Social Impact Lab

12/31/2017

We're closing for good, today. Thanks so much for being part of our community. Check out our final new resources on our site, on disseminating content on basic phones, and an outline specification workshop. And don't forget to sign up for Betterbox.tech!

SIMLab closed on the 31st December 2017.

12/19/2017

Some operational reflections on our closure from our CEO, Laura: hire for your weaknesses, delegate, keep it simple, don't undervalue yourself and set firm risk thresholds. Most of all: think of your family.

This is the second of two posts about the causes of SIMLab’s closure (part I is here). This post focuses on the more operational issues, and offers 5 unsolicited tips for non-profit CEOs everywhere - particularly introverted,...

12/15/2017

Get free office space in downtown DC and be part of a growing Open Gov movement! Apply to be an OpenGov Hub Community Catalyst!

Are you eager to join a community of leading nonprofits and change makers in international development and other fields, working to help make governments more transparent, accountable, and deliver…

12/13/2017

What happened: the reasons for our closure, from our CEO, Laura Walker McDonald. Part 1 of 2 is now out.

In the first of two posts, Laura shares some of the reasons for SIMLab's closure in 2018.

11/30/2017

1) Do a data audit
2) Organize a Board and C-suite briefing
3) Add responsible data to your staff training.

Any questions?

IRIN reported this week that a CRS installation of Red Rose, an online aid distribution management platform, had significant security vulnerabilities thanks to a default password that hadn't been…

11/30/2017

Bravo for this excellent Failure Brief on their Cash Catalog. One key learning: humanitarians aren't yet good enough at writing a spec to be able to use such a tool. More to do... [pdf link]

11/22/2017

SIMLab's closure, new resources, and get ready to help with our biggest ever project

11/21/2017

We're on the ICTWorks blog today calling for a culture of evidence-informed action in tech for social change.

We can and should be working to professionalize, setting standards and improving practice, and developing a body of evidence on which we can all draw on.

11/17/2017

Funding for Humanitarian Innovation. Apply now - up to £50,000 for problem recognition, advanced seed-funded projects or diffusion of your idea https://buff.ly/2AIY3yM

11/17/2017

Adapting participatory video for Kenyan activists

Bunge La Mwananchi (BLM) is a Kenyan grass-roots social movement that creates space for unrepresented people from the poorest backgrounds to raise and debate issues, and to amplify their social…

11/16/2017

New Vulnerability & Risk Assessment Online Guide from Oxfam looks great!

This is a practical tool to Oxfam’s Vulnerability and Risk Analysis (VRA)

11/16/2017

Also from the CDAC Network - a new media landscape guide for Dominica!

The Communicating with Disaster Affected Communities (CDAC) Network is a unique cross-sector initiative that brings together leading humanitarian and media development agencies alongside technology…