Business a.m.

Nigerian NPOs to win $10,000 grant each with Google for Nonprofits

- Omobayo Azeez

GOOGLE HAS LAUNCHED GOOGLE for Nonprofits in Nigeria, an initiative designed to empower not-for-profit organizati­ons (NPO) by providing them with free premium services.

For organizati­ons that qualify, Google for Nonprofits gives access to a collection of premium apps - the same tools large enterprise corporatio­ns use - at no cost.

Once approved, qualifying non-profits can gain access to programmes such as Google Ad Grants, G-Suite for Nonprofits, YouTube’s non-profit programme, and more, the tech giant announced on Thursday.

This assists non-profit organizati­ons to work more quickly and efficientl­y to reach a wider audience, spur more supporters to take action, and tell their story in a more compelling way.

Non-profits can qualify for a grant of up to $10,000 a month that is available for six months through October 2020, to spend on text-based ads among other offerings.

For a NPO to be eligible for the Google for Non-profits programme, it must be a registered non-profit charitable organizati­on in Nigeria and verified by TechSoup Nigeria.

It must also meet eligibilit­y criteria listed on the Google for Non-profits page“Non-profits face unique challenges when making decisions about what technology to acquire amid competing demands for funding and resources. Our overall goal is to provide access to tools and technology quickly and effectivel­y, so that these organizati­ons can focus their efforts and resources directly towards achieving their goals,” says Titi Akinsanmi, head, government affairs and public policy, West Africa, Google.

Google also announced its philanthro­pic arm, Google. org, will be giving a grant to Teach for Nigeria, a nonprofit organizati­on focused on support for students in underserve­d communitie­s in Nigeria while the COVID-19 school closures persist.

The grant will fund a 2-year teacher fellowship programme to ensure more students in underserve­d communitie­s get access to quality education, delivered by well-trained teaching staff.

It will also fund an education interventi­on programme to help children in underserve­d areas get education through alternativ­e means like TV, radio and on-thestreet public communicat­ions.

Google training resources and programmes for upskilling teachers working in target communitie­s will be deployed, and Google Digital Skills training curriculum and resources will be leveraged for this programme.

“Our plan is to provide support and create partnershi­ps that will ensure that children from underserve­d communitie­s are able to access the required level of education during these times,” Akinsanmi says.

“Teach for Nigeria is working towards developing platforms that allow Nigeria’s educationa­l system to support all children to thrive and create a better future for themselves and their communitie­s.

“Now more than ever, we must do whatever can be done to ensure that quality and relevant learning is happening, for all our children regardless of where they are on the map.

“We are excited and confident that this collaborat­ion with Google will move us a step closer to achieving our goals in these times.” says Folawe Omikunle, CEO, Teach for Nigeria.

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