Omidyar Network invests $2m in DataKind
Howard Lake | 14 October 2016 | News
DataKind, the network of data scientists that volunteer for charities and social good organisations, has received $2m from philanthropic investment firm Omidyar Network to support its growth over the next three years.
Omidyar Network has for some time been supporting DataKind and its worldwide network of chapters, including one set up in 2013 in the UK. Last year it participated in the organisation’s Global Chapter Summit. The network was set up by Pierre Omidyar, founder of eBay, and invests in entrepreneurs who are committed to advancing social good at pace and scale.
Its funding will not only support DataKind’s growth but also enable the organisation to support other organisations that are supported in Omidyar Network. DataKind will be able to test using predictive analytics to see how data might help predict and identify issues of financial transparency and fiscal governance.
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Stacy Donohue, investment partner at Omidyar Network, said:
“DataKind has been a pioneer in the emerging field of data science for good by mobilising data scientists via a tiered engagement model and global chapters in five countries. From weekend-long DataDives to short-term DataCorps projects to in-house projects with DataKind Labs, DataKind’s volunteers and staff are poised to create substantial impact on issues facing governments and nonprofits globally.”
Jake Porway, founder and executive director of DataKind, thanked Omidyar Network for its ongoing support, noting that “Growth capital is not readily available in the nonprofit sector”.
He added:
“As an organisation that shares our belief in the power of networks to create impact through learning and iteration, Omidyar Network’s support is a game changer as they are providing both the needed financial investment and connections to some of the world’s top social innovators to help us scale our efforts like never before.”
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.