AWS Public Sector Blog

Category: Nonprofit

Supporting the LGBTQ+ communities of L.A. with scalable contact center solutions

The Los Angeles LGBT Center has cared for, championed, and celebrated lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) individuals and families in Los Angeles and beyond since 1969. Today, it provides direct services for more LGBTQ+ people than any other organization in the world. The center’s chief information officer, Allen Spiegler, shares how the nonprofit adopted Amazon Connect to scale their crucial contact center services to meet explosive demand—virtually overnight.

Coming soon: AWS launching new Region in Spain by mid-2022

Located in Aragon, the new AWS Europe (Spain) Region will consist of three Availability Zones, giving organizations of all sizes—from startups to enterprises and public sector—access to local infrastructure, while meeting the highest security standards, regulations and data protection, reducing latency, increasing security, improving scalability, and boosting innovation and digital transformation in Spain.

National Governors Association state grantees use machine learning to connect job seekers with new opportunities

The NGA is working with Research Improving People’s Lives (RIPL), a Rhode Island-based nonprofit organization that works with governments to help them use data, science, and technology to improve policy and lives. Using machine learning (ML), artificial intelligence (AI), and Amazon Web Services (AWS), RIPL unlocks previously-siloed government administrative data and puts it to work for jobseekers by delivering career-path and reskilling recommendations, as well as personalized potential employment opportunities that help state leaders make measurable progress against unemployment.

How the cloud is helping us better understand and manage the oceans

The world’s waters are largely unknown, with vast areas still unmapped. To protect and preserve the oceans, we need to extensively understand its systems, and data is at the core of that process. The Amazon Sustainability Data Initiative (ASDI) is committed to enabling better access to the foundational data that can help researchers, businesses, and policy-makers better monitor and manage the ocean’s valuable resources.

Dr C Palanivelu, Chairman, Gem Hospital & Research Center, addressing the audience during the virtual conference

Mediknit delivers high-def global surgery workshop with AWS Media Services

Mediknit is an online academy marketplace for healthcare professionals to access on-demand, need-based upskilling programs and professional development programs created by verified educators across the globe. In collaboration with GEM Institute of Laparoscopy and Robotic Surgery, Mediknit provides live surgery streams via the GEM Televersity portal for the continuing medical education (CME) needs of surgeons. With AWS, Mediknit scaled to meet the demand to provide this streaming solution across the globe.

Wafa Alobaidat

In her words: Wafa Alobaidat and 5 lessons of an entrepreneur

In 2020, AWS and Halcyon launched the Halcyon 2021 Bahrain Women’s Intensive, which aims to foster leadership and scale early-stage, women-run businesses based in Bahrain. The program seeks to inspire female tech entrepreneurs in Bahrain—one of the fastest growing ecosystems in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) for impact-oriented business—and the broader region. One of the Intensive participants is Wafa Alobaidat, founder of Women Power Network, an organization that aims to accelerate the success of women founders and professionals through networking and live events including the Women Power Summit. Here are five key entrepreneurship lessons that Alobaidat has learned through her work.

close up of laptop showing tracking of sharks via OCEARCH along the US Carolina coastline

Assessing the ocean’s health by monitoring shark populations

OCEARCH is a data-centric organization built to help scientists collect previously unattainable data about the ocean. Their mission is to accelerate the ocean’s return to balance and abundance, through innovation in scientific research, education, outreach, and policy, using unique collaborations of individuals and organizations in the US and abroad. As part of the Amazon Sustainability Data Initiative (ASDI), we invited Fernanda Ubatuba, president and COO at OCEARCH, to share how her organization is making strides in helping ocean conservation and how AWS is supporting her mission.

elderly couple signing on tablet

Supporting people with hearing loss through cloud-enabled solutions

In 2021, one in six Australians—almost four million people—have hearing loss, ranging from mild to profound. The statistic is part of the larger global picture reported by the World Health Organization (WHO) that approximately 466 million people live with hearing loss; of these, 34 million are children. In addition, 1.1 billion young people are at risk of hearing loss due to exposure to noise in recreational settings and through personal audio devices. AWS offers services that will help organizations build end-to-end solutions with accessibility in mind and improve day-to-day activities such as social interactions, clinical consultations, live media, and public service announcements.

wind turbines green field at sunset

Announcing the AWS Clean Energy Accelerator for startups

Addressing climate change requires innovation across the world, across industries, and across startups and multi-national corporations. From distributed energy to storage solutions to efficiency and optimization software—clean technology investment and innovation is surging. With this surge in demand comes a rapid proliferation of startups working to solve today’s biggest energy challenges. To help foster this innovation, AWS is launching the AWS Clean Energy Accelerator.

AWS Imagine Grant 2021

Now available: Expanded funding for nonprofits with the 2021 AWS Imagine Grant

Nonprofits have found themselves thrust into a digital-first landscape, with an increasing demand for virtual or remote services for beneficiaries, donors, volunteers, and staff. During the COVID-19 pandemic, nonprofit organizations put forth tremendous effort to fill gaps unmet by the government and private sectors for our communities. Nonprofits have shown agility in their pivot to online events, remote service delivery, sharing of data and research, and more. To help nonprofits access the best-in-class tools provided by AWS, today we are launching the 2021 AWS Imagine Grant program. Guidelines and instructions on how to apply for this year’s cycle are available today.