
Tech for Good — An emergent movement
Since 2015, I have been seeing Tech for Good become a really serious movement.
Tech for Good, Social Impact by the use of technology, or any other name that you want to call it, aims to put technology at humankind's service. In particular, on resolving massive issues like poverty, climate change, water crisis, discrimination, child & women abuse, and so many other causes.
On the one hand, technology can be used to generate lot of money (it’s no surprise that among the wealthiest people in the world are tech’s CEOs or founders). It can be used against you (some politicians and governments use tech to achieve their darkest goals and even to “persecute & eliminate” enemies). Technology can destroy your privacy and make you vulnerable… But on the other hand, it can be used to save our world, and “our world is really needing some saving right now”.

“Any tool can become a weapon. A broom can be used to sweep the floor or hit someone over the head”
As a human, we are capable of achieving amazing things. Be kind and be grateful, this is just what our world needs.
This year, at Web Summit, I had the opportunity to see and experienced big companies engaging with tech for good. Sure it can be only a marketing strategy, because it makes you look good in pictures, blog/Instagrams/ Linkedin, or on the news, and makes the world talk about you… But I am a faithful person, so let’s believe it is genuine.
How did all this all begin for me?
I have created Donate IT four years ago — on 25.09.2015 — I step into the “On the Spot Firm” public office, with 300 euros and the first person that accepted to be my accomplice — my husband.
Back then, I had a very romantic view of what I could achieve with those 300 euros. I thought that tech could help other non-for-profits improve the way they accomplish their mission, the way they make an impact. I still deeply believe in this vision, and it makes me jump out of bed one hour earlier than I was supposed to, almost every single day.
What I didn't know back then was that it was going to be extremely hard to make my vision real. And it still is.
What is missing to make tech for good a reality?
In the first couple of months, I focused on spreading the word. So I invited every friend that I could remember, to take part in Donate IT. And the reactions were astounding:
“Sofia, this is amazing, I want to help you!” ; “Sofia, this is the best idea ever” ; “Sofia, why don’t you make money out of it?” ; “Sofia, we are going to change the world!”.
It was outstanding to get that feedback, but what I didn't know back then was that this was just that — words. So, even, being able to convince more than 100 people to join, only a very few of them ever helped. And, it is still like this. Every day, we receive a new volunteer that wants to be part of this community of tech for good. Every day, I feel that something is wrong with us because we know what is the right thing to do is, but we tend to do the wrong thing instead.
We know that discrimination is wrong, but we tend to make it real in so many ways. We know that helping others is good, but we tend to give up when it involves some effort.
So what is missing?
Nothing, in particular… what is missing is the same thing that makes us destroy our planet, even though we all agree that it is the wrong thing to do. We need to fix ourselves, and when that happens, the world will become a different place.
4 years later, what has changed?
Donate IT has now 200 potential volunteers (people that said — “yes, I want to join!”). These volunteers range , from developers to web designers, project managers, product managers, data scientists, digital marketing specialists, and so on. They are valuable people that want to dedicate their “free” time to help others with tech.
We have delivered more than 10 projects to non-for-profits organizations so far, which I know it’s a small number, but I’m sure you can guess why. Casa de Sant’ana, that helps victims from domestic violence; CrescerBem, that helps families on delicate social conditions during their hospital stay and Love2Help are some of them. You can check our public Trello Board to see what we are up to.
But the real change was in Tech companies
Since 2015, I have been witnessing companies like SalesForce, Atlassian, Microsoft, Google, and so many others, talking, making foundations grow, and making tech for good real. And I love it!
It was at Atlassian Summit 2016, that I first heard Scott Farquhar talk about the Atlassian Foundation, and you can not imagine how “amazed” I was.
In 2017, Atlassian included Philanthropy as one of the prizes to distinguish their partners. Xpand IT, the company that pays my salary, won this prize. And I was super proud of it, as you can see in the next picture.

I have joined Pledge 1% movement and offered me to be an ambassador, which so far I still hadn’t had the chance to make it this real, but I am still trying.
Since 2015, I have been working towards this goal and I will not give up. I believe that is better to do something small than nothing. Release it, and then improve it until you master it.
What still has does to be done?
I have run a study back in 2018 with Entrajuda, Instituto Superior Técnico and APDSI to collect non-profits really needs (you can see the results here*). I realized that 60% of these organizations, didn't have computers! How can you talk about digitalization and improvement by tech, when you don't even own hardware? This is serious.
In 2019, I reran the study again which results are about to go live, and I can point out that they are worst. From the more than 600 organizations that answered, 65% say “We need more computers”, and 3% don't have computers at all. And when I had the chance to meet these non-for-profits, I realized that most computers they have are from the volunteers that work there.
And then heard about AI (Artificial Intelligence) for Good at the Web Summit, and wondered if this is this going to be real right now? Well, not in Portugal, we are many years behind it.
How can you help fix the need for hardware?
You can join us, at Giving IT Day!
It is going to be the biggest hardware donation ever done in Portugal in just one day, on 03.12.2019.
You can donate your old (but working ) laptop, desktop, printer, tablet or whatever. Or you can buy a new device on Black Friday, and give it to whoever needs it.
Giving IT day is part of #GivingTuesday, a global movement that joins 100 countries to just give. It is the other side of the coin of Black Friday, where the world runs to “take”.
Click here to know more about “Giving IT Day”.
Final Remarks
Tech for good is growing, people & companies want to take part in it… but as my gramma wisely says — “Hell is full of good intentions”. It makes more than words and will to change the world. It takes time and effort. It takes action.
Imagine what we could achieve if you donate 1% of your time, or even just an hour a day!
“Be the change you want to see in the world” — Mahatma Gandhi
Learn more about
# Donate IT *
# Web Summit & Tech for Good (download the app and search for talks Philanthropy & Social Good)
*All content is in Portuguese, because the volunteer that developed the website has “disappeared” with the code, and we are not able to change it or update it. I know how to fix it, but, I prefer to use those resources on helping other non-profits that need more than we do.
