circles to provide technology expertise in those areas. Though technology remains a critical piece of our work in all circles, the Technology Circle was ended in 2010 as an independent entity. Moving forward, members from the Tech circle are infusing the other circles with their technological savvy and expertise. These members are now known as the Go Tech! Team.

Technology

The Challenge | Our Goal | Our Approach | Acknowledgments

The Challenge

In the late 1990s, most technology related social programs focused on bridging the digital divide to ensure that underserved citizens had equal access to technology.

In the 2000s, with the ubiquity and necessity of the Internet and other technologies, the emphasis shifted - it became critical for all citizens to have the appropriate skills, resources and training to live in and benefit from our technology-based society.

In the United States, a home computer, high-speed internet connection and new digital tools (such as cell phones) became a prerequisite for accessing news, government resources, job listings, health resources, community tools and other information. And, according to the City and County of San Francisco's Department of Technology, a 2007 study suggested that San Francisco's digital exclusion was more significant for certain demographics:

• Seniors were even less likely to be online than in other cities.
• Women in San Francisco were less likely to access the Internet than men, a divide not seen in other major cities.
• San Francisco's non-white population were substantially less likely to have home computers and internet access than the City's white population.

The matter evolved into one of digital inclusion, with the goal of an inclusive information society that enhances quality of life and social equity, particularly for underserved populations. This was the focus of the Technology Circle, until the year 2009.

Our Goal

Full Circle Fund's Technology Circle (2000-2009) supported social innovators and community-based solutions that helped all people in the Bay Area take advantage of the educational, professional and personal opportunities enabled by technology.

Our Approach

In order to meet the shifting demands of digital inclusion, Full Circle Fund developed a Theory of Change, which focused on three areas within technology with potential for significant community impact.

• Access / Content / Community: Promoting effective delivery of information, services and training; and involving citizens as shared internet content providers and digital media producers with an emphasis on collaboration, community building and citizen engagement.
• Training / Employment: Focusing on workforce development through job readiness, life skills development, empowerment and new employment opportunities in our technology-based society.
• Leadership / Economic Development: Fostering effective community advocates and encouraging sustainable economic development in low-income neighborhoods in order to ensure widespread economic vitality.

For each annual grant cycle, the Technology Circle selected grant projects supporting nonprofits that were innovators in community-based technology. Read about those projects on the Past Grant Projects page.

Acknowledgments

Full Circle Fund would like to acknowledge and congratulate the leadership of our former Technology Circle for a job well done. To our Chair, Marc Smolowitz, and Vice Chair Zuzka Fedorkova: thank you for your leadership, vision, and dedication to the Technology Circle.

"The folks at Full Circle Fund are working hard on projects that are good for our nonprofit community. That's a big deal, and I'm really impressed by what they've done so far."

Craig Newmark

Founder, craigslist.org