A year ago DigitalOcean joined the Pledge 1% movement, committing $50 million to social impact causes. Today, I’m pleased to share additional information about how that commitment will be realized in communities across the globe with the launch of our new social impact program, DO Impact.
DigitalOcean’s mission is to simplify cloud computing so that builders can spend more time creating software that changes the world. Our inaugural social impact program, Hollie’s Hub for Good, has already made a difference by providing over 2,000 organizations with infrastructure credits to grow their reach. DO Impact will deepen and expand our commitment to social impact by empowering changemakers around the globe through products and philanthropy, enabling DigitalOcean employees to do good in their communities, and ensuring our footprint is sustainable.
New programs and grants from DO Impact
We believe that technology can solve the world’s greatest problems, and are excited to support organizations that are making an impact not only in their local communities, but also by providing tools and learnings to the broader social impact ecosystem. From virtual learning platforms for students, to applications that prioritize mental wellness, and organizations building local capacity, we all benefit when organizations have the tools they need.
In addition to the infrastructure credits DigitalOcean has already provided to organizations, we’re excited to now provide cash grants that will enable organizations to hire staff and fund new programs. Some of the first grantees of DO Impact include Unicodemy, which empowers girls in Bolivia by teaching them STEM concepts, Project Sitara Foundation, an educational technology organization working with underserved communities in India, and the Federation of Humanitarian Technologists, a network of technologists that maintains open source technologies used for humanitarian crises.
The full list of grantees is:
- A Pretty Good Foundation Inc.
- Bienfait Rwanda
- CAFFE (Computers Are Free for Everyone)
- Casa Hacker
- coLegend
- EVE List
- Fast Forward
- Kelas by Pengajar Belajar
- Nukoko
- QuestaGame
- Take Action Global (TAG)
- Tech in Schools (TSI)
- TECHO
- Budburst
- The Federation of Humanitarian Technologists (FHT)
- The Global Centre for Risk and Innovation
- The Medito Foundation
- The Rakshin Project
- The Student Hub
- UngDrive
- Unicodemy
- Unstructured Studio
We will also encourage DigitalOcean employees to get more involved, both through direct work in their own communities and by providing mentoring to organizations through DO Impact. In 2021, one-third of DigitalOcean employees donated through our matching program or volunteered. We look forward to providing more opportunities for employees to engage with important work through initiatives such as Fast Forward, an accelerator for tech nonprofits.
Finally, we plan to bring more understanding to DigitalOcean’s carbon footprint and identify key environmental, social, and governance focus areas in the coming years. We are currently working to determine our carbon baseline, and plan to use it to set a long-term goal and strategy to meet it. By striving towards a more sustainable footprint, we can do our part to help our planet.
Community and love have been part of DigitalOcean since the very beginning, and DO Impact is just an extension of the great work builders of all types are already doing using DigitalOcean products. We are excited to support organizations in new ways as we broaden our social impact reach, and encourage non-profit organizations that are looking to partner with DigitalOcean to get in touch. If your organization is in need of infrastructure credits, please visit our Hollie’s Hub for Good program to apply.
