Resourcing the bridge between government investment and community engagement to achieve digital equity.
The Digital Equity and Opportunity Initiative’s mission is to jumpstart the building of a lasting civic infrastructure. DEOI will provide core funding support to state broadband coalitions with broad-based community engagement and that have the mobilization capacity to maximize the opportunity and drive equitable outcomes in digital access.
Who We Are
The Digital Equity and Opportunity Initiative is a philanthropic collaborative of the Media Democracy Fund, Ford Foundation, Democracy Fund, and W.K. Kellogg Foundation to leverage large-scale federal investments in broadband expansion and digital equity to close the digital divide and build lasting civic infrastructure in underserved communities.
Our Grants
We know that the internet has made it easier than ever for people to engage in the democratic process and have their voice heard on important issues such as equitable economic and workforce development, clean energy transition and more.
That is why we are focused on building a movement in the U.S. to close the digital divide as a means to creating a lasting civic infrastructure.
The Digital Equity and Opportunity Initiative will support community engagement throughout the broadband program lifecycles in the following ways:
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Core support in grants to state coalitions with the best plans.
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Access to experts in broadband and community engagement.
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Convenings to understand the link between broadband infrastructure and civic infrastructure at the state and local level.
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Webinars, in-person strategy sessions to disseminate best practices and approaches to state and local-level engagement in broadband deployment and digital equity planning
While the DEOI is focused on the U.S. Rural South for our first round of grants (expected in June 2023), we are not currently inviting public applications.
How To Invest in Digital Equity
The DEOI team is still seeking investment commitments from national philanthropy for this once-in-a-generation opportunity to close the digital divide and build lasting civic infrastructure in the most vulnerable communities.
To learn more, please contact info@DigitalEquityAndOpportunityInitiative.com
The DEOI Team
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Daiquiri Ryan Mercado, Esq. (she/ella) is a Tejana and first-generation lawyer with a passion for social justice and technology.
She is a new type of advocate, fusing her political and legal skills with digital-first movement building and authentic storytelling to spark collective action for and by BIPOC and Latinx communities. Daiquiri’s skills as a writer, storyteller, editor, and strategist pose her as a leader in innovative advocacy. Daiquiri has over 10 years of experience in advocacy and civil rights.
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Austin Thompson is a strategic advisor, technology educator and board member committed to inclusive digital innovation and equity. Currently, he collaborates with leaders across multiple sectors to design large-scale and place-based strategies for broadband expansion, clean energy and workforce development.
Austin is an MBA graduate of Duke University and completed his undergraduate studies at Howard University in Washington D.C. He formerly worked at SpaceX supporting engineers on hardware development and production of a low earth orbit satellite internet constellation called Starlink. He has launched several successful philanthropic collaboratives that leverage emerging technology and data for community change.