Technology for Good

A visionary guide to using technology for positive social change, from a MacArthur genius awardee, former rocket engineer, and passionate leader in the social enterprise movement.

The accepted wisdom in big business is that the only worthy ideas are ones that make a lot of money, preferably billions. But Jim Fruchterman believes there is a different path for technology. What if tech returned to its roots and made people more effective and powerful? What if the benefits of technology came to the 90 percent of humanity traditionally neglected by for-profit companies in favor of immense profits gained by focusing on the richest 10 percent? In Technology for Good, Fruchterman explores that question and delivers a comprehensive how-to for leaders who want to create, expand, join, support, and improve organizations that see building technology as a key element of delivering on their social good mission.

The author makes a strong case that tech is required for social change at scale. He then offers guidance on how to structure, fund, staff, manage, scale, and sustain nonprofits that leverage technology for social good. The book includes actionable, proven practices; compelling case studies of nonprofits that have “cracked the code” on tech for good; and Fruchterman’s own stories of what he has learned as a tech-for-good entrepreneur. With 80 percent of the examples in the book from organizations and individuals outside the US, Technology for Good is a call to action with a genuinely global focus, blazing a path toward a future in which human beings come rightly and justly before profits.Foreword
Preface
Introduction
Chapter 1: Bringing Tech to Social Change
Chapter 2: The Top Bad Ideas in Tech for Good
Chapter 3: The Three Best Tech for Good Ideas
Chapter 4: Designing Tech for Good
Chapter 5: Building Successful AI Solutions
Chapter 6: The Tech for Good Lifecycle
Chapter 7: Funding, Talent, and Intellectual Property
Chapter 8: The Future of Tech for Social Impact
Afterword: Go Forth and Use Tech for Good!
Acknowledgements“Technology, including artificial intelligence, can be a major force for good—and Jim Fruchterman shows exactly how to do it. This book lights the way forward based on decades of insight and brilliance.”
—John Palfrey, President, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; coauthor, Born Digital

“At a time when the harmful effects of our current era of technology innovation are becoming increasingly clear, Fruchterman has drawn on his many years on the frontline of social change to write an essential guide to how we can ensure that, in the end, all this incredible new technology is a force for good.”
—Matthew Bishop, former Business Editor, The Economist; coauthor, Philanthrocapitalism

"Fruchterman makes a compelling case for using technology for social innovation rather than profits. Technology for Good is the first how-to book in this field, complete with inspiring real-world impact stories."
—Jeff Skoll, Founder, The Skoll Foundation

“Whether you are a nonprofit leader, technologist, academic, or policymaker, the arguments here remind us that technology’s direction hinges on the questions we ask and the purposes we pursue. Technology for Good invites us to adopt a deliberate, evidence-based approach - one in which ethical design, inclusive governance, and rigorous measurement are not optional, but essential.”
—Vilas Dhar, President, Patrick J. McGovern Foundation
Jim Fruchterman is a leading social entrepreneur, MacArthur Fellow, and recipient of the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship. He is the founder of Benetech, an award-winning tech nonprofit. He also leads Tech Matters, a tech nonprofit that develops open-source software for crisis response and climate adaptation.