I trust you're all finding your rhythm again as we return to regular schedules.
Here on our end, there's a palpable buzz of excitement as we roll out the next phase of Accelerating Makers.
The coming 12 weeks mark a period of intense, purpose-driven action, with a singular mission: to harness community collaboration in crafting DApps that deliver tangible social benefits.
Introducing Maker Studio Sessions and Mentorships
We're thrilled to launch three new community-oriented features to Accelerating Makers that promise to expand opportunity and amplify our collaborative efforts.
1. Maker Studio Sessions. This is the space where you can sharpen your DWeb impact narrative and use case with seasoned mentors in product management, marketing, and fundraising in a private small-group session with a leader from the public good technology ecosystem.
Easy next step: Register for a Maker Studio Session and start transforming your ideas into inspiring DApps that are ready to catch a funder’s eye.
OR: Join us for an info session on January 29 to see if it’s right for you.
2. New Tools for Public Good Technology Makers. In collaboration with TechSoup’s technology partners, we're rolling out a series of new tools tailored for you, the Makers of public good technology.
Easy next step: We encourage you to explore these tools. Use them to build, develop, and refine your projects, amplifying your social impact.
3. Funder & Maker Briefings. A new event series curated by TechSoup, where builders of public good technology, civil society leaders, and funders gather to explore developments from the field of public good technology. These briefings are dynamic, interactive events designed to enrich your understanding of building and integrating public good technology from sector-specific perspectives, whether you're a Maker, civil society leader, or philanthropic funder in this space.
Stay tuned for more details about dates and how you can be a part of these events in Quad.
As we step forward in the work ahead, remember: You are the heartbeat of this emerging public good technology community. Your ideas, commitment, projects and enthusiasm are what drive the field forward.
Have questions or ideas about any of this? Meet us in Quad, our community space for connections and collaborations.
Don’t have a Quad account yet? Thanks to an award from The Filecoin Foundation for the Decentralized Web, all participants in the Accelerating Makers program can create a complimentary account on Quad that will be valid for the next 12 months.
Onwards,
Billy Bicket on behalf of the Public Good App House Team
P.S. Stay tuned for detailed information about how you can actively participate in each of these initiatives in Quad, or this newsletter, which we’ll be publishing on a weekly basis from now until the end of March.
Become a Mentor
Support the next wave of mission-driven Makers developing and integrating DWeb tools for civil society.
We are gearing up to welcome 50 early-career Makers into our very first Accelerating Makers Mentorship Program, but first we need to recruit mentors! That’s where you come in.
These Makers are developing DWeb tools for social impact and need your help for the next phase. Sharing your experience will help prepare them for funding opportunities and to launch.
You don't need all the answers; just bring your experience and a willingness to support Makers in building community tools.
The Role
- Structure and Time Commitment: Facilitate conversations with a team of Makers (one to three people) for a 45- to 60-minute session over Zoom.
- Focus. You can choose to focus on supporting Makers with their product (DWeb use cases) or marketing (impact storytelling).
- Approach: It's light, it’s impactful, it’s you.
What do you think?
If you’re into it, just fill out this Mentor application (it'll only take five minutes).
Benefits for Mentors
- Join and support a global online community of mission-driven DWeb Makers.
- Opportunities to network with other Mentors, funders, and civil society leaders working on community technology projects.
- Receive updates, content, and event invitations from Public Good App House.
Is This for You?
We're looking for technologists, programmers, developers, project managers, and entrepreneurs who have built or are building technology with DWeb components. You're a Maker who has been through the process before, and this is your chance to spread your wisdom and guide the next wave of Makers.
If you want to learn more about our mentorship opportunities, please join us for a Q&A conversation on January 29.
Software Offers
Makers need tools, so every week we will post a new free or discounted software offering to help you grow your project. Many of these offers are unique to Quad members.
If you already have a Quad account log in to see the offers or create your complimentary Quad account, subsidized for makers with an award from the Filecoin Foundation for the Decentralized Web.
GitLab for Nonprofits and Startups
GitLab is an AI-powered DevSecOps (development, security, and operations) platform that allows organizations to prioritize, manage, and automate their software development tasks. Dev can use GitLab to collaborate more efficiently, identify security vulnerabilities earlier, decrease development cycle times, and more.
GitLab is offering a limited number of eligible nonprofits a free one-year license with up to 20 seats for the GitLab Ultimate plan. Qualifying startups can also get one year free of the GitLab Ultimate plan.
Umoja Pay for Nonprofits and Social Impact Organizations
Umoja Pay enables your project to leverage Web3 payments infrastructure for more cost-effective delivery of digital cash and voucher assistance programs.
Umoja Pay provides feature-phone-compatible wallets and mass-payout tools built for hard-to-reach environments. With Umoja, blockchain technology helps lower transaction costs, and your organization can transfer money with 100 percent control and visibility regarding how participants use funds.
Events
Unlock the Future of Decentralized Technology for Good: Introducing Maker Studio Sessions
DATE: January 29, 10:00 – 10:30 a.m.
This is an information session about participating in Maker Studio Sessions. Maker Studio Sessions are a live, dynamic environment designed for you to forge connections with like-minded builders and civil society leaders and transform your visionary DApp ideas into actionable and fundable projects.
Welcome to TechSoup: New Member Orientation and Q&A
DATE: February 7, 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Have you recently joined TechSoup as a member, or are you thinking about becoming a member and want to better understand how TechSoup can help your work as a maker? Join us for our meeting on how you can access TechSoup's wide variety of product discount and donation programs. From hardware to software, we'll give you a tour of the tools available to help your nonprofit with productivity, collaboration, financial management, donor tracking, security, and more.
That’s all for this week, but we’ll share more soon!
The Accelerating Makers team