How Can You Scale the Charitable Impact By Using Online Learning
Since the outbreak began, many charities have had to think about how to increase the impact of their work and sustain their physical presence using virtual ways.
The charity sector is not one of the sectors that's famous for its early adoption of new technology though, according to Thrive For Good's International Executive Director, James Woller. "Charities tend to be more traditional and conservative in their efforts to grow. Thrive's had to take an alternative approach in order to go ahead, which involved taking on a risk by delivering virtual training through ," he explains.
The introduction of online learning has enabled this organization to increase its reach. "Before the introduction of online learning, we had impacted close to 30,000 people. Now, we're impacting close to 80,000. The number of communities we've reached grew from 550 up to nearly 800. seven countries, to 47 and we're going into countries that we could never have imagined of." says Woller.
Another organization that has had to come up with new ideas in order to meet the challenges caused by covid-19 can be found in Vayu Global Health Foundation. Prior to the pandemic, Burke was traveling every few weeks to train medical professionals in person. Since traveling hasn't been possible and the Vayu team created a course to do virtual training and reach everyone around the globe.
"We exclusively use it as an education platform," says Vayu's executive director Thomas Burke. "Without , our efforts would have come to an end because of the pandemic ."
We spoke with the Thrive For Good's James Woller and Vayu Global Health Foundations' Thomas Burke to discuss how they could enhance their impact in such an uncertain time in the world. We found out that they were able accomplish this in two ways: By teaching online as well as looking at the world of charity from a more progressive lens. The following is the way they grew their charitable impact:
1. Teaching online
Thrive For Good
The world's population is dwindling to two billion and they don't receive the nutrients they need. Thrive For Good equips individuals and communities around the world with tools to sustainably grow nutritious, organic food for life by training both those who want to learn how to grow food for themselves as well as their loved ones in conjunction with organisations that can incorporate the principles of Thrive into their programs. In the average, the company generates close to one million Canadian dollars per month of food in their community gardens based on 50 cents per meal.
Partnering with partners across Europe, South America, Africa and Asia, Woller says they would not be able to scale their reach without the introduction of online learning courses.
While online learning has helped the organization scale but it's also made it easier to navigate the challenges caused by covid-19. "Just this morning, I was on a call with a colleague in Uganda, where the boundaries are closed and movements are completely restricted... It would be extremely difficult to arrange an instructor in-person this moment. That's why online learning can ."
Woller claims that the company is saving tons of resources after converting to online. "We're saving tens of thousands of dollars since the use of . If we had to physically send a training session with Thrive to each of our partner organization's community for one month, it would be impossible to scale in the way we do," he says.
Vayu Global Health
Thomas Burke, emergency doctor as well as a faculty member of the Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health, runs both branches of his organization on : Vayu Global Health Foundation and Vayu Global Health Innovations.
The Vayu Global Health Foundations is a charitable trust that focuses on identifying and implementing high-impact solutions that are transformational for maternal, newborn, and child health. This is the Vayu Global Health Innovations arm of the company is a publicly-owned company, meaning they're signed with the World Health Organization as well as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and have a strong commitment to global health and the community.
At Vayu They've designed medical equipment that can help ease CPAP and bronchial asthma, which Burke states is among the most deadly killers for young children younger than five. The breathing device needed to treat the condition can reduce deaths by 66 percent. Because most of these devices use power, they're expensive for countries with low incomes. The Vayu team has developed a device that costs $300- just a fraction of what it costs for the gold standard CPAP device, which is worth $12,000- that provides the same high-quality. The device doesn't need electricity or bioengineering and is therefore easy for those with limited resources to use. Through the use of it, users are able to train local doctors on how to use the device.
Because the CPAP training was extremely successful They're currently working on another program to train medical professionals on how to utilize their latest device, that's an oxygen blender. Normally priced at $1,200, they've designed the exact device for only $50 to help children with pneumonia or difficulty breathing.
The virtual platform enable to reach more people, it also helps to standardize the training for medical devices. "We have master trainers in each country, but it's not sufficient. The training allows us to improve the quality of our training that is provided as well as testing. is here to stay for us," he says.
2. Using a progressive lense
Thrive For Good
Woller states that conventional methods can prove difficult to increase the impact of charitable causes. "The fundamental nature of a charity's existence is dependent by donations and charitable giving. The relationship that has been established between the donor or philanthropist and the charitable organization that is delivering the program poses some issues as it relates to scaling" he describes. "Donors don't necessarily want their funds going to technological advancements... It's their preference to prefer spend their money on programs... However through the development of capacities through technology, things are able to expand ."
Thrive's innovation has come from taking a look at companies that are currently focusing their efforts on organic agriculture and nutrition and then enhancing their efforts. "We weren't required to double the amount of money we have to spend in order to increase our impact. We've changed from a B2C model to a B2B one. We like to see ourselves as Java in your computer; We don't need to be Dell and Apple. It's possible to label our work as white we offer. This is a new approach in the charitable space ."
They've been able to scale their efforts since moving on the internet, Woller explains. "We were recently contacted by an organization in India that has dozens of training facilities, over 18,000 staff and community workers and millions of people who benefit. They approached us about their concerns about food security in India, as well as the crisis of covid-19, and they have requested that we push all of their training through Thrive. That's scale."
Woller is a firm believer in the value of charitable organizations exploring new ideas and taking chances. Their online learning was an experiment that paid dividends. "I think a couple of doses of innovation in the charitable space is greatly required. To make a difference, you must take risks. We're very happy we took the risk of trying online learning" He says.
While Woller recognizes that taking risks could be daunting but he is of the opinion that outcomes can be awe-inspiring and is a normal part of the entrepreneurial journey. He says "Ninety percent of businesses fail, yet entrepreneurs maintain their going ."
Vayu Global Health
It is the Vayu Global Health Innovations approach is based on the development of a robust income base to grow and self-sufficiently expand the scope of their work without having to rely on donations. "This is an unusual model in the charitable space," he says.
With an advanced lens, they've now been able an online platform to offer training. They're now able to access a much broader population than when they solely rely on in-person training. "We have the ability to think bigger with across populations and health systems much more easily than the demonstration programs that ."
In the case of online education, Burke believes that the results are only as good as the effort you're putting in. "You need to be aware of the fact that it's not simple to produce high-quality educational content," he says. "Teaching includes some form of fun as you attempt to attract the attention of your viewers. This shouldn't be just about giving information. You need to have fun and be imaginative. amusement with your ."
Burke recommends charities collaborate with locals of the populations in which they're working to develop the materials they use. "It's good for charities to co-create with local individuals rather than have an Americanized instrument which is trying to carry over the Atlantic. I don't think that will succeed," he says.
For a brief overview, implementing an online class is an exciting step in the charitable space that can significantly boost the capacity of an organization to grow. Being bold, taking risks and stepping outside the box can also help a charity increase their influence and impact.