What Problems Can Technology Solve?

It's clear that digital technology can power business and that many digital companies have disrupted entire industries with the way they deliver products and services for the better.

But can technology be part of solving social issues as well as business ones? In the last three decades, the rate of poverty across the globe has been cut by 50%. There have been significant increases in life expectancy, and significant decreases in child mortality. But pressing social issues remain. A group centered around the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business has advanced the theory that organizations dedicated to nonprofit causes and social change should adopt Social Change as a Platform (SCaaP).

On the most obvious level, SCaaP means utilizing digital technology and platforms in the same ways as business uses them: advancing distribution capacity, scale, and transparency while reducing costs. But it also means modifying or even abandoning legacy models in favor of the values of the digital platform world. Legacy models typically put the organization at the center of its goals and objectives. Platform models put the connectivity and network at the center — and, more importantly, the shared relationships and shared knowledge conveyed by the platforms.

Platform Models at Work

In DonorsChoose.org, individual donors can develop classroom projects for potential recipients of their giving. Specifically targeting projects and donors used to be something only large philanthropists could do; now, anyone wanting to donate can connect on the platform.

The Power of Us Hub, facilitated by Salesforce.org, is an online forum using peer-to-peer models of collaboration. Over 98% of questions posted on the forums are answered by the participating communities; the Hub is used by over 30,000 organizations dedicated to social change.

Historically, education has not been possible unless one could physically attend classes. Online platforms have transformed that: Southern New Hampshire University runs entirely online, making courses convenient and affordable for a larger body of students, including older and disadvantaged ones. Some observers have proposed that disadvantaged students create online portfolios showing their skills, rather than relying on traditional resumes — a more creative, portfolio approach can better demonstrate a candidate's capabilities.

The same digital forces that have disrupted businesses and industries for the better are also being used to actively transform organizations involved in social good. Platforms and networks in service to humanity.