Network: Financial Support

The organization: Google.org, the philanthropic arm of Google, uses the power of information and technology to help people improve their lives. The organization develops and invests in tools and partnerships that can help bring shared knowledge to bear on the world’s most pressing challenges in the areas of climate change, economic development and global health.

The relationship: Google.org provided original funding in the Fall of 2006 and continued to support our ongoing disease surveillance programs throughout the Mekong Basin Disease Surveillance Network until 2011, making us Google.org’s largest grantee. This partnership was focused on improving early detection, preparedness, and response capabilities for global health threats and humanitarian crises.

In addition, Google.org also supported our local capacity building efforts for design and technology development through the Innovation Lab Southeast Asia, based in in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The iLab Southeast Asia works with the community of public health officials, community health workers, relief and response organizations, governments, academia and top scientists around the world to address gaps in information flow with software and other technology-based tools and services.

Website: http://googlepress.blogspot.com/2008/01/googleorg-announces-core-initiatives-to_17.html

The organization: John D. Rockefeller Sr. established the Rockefeller Foundation in 1913 to promote the well-being of humanity around the world. Today, the Rockefeller Foundation supports work that helps people tap into the benefits of globalization and strengthen resilience to risks.

The relationship: We received funding from the Rockefeller Foundation in late 2007 to improve local capacity building in South East Asia and support the MBDS network’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) goals. Our work focused on developing pandemics preparedness systems built on open source and freely-available tools. The tools were designed to increase the ability of the countries in the Greater Mekong Sub-region to respond to a pandemic emergency. Additionally, through the Rockefeller Foundation’s funding, we were able to support the startup of the Phnom Penh based iLab Southeast Asia.

Website: http://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/news/press-releases/nonprofit-instedd-takes-new-approach

The organization: Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, BMGF focuses on improving people’s health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, BMGF seeks to ensure that all people—especially those with the fewest resources—have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life.

The relationship: With funding from USAID, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Grand Challenges Canada, the Government of Norway, and the World Bank, InSTEDD partnered with the Population Council through their Kenya office to develop an innovative method for improved prenatal and postpartum screening for mothers and infants in resource-poor environments. We developed Baby Monitor, an an interactive voice response technology that takes clinical screening directly to women in the critical period before and after birth in order to detect complications and take action. Baby Monitor screening calls are powered by Verboice, one of our open-source tools which specializes in interactive voice response systems. To learn more about this project, please click here.

Website: http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Pages/home.aspx

The organization: The World Bank is one of the world’s largest sources of development assistance. Their mission is to fight poverty with passion and professionalism for lasting results. The World Bank aims to help people help themselves and their environment by sharing knowledge and providing financial and technical assistance. Conceived in 1944 to reconstruct war-torn Europe, The World Bank works in more than 100 developing countries.

The relationship: With funding from USAID, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Grand Challenges Canada, the Government of Norway, and the World Bank, InSTEDD partnered with the Population Council through their Kenya office to develop an innovative method for improved prenatal and postpartum screening for mothers and infants in resource-poor environments. We developed Baby Monitor, an an interactive voice response technology that takes clinical screening directly to women in the critical period before and after birth in order to detect complications and take action. Baby Monitor screening calls are powered by Verboice, one of our open-source tools which specializes in interactive voice response systems. To learn more about this project, please click here.

Website: http://www.worldbank.org/

The organization: Grand Challenges Canada is funded by the Government of Canada and is dedicated to supporting bold ideas with big impact in global health. Grand Challenges Canada’s mission is to identify global grand challenges, fund a global community of researchers and related institutions on a competitive basis, and support the implementation/commercialization of the solutions that emerge.

The relationship: With funding from USAID, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Grand Challenges Canada, the Government of Norway, and the World Bank, InSTEDD partnered with the Population Council through their Kenya office to develop an innovative method for improved prenatal and postpartum screening for mothers and infants in resource-poor environments. We developed Baby Monitor, an an interactive voice response technology that takes clinical screening directly to women in the critical period before and after birth in order to detect complications and take action. Baby Monitor screening calls are powered by Verboice, one of our open-source tools which specializes in interactive voice response systems. To learn more about this project, please click here.

Website: http://www.grandchallenges.ca/grand-challenges/

The company: Cisco Systems, Inc is a multinational corporation headquartered in San Jose, California, that designs and sells consumer electronics, networking, voice, and communications technology and services.

The relationship: In October of 2010, Cisco awarded a seed grant to InSTEDD for the development of technology designed to improve the resilience of community-level disaster response. This grant was for the development of a program to support shared safety, selfreliance and situational awareness during a public crisis in the Bay Area. InSTEDD designed, developed, and pilot tested a tool, called Watchfire, to help the American Red Cross improve their communitylevel disaster response in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Website: http://www.cisco.com/

The organization: The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is an independent agency that provides economic, development and humanitarian assistance around the world in support of the foreign policy goals of the United States. USAID’s mission is to advance broad-based economic growth, democracy and human progress in developing countries. Today, with the strong backing of the Obama Administration, the Agency is building on its legacy as one of the world’s premier development agencies and making new progress toward its ultimate goal: creating the conditions where U.S. assistance is no longer needed.

The relationship: With funding from USAID, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Grand Challenges Canada, the Government of Norway, and the World Bank, InSTEDD partnered with the Population Council through their Kenya office to develop an innovative method for improved prenatal and postpartum screening for mothers and infants in resource-poor environments. We developed Baby Monitor, an an interactive voice response technology that takes clinical screening directly to women in the critical period before and after birth in order to detect complications and take action. Baby Monitor screening calls are powered by Verboice, one of our open-source tools which specializes in interactive voice response systems. To learn more about this project, please click here.

Website: http://www.usaid.gov

The Carpenter Family Trust

The organization: Private family trust

The relationship: Peter and his wife Jane provided a generous donation of funds to support the development of our communications strategy redesign.

Benificus Foundation

The organization: Private foundation

The relationship: Through their Foundation, John and his wife Ann provided a generous donation to us in December 2007 as part of the TED Prize pledge.

The organization: A registered charity in the United States and United Kingdom, the Foundation leverages the skills, values and expertise across Thomson Reuters to promote the rule of law, save lives in disasters and improve standards of journalism.

The relationship: We worked under the leadership of the Thomson Reuters Foundation to design and implement technology to support AlertNet’s Emergency Information System (EIS).

Website: http://www.thomsonreuters.com/

Skoll Foundation

The organization: The Skoll Foundation was created by Jeff Skoll in 1999 with a mission to drive large-scale change by investing in, connecting and celebrating social entrepreneurs and other innovators dedicated to solving the world’s most pressing problems.

The relationship: Provided a generous donation to support InSTEDD’s presence on the ground during the Haiti Earthquake relief efforts.

J. Leighton Read, M.D.

The individual: Dr. Read is a Team Member at Alloy Ventures, an early stage venture fund, and a successful entrepreneur and CEO.

The relationship: He provided a generous private donation to InSTEDD which sponsored transportation and accommodations for our team to be present within the first days of the relief efforts in Haiti.