Nonprofits' Tech Dreams Come True

Three nonprofits were just handed a hunk of cash.

501cTECH awarded its annual tech awards this month to nonprofits with innovative ideas for how to use tech for their missions. 501cTECH, a nonprofit run by Julie Chapman that helps charitable organizations obtain tech products and services, tweaked this year's Celebration of Technology awards to recognize nonprofits that had an idea for how tech could help their mission (rather than ones that had already implemented an a tech program). The three winners received $7,500 and consulting from DC area tech firms.

The Alexandria Seaport Foundation won in the category of PreK-12 and STEM Education. The group's "STEM on the Potomac" program uses wooden boats, the natural environment and technology to improve student's STEM skills. The curriculum will teach radar and GPS tech and offers participants opportunities to build and launch underwater remote-operated vehicles to teach tech concepts. 

Good 360 won in the Skills to Succeed & Workforce Development category with its "Disaster Recovery360" program. The organization will use its money to create online portals for communities affected by disaster so that nonprofits can communicate their stories to potential supporters and flag particular needs.  

The National Military Family Association took the Veterans & Military Families award and will use its prize money to further develop MyMilitaryLife. The program is an information delivery system that connects families with solutions or preventive programs customized to their situation and location. The organization wants to now allow spouses to add content and recommended resources. 

Celebration attendees got to play with retro tech products. (We're too young to even know what they're holding.) Projects were reviewed by a panel of execs from tech companies like Accenture, CenturyLink, Blackboard, Facebook, GE, Google and Salesforce. Consulting for the nonprofits will come from 501cTECH, Accenture and CenturyLink.