What you missed at the 2023 IMAGINE: Nonprofit conference

On Tuesday, March 14, the IMAGINE: Nonprofit conference brought together hundreds of nonprofit leaders, technologists, and innovators to learn and share how Amazon Web Services (AWS) Cloud technology can drive a positive impact for people and the planet. Nonprofit innovators from across the country led live sessions for other nonprofit leaders about how they’re innovating with cloud technology and engaging their communities. I was grateful to Chelsea Clinton, author, advocate, and vice chair of the Clinton Foundation and the Clinton Health Access Initiative, and Francessca Vasquez, AWS vice president of technology and customer solutions, for sharing their passions for data and leadership with us during a fireside chat. Plus, I announced new initiatives from AWS to support nonprofits in developing innovative solutions and scaling their impact with technology.

These were some of the top moments from IMAGINE: Nonprofit.

Inspiring solutions to lead through change

At AWS, we’ve seen the inspiring ways that nonprofits have been able to use cloud technology to reach new generations of donors, enhance and scale services to beneficiaries, and increase programs’ efficiency. During my keynote address, I had the privilege of sharing many of these stories, including a major announcement from the Allen Institute for Brain Science. The human brain is the most complicated and poorly understood organ, with extremely complex sources of data. Scientists need exabytes of data to study it. The Allen Institute is putting all their brain data from disparate sources into their new open source platform called the Brain Knowledge Platform, powered by AWS. This platform will unify the world’s neuroscience information to help us understand the human brain and accelerate cures for brain diseases—providing enormous potential in the acceleration of discovery and potential scientific breakthroughs.

In a fireside chat, Francessca Vasquez sat down with global impact-maker and thought leader, Chelsea Clinton, to talk about challenges and opportunities that nonprofit leaders face when influencing systems-level changes across their mission areas. Chelsea talked about how she is uniquely passionate about data, and inspired nonprofit leaders to take action with their data quickly. Chelsea shared how “sometimes you don’t need more data,” and discussed how organizations can use the valuable assets they already have. Throughout the conference, nonprofit leaders and AWS experts explored how AWS helps nonprofits make their data more actionable.

Chelsea Clinton, author, advocate, and vice chair of the Clinton Foundation and the Clinton Health Access Initiative, and Francessca Vasquez, AWS vice president of technology and customer solutions, at the IMAGINE: Nonprofit conference.

Chelsea and Francessca also spoke to the importance of cross-sector collaboration. Chelsea noted that every issue she’s passionate about requires the private and public sector to work together. Finally, Chelsea touched on her personal philosophy of how “it’s better to get caught trying.” Having authored the She Persisted series about many great women who demonstrate persistence throughout history, Chelsea highlighted the many different ways that persistence takes shape, like in driving forward research and innovation in the public sector, which can mean doing even one thing differently in a meaningful way.

Announcing the AWS IMAGINE Grant funding opportunity for 2023

To support and discover nonprofits that are bringing high-impact technology projects to life, AWS announced the launch of the 2023 funding cycle for the AWS IMAGINE Grant. The AWS Imagine Grant is an annual, public grant opportunity that provides vital resources, including up to $150,000 in unrestricted financial support, to nonprofits that are deploying cloud technology to advance mission goals. We’ve seen some of the biggest and most innovative ideas come from IMAGINE Grant applicants. Since the program’s inception in 2018, AWS has awarded grants to 66 nonprofit organizations with missions ranging from food security and housing, to maternal healthcare and social justice. Learn more about how to apply for the AWS IMAGINE Grant here.

Unifying data and systems to scale learning for all

A key building block in a successful and sustainable digital transformation is the ability to unify not only valuable data, but also the people, processes, and technologies that make up nonprofit operations.

 In a live leadership session, leaders from the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) spoke about how PBS uses AWS to unify hundreds of local stations across the country into one accessible and scalable platform, so that all families, no matter where they’re located, have an opportunity to learn. As a pioneer in public media, PBS continuously innovates with its Cloud Center of Excellence (CCoE), edge services, personalization of its member station content, and more. At the same time, PBS’s evolution from team-based technology deployment to organization-wide integration is anything but straightforward. Attendees learned first-hand where PBS is in their cloud journey, how they manage people and processes through technological changes, and how they champion cloud conscientiousness at scale.

