The Greater Kansas City Community Foundation Wednesday afternoon announced it would manage a fund aimed at bridging the digital divide in Kansas City.
Recent studies of digital literacy in Kansas City have shown a quarter of our residents don’t have broadband at home. Seventeen percent don’t use the internet at all.
Wednesday’s announcement of the Kansas City Digital Inclusion Fund is aimed at raising those percentages.
Contributing to the new fund are local partners: Google Fiber, The Sprint and Illig Family Foundations, Polsinelli, Global Prairie and JE Dunn.
According to a Google Fiber blog post the goal of the fund is to support local non-profits and community organizations in efforts to take full advantage of the internet.
Groups can apply for grants to the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation.
The grants will be given to help groups in a variety of ways:
- To fund work that helps Kansas Citians get online
- Direct people to affordable computers
- Learn job application skills
- Help students learn how to do research online
The Greater Kansas City Community Foundation has information and grant guidelines for the new fund.
