Atmosphere Inspires Edition 012
Sam Colyer
Atmosphere Inspires is our regular curation of news and views from the digital sphere; the lead stories that are affecting you and your business. In this festive, feel good edition we’re looking at how technology is revolutionising the world of charities and contributing towards positive social impact.
Stories catching our attention
Goodbox introduces contactless donation option
So you want to spontaneously donate to a charity with a great cause but have no cash on you? It’s become a common problem but solved by Goodbox who has increased charity donations at the National History Museum by 22% via a contactless payment option. As we move to cashless society this concept was greatly needed. Goodbox has recognised that reliance on cash donations needed to evolve: people want and expect faster, simpler and more efficient ways of giving.
Tech Trust saves £200m with access to donated software
Software from Tech Trust has helped third sector organisations save £200m by providing them with access to donated software from the likes of Adobe and Microsoft. Third sector organisations are generally funded independently from the government and so these donations will be crucial to the survival of the organisation. Chairman Charles Mindenhall says growth has been driven by charities realising the need for technology: not surprising given the pace at which organisations across all sectors are having to evolve and react to digital change.
What else is happening?
Ixo Foundation to use Blockchain technology to monitor goals
Two years ago the United Nations pledged to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity by 2030. It’s a difficult pledge to measure, but Ixo Foundation has developed a verified database to monitor the data. With so many charities competing for critical funding, this approach will provide essential measurable statistics to help bring confidence to the causes and encourage further donations. The concept will be implemented using blockchain technology and will enable charities to make an “impact claim”.
Advanced says Cloud technology is key for charities
New research from Advanced shows that cloud technology is key for charities of the future, yet many are not ready to thrive in the digital era. To assist, Advanced has developed a web based portal called CloudDonor to manage a whole host of business needs online. A lack of funding is likely to be the main contributor for charities falling behind in the digital arena, so making smart, economical choices will be vital for those striving to take the next step towards digitalisation.
Johns Hopkins University widens AI demographic
Utilising VR and AR in university film and computer science departments is a growing trend right now, the latest is from the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore offering a new immersive storytelling and emerging technologies program. It’s a great example of where technology can help to break down boundaries and offer opportunities to a much wider audience.
Graviky Labs
We love this unusual yet wonderful idea of recycling air pollution with art. Graviky Labs has developed technology to turn fumes into “air ink”. Most impressively, around 1.6 trillion liters of outdoor air has been cleaned so far in India by this startup company. As you know we love outside of the box thinking, it opens up so many exciting opportunities and this, coupled with the eco friendly concept is certainly no exception. 
