In order to help guide digital transformation efforts across the metro, KC Digital Drive has developed a landscape analysis of the current digital inclusion funding ecosystem in Kansas City. This analysis is meant to provide funders and community organizations with a clear picture of the digital inclusion needs and funding apparatus in our community by highlighting the kinds of digital inclusion programming that are currently funded, and where there are gaps at a program and system level within the ecosystem.

The goal of this analysis is to help inform the upcoming re-launch of Kansas City’s Digital Inclusion Fund, as well as to support funders and digital inclusion practitioners in developing a strategy to take advantage of upcoming state and federal funding opportunities to build digital inclusion programming and capacity in the city.

The white paper is structured according to a five-point framework that KC Digital Drive has developed to help contextualize the the full diversity of barriers that contribute to the digital divide in Kansas City:

  1. Network Capacity
  2. Access to the Network
  3. Quality of Network Access
  4. Participation in Digital Life
  5. Excellence, Innovation, and Growth

For each of these dimensions, we explore the existing capacity of Kansas City’s digital inclusion ecosystem, the gaps we have identified that will require new initiatives to address, and the systemic issues that serve as barriers or opportunities for progress.

 

Read the white paper here.

Further Reading

Digital Inclusion Fund Awards $75,000 for Devices in the Greater Kansas City Area

The Kansas City Digital Inclusion Fund announces the 2024 Devices Grants cycle list of grant awardees. The KC Digital Inclusion Fund supports 501(c)(3) entities that focus on digital inclusion access, affordability and adoption to increase participation in digital society for Kansas City’s most underserved and/or disconnected residents. Initial funding support is from the Health Forward Foundation, Kauffman Foundation, Kansas Health Foundation and GFiber (Google Fiber).

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New ACC AmeriCorps Member Joins Team

Welcome, Gus Livers! He joins KC Digital Drive as an American Connection Corps (ACC) AmeriCorps member, serving in the 2024-2025 service year, thanks to the generous financial support from Comcast. Gus will serve as the Digital Inclusion Coordinator, and with his previous experience in internet services and streaming from Marksman Solutions, and event management at […]

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Digital Inclusion Week 2024

What is Digital Inclusion Week? Digital Inclusion Week (DIW) is an annual week of awareness, recognition and celebration. With support from NDIA, organizations and individuals across the country host special events, run social media campaigns, and share their digital inclusion actions and progress with media, among other actions.  We’re living in a pivotal time for […]

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