HelpSteps introduces new open source mobile app

For over ten years, HelpSteps has been helping the people of Greater Boston find the social services they need…. Recently, HelpSteps has been working with the Open Referral initiative. By standardizing the way that social services information is stored and shared, the team has positioned itself to work more closely with related organizations.

Perhaps the greatest benefit of this approach can be seen in HelpSteps’ new, open source mobile app. Available today for iOS and Android, this app marks a significant leap forward in portability, usability, and design. Continue reading

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New Philanthropy Capital: Joining the Dots

Last October, I had the opportunity to visit London and spend some time learning about the UK social sector, at events such as the excellent NPC Ignites conference. On this trip, I was impressed by people’s sense of pride in the country’s long history of public service provision. But I also heard clear notes of anxiety about the present and future of the sector, given converging trends such as budget cuts and privatisation. Continue reading

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California Health Data Project Creates New Role in Civic Tech

This piece is co-authored by Ash Roughani and Joel Riphagen, and has been cross-posted from TechWire magazine.

When the California Health Care Foundation launched the California Health Data Project last spring, it made a smart decision to create a new role in the civic innovation space. The foundation brought on California Health Data Ambassadors to connect the supply side of the open data equation, in this case the California Health and Human Services Agency’s (CHHSA’s) open data portal — to the demand side of the equation — or potential users of that portal…. Continue reading

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