What is in a word? Innovation

6 June 2022
Children hanging up a poster

The Internet Society Foundation believes that innovation is at the core of providing better opportunities for people to transform and enrich their lives through access to the Internet. We award funding to projects that are testing diverse approaches to Internet connectivity and the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) team has been asking ourselves some questions…

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SCILLS program expands to three new countries

19 May 2022
Girls in a classroom working on a computer

We are excited to announce the expansion of our Strengthening Communities, Improving Lives and Livelihoods (SCILLS) program to three new countries: Brazil, Ghana, and Indonesia.   The SCILLS program aims to contribute to economic inclusion and increase educational opportunities by supporting individuals and communities to more knowledgeably and skillfully use the Internet. “The growth of…

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Four projects awarded funding to advance Internet access and connectivity around the world

24 January 2022
A group of people collaborating on a wall with post-it notes

We are excited to award a first round of grant funding through our BOLT grant program to four exciting projects that will help advance Internet access and connectivity for communities around the world. Launched in 2021, the BOLT program funds teams of creatives, technologists, and researchers to develop projects that promote Internet connectivity, particularly among communities where…

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Third round of grant funding awarded to researchers studying the future of the Internet

10 January 2022

We are thrilled to award a third round of grant funding through our Research grant program to six exciting projects that examine the future and sustainability of the Internet. Launched in 2020, this program supports a diverse group of researchers around the world who are generating solutions today to meet the Internet challenges of tomorrow. The selected projects…

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$1 million awarded in grants to support digital skills development in Bangladesh, Colombia and Senegal

2 December 2021
Young woman in orange dress uses a tablet computer

The Internet Society Foundation has awarded over $1 million in digital skills development grants to nine innovative projects in Bangladesh, Colombia and Senegal.  Now in its second year, the Strengthening Communities/Improving Lives and Livelihoods (SCILLS) grant program aims to expand economic growth and increase educational opportunities by supporting individuals and communities to more knowledgeably and…

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$1.5 million awarded in grants to promote Internet resiliency during disaster response

8 November 2021
Two Help.NGO workers in a village

We have awarded $1.5 million in a first round of grant funding to three organizations through our Resiliency program. This funding will support projects that increase network resiliency in communities prone to natural and climate-related disasters, ensuring these communities are better able to prepare for and withstand the effects of a disaster on Internet connectivity.…

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Musings of a MEL Enthusiast: The Power of Language

18 October 2021
A person standing on a skateboard on a road

By Suzane Muhereza Like many organizations are doing at this time of year, our Internet Society Foundation (Foundation) team is currently planning our 2022 priorities. In doing so, we got into a conversation on clarifying and naming our beneficiary communities. In the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) office, I am thinking about how we will…

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Announcing $200k innovation grants to address the Internet connectivity gap

28 September 2021
A group of people collaborating on a wall with post-it notes

We are excited to announce a round of grant funding to advance Internet access and connectivity through our Building Opportunities/Leveraging Technology (BOLT) program. In its first year, the BOLT grant program aims to support teams of creatives, technologists, researchers, and social/cultural workers to develop innovative solutions to Internet connectivity, particularly among communities where current technologies are…

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The future of e-waste in Africa

24 August 2021
Close up of e-waste in a skip

Driven by the vision on an Internet for Everyone, The Internet Society (ISOC) Zimbabwe Chapter runs programs aimed at making a difference locally, informing policy, and educating the public about Internet-related issues. In collaboration with the Center for Advanced Research in Global Communication, they are a 2021 awardee of our Research Grant Programme that examines the impact of the Internet on the environment. We spoke with Dr Vusumuzi Maphosa, lead Researcher and Jasper Mangwana, ISOC Zimbabwe President to learn more about this project and what it hopes to achieve.

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$1.5 million awarded in second round of grant funding for COVID-19 response

20 July 2021
A nurse stands in a hospital ward in Murambinda, Zimbabwe

We are pleased to award $1.5 million in a second round of grant funding through our Emergency Response Program to four projects that are responding to COVID-19 by connecting vulnerable communities to the Internet.   The selected projects include: HELP. NGO’s Disaster Immediate Response Team which is expanding Internet connectivity for public health and emergency…

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