Mission Statement
Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits (SVCN), Community Technology Alliance (CTA) and the Points of Light Institute are proud to bring you the HandsOn Tech Silicon Valley program.
HandsOn Tech members, including the Silicon Valley team, are tasked with training and supporting local nonprofits so that they can serve their clients and communities better. The full HandsOn Tech description is as follows:
HandsOn Tech AmeriCorpsVISTAs will increase the effectiveness of the Silicon Valley nonprofit sector’s use of technology (prioritizing cloud based/online applications and applications specifically for the nonprofit community). By supporting the sector’s use of technology, organizations will realize greater efficiencies and be better able to address the needs of low-income communities, ultimately improving outcomes for children and families.
Description
The three members of Silicon Valley’s HandsOn Tech team will engage in the following activities:
- Aiding nonprofit organizations in increasing their effective use of technology with the ultimate goal of increasing community resources and improving outcomes for low-income communities and families
- Assisting local low-income community members with technology training to help bridge the "digital divide"
- Identifying and engaging "Skills Based Volunteers" to create an infrastructure of support for the local communities to further support nonprofits and the low-income community.
As HandsOn Tech are members of a VISTA project, we want our work to be sustainable. This means that we want our efforts to continue long after the service year is complete. This is a fundamental part of the work that AmeriCorps VISTA’s have done for over 40 years.
An important element of our program is centered around capacity building. Capacity building happens by starting, or growing, programs that allow an organization to do better. It is developing or enhancing their ability to do great things-like serving the low-income community. With technology, this could be helping a nonprofit more effectively manage their emails -- allowing them better communication, increased collaboration and, ultimately, enabling them to get more work done.
When it comes to the community, we are working in the area of community empowerment. It is the engagement of the community to help plan, develop and implement programming and service activities to address local needs. This means providing them opportunities to learn about technology that can enhance their own lives -- personal finance/budgeting, resume writing tools, online job search, job skills, etc.
Our work can happen in many forms, but ultimately we want to engage skilled volunteers to help us create a sustainable effort in your community -- generating positive growth for nonprofits and the community, beyond August 2014.
