How Tech Companies Can Grow Their Social Influence And Impact

Many tech companies develop products and services designed to make a positive social impact, from health monitoring technology to green energy solutions to fintech applications that expand financial services to the previously underserved—and many, many others. In addition to the direct positive impact they can make through the products they bring to the market, tech companies are uniquely positioned to maximize their social impact through collaborations with nonprofits, public and private agencies, and even each other.

With the help and expertise of today’s tech professionals, tomorrow’s world can be a much better place for all of us. Below, 20 members of Forbes Technology Council share practical strategies to help tech companies grow their social influence and impact.

1. Share Your Skills And Solutions

Tech organizations can collaborate to maximize their social impact by sharing their technology and resources to develop solutions to societal challenges, thereby driving positive change. For instance, tech companies can provide technological solutions, offer highly skilled volunteers, form strategic partnerships geared toward social impact programs, and so on, all of which supercharge social change missions. – Rahul Rao, Understood.org

2. Support Tech Education

The pace of technological evolution is exponential—so much so that graduating students have to unlearn what they learned in their first year. Technology providers have a moral obligation to support education. They can proactively provide not just their technology, but also their training materials to students for free. This principle can easily extend to charities and social ventures. – James Duez, Rainbird Technologies

3. Help Nonprofits Assess Their Tech Stacks

Often, tech organizations have deep expertise that nonprofits and other organizations may not have. Leveraging that expertise, either to help identify where technology can be used in a nonprofit or to help the staff implement it, can be a great way of helping an organization maximize its mission. – Cam Linke, Amii (Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute)

4. Share Knowledge Freely With Colleagues

Java User Groups, a.k.a. JUGs, are a must for collaboration in the Java field. JUGs are a unique global community of Java professional developers who come together to spread and obtain the latest news and insights on Java. They operate on a nonprofit basis, and their work is recognized and highly valued by all sides involved (developers and businesses). – Alexander Belokrylov, BellSoft

5. Mentor Tech Candidates From Underrepresented Groups

Tech organizations can increase diversity in the field through mentorship programs. Working with nonprofit organizations and government agencies, they can engage with candidates from backgrounds that are typically underrepresented in tech, broaden access to opportunities and tap into valuable pools of talent. – Merav Yuravlivker, Data Society

6. Work With Public And Private Sectors On Ethical AI Initiatives

Accountability and a bias toward action are key. Collaborative initiatives that bring together the public and private sectors, such as NIST’s AI Safety Institute Consortium, the U.K.’s AI Safety Summit and the UN’s AI Advisory Body, should go beyond dialogue to focus on building stakeholder trust, fostering innovation and delivering tangible outcomes. – Eric Loeb, Salesforce

7. Sponsor Innovative Tech Education Programs

Many underrepresented groups in tech are served by nonprofits that are always looking for sponsors and volunteers. One such program is P-TECH, which offers students an associate degree concurrently with their high school program. Partnering here can provide true change in society by providing more opportunities to those who don’t have connections to the tech industry in their social sphere. – Luke Wallace, Bottle Rocket

8. Provide Digital Skills Training For Nonprofit Teams

Tech organizations can collaborate with nonprofits by providing digital skills training and necessary technology support. Through this mentorship and access to technology, they can help nonprofits find new opportunities. For example, one tech organization helped a nonprofit battery recycling organization develop a battery recognition model that greatly improved its battery sorting and recycling processes. – Vamsi Tammana

9. Incorporate ESG Initiatives Into Your Portfolio And Culture

We have incorporated environmental, social and governance standards, as well as sustainability, into our portfolio offers and company culture. As a tech organization, we believe in the power of the circular economy and have moved beyond donation to joint impact through organizations including Green4Good. These efforts allow us to give back while aligning to the mission, vision and values of our company. – Terry Mirza, Compugen Systems, Inc.