Announcing new cloud-based solutions for credit unions and nonprofit research organizations

To help nonprofits quick start their journey to the cloud, AWS recently launched the Nonprofit Solutions Library. This resource is full of proven, repeatable, technical solutions—tailored for nonprofits. In the Solutions Library, you can access information on AWS services and solutions, AWS Partner solutions, and prescriptive technical guidance, specific to your needs. For example, you can learn how to create a cloud call center, deliver educational content, or optimize your costs. We already have a dedicated AWS Solutions Library for charities and membership organizations. At the IMAGINE: Nonprofit conference, we launched a new dedicated Solutions Library for credit unions and research organizations. Learn more about these solutions and how they can help you stay focused on your mission.

Allyson Fryhoff, managing director of nonprofits and nonprofit healthcare at AWS, delivering the keynote at the IMAGINE: Nonprofit conference.

Engaging communities to build global solutions

Nonprofits use technology to forge critical connections, and the cloud can help nonprofits better engage with constituents, supporters, and beneficiaries to scale impact even further.

In a leadership session, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) shared how they’re using AWS to engage communities and foster research, collaboration, and action in over 70 countries around the world. After all, combating climate change, preserving biodiversity, and protecting the planet requires bold innovation. Leaders from TNC discussed how they use next-generation technology built on AWS to address historical conservation challenges and then make those tools and tech accessible to the global climate change community. TNC shared ideas about how TNC’s small and agile cloud team can help inspire other organizations of any size to think about impact and build replicable models – and how that can open the flood gates for nonprofits to create solutions for challenges around the world.

Building nonprofit communities with AWS TechAction

As donor and member expectations are rapidly changing, my team knows that nonprofits need effective digital, personalized engagement to attract and retain. The AWS TechAction program provides resources, including up to $5,000 in AWS Credit, to empower nonprofits, membership organizations, and credit unions to build, modernize, and scale donor, member, and fundraising solutions. Additionally, the program offers in-person community roadshows, so that nonprofits can learn and grow together. Learn more about the AWS TechAction program.

Activating communities to empower collective impact

As organizations turn to the cloud to adapt legacy services to meet the needs of the digital era, successful nonprofits base these solutions in real-world, people-centric approaches to effectively activate impact. The cloud empowers organizations to act faster and smarter in protecting some of the world’s most vulnerable populations. Ruth Dearnley OBE, chief executive officer (CEO) of Stop the Traffik, shared how they are pioneering intelligence-led prevention to understand and dismantle networks of human trafficking and modern slavery on a global scale. Dearnley discussed how mission-driven nonprofits can develop data strategies to deepen their understanding of complex problems, increase cross-functional and inter-organizational collaboration, and activate people in powerful ways.

Announcing AWS Nonprofit Credit Program tiering for AWS Promotional Credit

To make sure we enable organizations of all sizes, across a spectrum of mission areas, to get started, experiment, try new services, and innovate with the cloud, AWS launched a new funding opportunity for nonprofits: the AWS Nonprofit Credit Program tiering. With this opportunity, organizations globally can access AWS Credit in three tiers based on their organization’s size. This means organizations are eligible for either $1,000, $2,000, or $5,000 in AWS Credits annually. AWS Nonprofit Credit Program tiering will launch in the US on April 3, and be fully available globally by May 15. Learn more about the AWS Nonprofit Credit Program.

Learn more about AWS for nonprofits

If you missed the IMAGINE: Nonprofit conference this year, or want to review some of your favorite sessions, watch the IMAGINE: Nonprofit conference sessions on-demand now.

The leaders and innovators who presented at the IMAGINE: Nonprofit conference show how technology can help nonprofits scale their impact. But we know for some, navigating new technology can be a steep learning curve. That’s why we launched the “Powering Purpose in the Cloud” guidebook to help nonprofits navigate their move to the cloud. This cloud adoption guidebook, created specifically for nonprofits, was built using our experience helping more than 85,000 nonprofit organizations. It also shares findings from research AWS commissioned from hundreds of nonprofit decisions makers in the US. Download the guidebook to discover more use cases and real-world examples of how to leverage the cloud with purpose.

Dive deep into more AWS resources for nonprofits, from grants and credits, to open data access and strategy, cloud training, and more. Learn more about how AWS helps support nonprofits at the AWS for Nonprofits and NGOs hub.

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