A MORE CONNECTED COMMUNITY

With gigabit speeds becoming increasingly available in Kansas City, it’s critical to take steps to ensure that Kansas Citians across the digital divide don’t get left further and further behind.

The Digital Inclusion Fund was created to support organizations that provide digital training to the elderly and underserved and increase technology access to populations across the divide. It is housed at the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation and made possible by Google Fiber, the Sprint Foundation, The Illig Family Foundation, Polsinelli, Global Prairie and JE Dunn.

In 2013, GKCCF received 50 applications requesting more than $1.8 million in funds. The projects to receive first-round funds were:

• Connecting for Good – Digital Inclusion Support Program, $40,000
• Kansas City Public Library District – Mobile Digital Media Lab for Youth, $98,400
• Trinity Community Church – Digital Access KCK, $60,500
• Hispanic Economic Development Council – Digital Life Skills Training for Low-Income Latinos, $77,770
• ArtsTech – Digital Connectors Intergenerational Project, $35,000

The second round of funding closed on September 26, 2014. The Fund plans to award $1 million in grants over three years.

To learn more about the fund, visit the GKCCF website.