10. Help Responsibly Integrate Advanced Technology Into Public Services

Tech companies can partner with nonprofit entities and government agencies by establishing committees aimed at responsibly integrating advanced technologies such as AI into public services. These collaborations benefit the broader community by fostering innovation and addressing crucial issues surrounding technology governance and public trust. – Matthew Peters, CAI

11. Develop Technical Solutions For Public Agency Tasks

Tech organizations can amplify their social impact through collaborative creativity. Imagine harnessing blockchain for transparent resource tracking in disaster relief or AI to optimize food distribution in underserved areas. By pooling technological prowess with the on-the-ground insights of nonprofits and the broad reach of government agencies, we can craft innovative solutions that truly transform lives. – Dmitry Mishunin, HashEx

12. Partner With Healthcare Organizations To Develop Digital Health Tools

Companies should partner with health-focused nonprofits to develop accessible, user-friendly digital health tools that address key healthcare challenges. By leveraging the nonprofit’s understanding of on-the-ground needs and the tech company’s product development expertise, these collaborations can yield scalable, impactful solutions that enhance access to quality care and empower patients. – Marc Fischer, Dogtown Media LLC

13. Provide Free Licenses Of Your Software

We provide free licenses of our software to nonprofits every year. As a product leader, I love the opportunity to work with nongovernmental organizations because they’re often focused on different problems than the enterprises we normally work with, which gives me a better-rounded perspective on what the market is looking for. They get some great tech, and we get the opportunity to learn from them while providing value. – Lewis Wynne-Jones, ThinkData Works

14. Establish Cross-Sector Training And Mentorship Programs

Tech organizations can establish cross-sector partnerships focused on skills sharing and capacity building. By offering training programs, mentorship and resources, they empower nonprofits and government agencies to leverage technology effectively. This collaborative approach fosters sustainable solutions, ensuring lasting social impact through shared knowledge and resources. – Rohit Anabheri, Sakesh Solutions LLC

15. Set Up Needed Infrastructure For Improved Human Services Delivery

When it comes to supporting the efforts of healthcare organizations, tech organizations can provide nonprofits and government agencies with infrastructure that connects them and the social services they provide, such as food and housing, with healthcare providers. Providers can then leverage connectivity, data and analytics to deliver resources to patients in greatest need to maximize their impact. – Michael Meucci, Arcadia

16. Establish A ‘Technologist In Residence’ Initiative With Nonprofits And Government Agencies

Tech companies can embed their employees within nonprofits and government agencies to foster deeper understanding and the co-creation of solutions. This “technologist in residence” model enables real-time collaboration, ensuring solutions are tailored to on-the-ground realities. It builds empathy and shared purpose across sectors, leading to more relevant, sustainable social impact. – Andres Zunino, ZirconTech

17. Help Close The Feedback Loop Between Public Servants And Their Constituents

Tech organizations can develop tools that aim to close the feedback loop between elected officials, back-office employees and community residents. A city’s strategic plan is a great starting point, particularly when it comes to posting plans online or making them mobile-friendly for accessibility and transparency. Sharing the results and the positive impact of these plans is equally important. – Tom Amburgey, Euna Solutions

18. Leverage Spare Capacity To Incubate Socially Impactful Projects

Tech organizations often have spare development capacity, making project incubation a viable strategy. Focusing on socially impactful projects not only utilizes otherwise idle resources effectively, but also contributes positively to society. – Yuriy Golikov, DEVBROTHER LLC

19. Harness Your Data Analytics Capabilities To Provide Actionable Insights

Tech organizations can harness data analytics and AI to provide actionable insights for nonprofits and government agencies, enhancing decision-making and impact assessment. By sharing technological expertise and resources, they can optimize operations, target interventions more effectively and measure the social impact with precision, fostering a collaborative ecosystem that amplifies societal benefits. – Miguel Llorca, Torrent Group

20. Integrate Information About Free Resources In Health Providers’ Tools

Health tech companies, in particular, can make an impact by partnering with nonprofits to integrate information on free resources into provider workflow tools. This can help connect patients with such services as free meals and transportation, which can help address critical social determinants of health barriers and enable vulnerable populations to access the care they need to stay healthy. – Kempton Presley, AdhereHealth

Originally published on Forbes.