The city\u2019s new SPARK Innovation Academy has a mission to bridge the \u201cdigital divide\u201d between professionals in nonprofits and other industries.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The free course provides support for local nonprofits in using digital tools, said Juliet Fink-Yates, the Office of Innovation and Technology\u2019s broadband and digital inclusion manager.<\/p>\n
Too often, nonprofits don\u2019t have the funds for administrative positions, leaving them to figure out many of these responsibilities on their own.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI think there\u2019s a huge need in the nonprofit sector to upskill, because [employees] often have to be really scrappy, and they have to kind of figure things out on their own,\u201d she said. \u201cSo if we can help them do it and figure it out in ways that are easier, time-efficient, and more effective, they can then use that saved time to get more funds for the actual programs that they\u2019re running and show their funders the work that they\u2019re doing in really meaningful and impactful ways.\u201d<\/p>\n
The course<\/p>\n
The first cohort of the SPARK Innovation Academy will offer nine weeks of training, skills and software tutorials for 20 Philly nonprofit professionals.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Titled \u201cTransformative Technologies for Nonprofits, the \u201ccollaborative\u201d program will take place every Tuesday from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cEach week has a different topic and really goes through an innovation experience and process where you\u2019re working through a problem that you have, and you\u2019re learning strategies, technology, and innovation tools to address that problem in a really deep and meaningful way,\u201d said Fink-Yates.\u00a0<\/p>\n
First up: guidance on how to more efficiently use common platforms.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of our first sessions will just be diving deep into Microsoft 365, and the Google Suite platform,\u201d she said. \u201cWe found that a lot of professionals don\u2019t even use those platforms as robustly as they could, and they don\u2019t often use them for true collaboration.\u201d<\/p>\n
Additionally, the course will help participants be able to decide which software tools and platforms are best for different situations, as well as how to differentiate between digital tools.<\/p>\n
The goal is to prepare professionals to feel comfortable and confident making these decisions on their own going forward.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSo we\u2019ll be talking about everything from the very simple tools that folks might use, like a Google form or a Microsoft form, to more complex forms that you can use and why you might choose one versus the other,\u201d she said. \u201cThat\u2019s a technology tool, but at the same time, we\u2019ll be working with folks to think about why they\u2019re doing the survey. Or if they\u2019re even asking the right questions. Or, how do they frame a question? Or, how do you use AI to generate those questions?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She said the course will also explore AI and graphic design tools, such as Adobe Express and Canva, to better support nonprofits when creating flyers or using social media.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cCollaborative\u201d nature<\/p>\n
Beyond the cohort\u2019s teachers and materials, SPARK organizers hope cohort members are able to help one another with their existing skills.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s where I think the cohort model comes in,\u201d Fink-Yates said. \u201cOne cohort member can say, \u2018This is how I use this tool at my nonprofit, and I do this part really well.\u2019 And somebody else may say, \u2018I\u2019ve never used that before, but I use this other tool for surveying, and I use it all the time.\u2019 The idea is that as much as we\u2019re teaching them, they\u2019re learning from each other, too.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The program is built around participants bringing skills and software back to others in their own organization.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s really meant for them to take it back and share it with the others in their organization and help them really transform or \u2018spark\u2019 their own innovation within their organization,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Various Philly leaders echoed support for the program and why it is so important.<\/p>\n
\u201cNonprofits are the backbone of Philadelphia,\u201d said Melissa Scott, chief information officer for the City of Philadelphia, in a statement. \u201cWhen they have access to the right digital tools and knowledge, they can focus more time and energy on what matters most, serving their communities.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
In the future, Fink-Yates said, she hopes other program cohorts can reach small businesses and also partner with universities \u201cto design and develop programs for professionals.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nonprofit professionals interested in applying for the SPARK Innovation Academy can learn more during a virtual information session<\/a> on Wednesday, Oct. 22, at noon. Applications for the cohort are due no later than Friday, Nov. 14, at 5 p.m.\u00a0<\/p>\n