Archive

Archive for public good technology apps serving UN Sustainable Development Goals. (Links provided on this page may be invalid.)

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Learn more about the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Trying to figure out which of the UN Sustainable Development Goals is the best fit for your product? The SDG Indicator Wizard can help.

Goal 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

Acres is the best way to find urban farmland online for the Sacramento region.

Their Mission:       Help farmers find available land by using data from the city

Founder(s):           Grant Smith and Code for America in partnership with The City of West Sacramento and SACOG

Location:               California, United States

Learn More:           Acres / Archived: January 08, 2020

Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

Break Zika App allows people to monitor and publish virus outbreaks onto a city map. It encourages reporting, treatment and sharing, and also helps identify mosquito carriers. The app partners with government agencies, which simplifies controls to take action by allowing all publications to be sent to a platform accessed by the public sector.

Their Mission:       Reduce the outbreak of dangerous viruses

Founder(s):           Colab.re in partnership with various municipalities and government agencies across the world

Location:               Porto Alegré, Brazil

Learn More:           Break Zika and download the App / Archived: January 08, 2020

Concrn app is a compassionate social service network and mobile app that connects people in need to volunteer responders trained in crisis intervention and mediation. It allows citizens to report someone having a mental health crisis. First responders such as firefighters, police, and paramedics will get a text message of the report, and app users will see an update message when a responder is on the way. The app helps alleviate the tension between law enforcement and local residents, which is a big problem locally and nationally.

Their Mission:       Offer an alternative to calling 911 for many crisis situations

Founder(s):           Jacob Savage and Neil Shah of Compassionate Response Network

Location:               The Bay Area in California, United States

Learn More:           Concrn / Archived: January 08, 2020

Doctor D customizes recommendations regarding HIV & STD testing, HIV prevention, and vaccinations. The app empowers guys to stay on top of their sexual health.

Doctor D is made by David Ernst and Prevention Health Labs. Doctor D is based in the United States.

Their Mission:       Help men locate nearby sexual health services

Founder(s):          

Location:              

Learn More:           Doctor D / Archived: January 08, 2020

Footprint is a web app that prompts you to take a quiz about your lifestyle and shows how your carbon footprint compares to others.

Their Mission:       Spread carbon footprint awareness

Founder(s):           Hannah Lim and Jessica Brush

Location:               California, United States

Learn More:           Footprint twitter / Archived: January 21, 2020

iFarmacia helps users manage their medications and address health concerns by connecting them with verified doctors and pharmacies. Developed to assist Portuguese speakers to enable communication with a Portuguese speaking doctor, the android app lets users chat with a physician or have a medical consultation and then forwards prescriptions to the nearest pharmacy. Users can find out where the nearest pharmacies are, if they are open, and allows users to search for out of stock medications at multiple locations. The app includes the capabilities to receive medication alerts for when it's time to take medications and when they are gone, create medical appointments, and to access medical records, and even to manage diabetes.

Their Mission:       Help users manage their medications and address health concerns through an app designed for Portuguese speakers

Founder(s):           iFarmacia developed the app along with Health Link International

Location:               Brazil

Learn More:           download the app / Archived: January 25, 2020

The Maya App is a streamlined and secure application designed specifically for busy doctors. The app lets you become a key part of a network of doctors with the latest in mobile health tools at their fingertips. They are all collaborating and sharing patient information, and helping to inform one another and the community around them on the challenges and breakthroughs affecting the health of their patients.

Their Mission:       Create a more efficient and effective healthcare environment

Founder(s):           Will Chapman

Location:               United States

Learn More:           twitter / Archived: February 4, 2020

Ottawa's Heart (formerly Heart Spark) helps you to find the nearest defibrillator, submit new ones, and approve existing listings. Sudden Cardiac Arrest kills more than a 1,000 people each day, it is one of the leading causes of death. Defibrillators are easy to use, effective, and places all around, but being unable to find a defibrillator in an emergency decreases the chance of survival 7-10% every minute.

Their Mission:       Help you and others save cardiac arrest victims

Founder(s):           David Rust-Smith, Phil Vanstone, and Nick Breen

Learn More:           Ottawa's Heart / Archived: January 22, 2020

SPX Dengue is an application that takes a different approach in the campaign against dengue fever in an educational and captivating game as well as a supplier of more information. The game teaches how to identify mosquitos, ways to protect oneself and family and how to spot the symptoms of dengue.

Their Mission:       Combat the huge effects of dengue fever

Founder(s):           the State Department of Health of São Paulo

Location:               Brazil

Learn More:           Information and Download the App / Archived: January 08, 2020

Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning

ChangeX is a platform that coaches students in technical skill building and design thinking methods as they participate in social impact challenges. Cities, organizations, companies, and schools can create challenges for youth ages 13–24 to learn modern skills. Current ChangeX challenges run from two to six months with 50 to 50,000 learners.

Their Mission:       Teach youth aged 13-24 skills by creating social impact challenges

Founder(s):           Libby Falck

Location:               The Bay Area in California, United States

Learn More:           ChangeX / Archived: January 21, 2020

Conecturma helps kids between 3 and 11 years old learn how to read. The platform integrates textbooks, an adaptive and gamified digital learning platform, appealing cartoon characters, music and puppets. Conecturma is currently in use in several school districts in Brazil.

Read more at CB Insights: Aonde Educacional

Their Mission:       Promote early literacy

Founder(s):           Aonde Educacional

Location:               Brazil

Learn More:           Conecturma facebook twitter / Archived: January 21, 2020

Goal Getter is a platform that helps Alameda County Office of Education students learn from each other and connect with teachers and community service providers to develop supportive strategies to meet their goals.

Their Mission:       Helping students meet their goals as they grow and learn

Founder(s):           Sameer Siruguri and Nick Williams

Location:               Alameda, California, United States

Learn More:           Goal Getter video / Archived: January 28, 2020

Marina Orth Foundation specializes in STEM with a focus on technology and robotics, English, leadership, and social/emotional skill building both inside and outside the classroom. The foundation promotes bilingualism, gender equality and gives both students and teachers the tools to compete in the 21st century. The foundation trains teachers to become more creative and competent in these areas so that their students can excel and contribute to the development of their country.

Their Mission:       Improve the education of children and youth from disadvantaged socioeconomic areas

Founder(s):           Marina Orth Foundation, developed by Maureen Orth

Location:               Alameda, California, United States

Learn More:           [Marina Orth Foundation / Archived: February 5, 2020

Mentive is a platform for live online classes with real people and top quality materials to master the skills you need. Mentive believes that knowledge turns dreams into reality, and education brings about this knowledge. Mentive is determined to find a way to enhance all the great online courses out there with the benefits of face-to-face learning.

Their Mission:       Create a global educational community where students and mentors meet to turn any online course into an interactive learning experience

Founder(s):           Jonathan Heyne and has a team of mentors

Location:               Berkeley, California, United States

Learn More:           Mentive / Archived: January 21, 2020

Meu Filho Autista or "My Autistic Son" is an application for families of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder developed to help these relations be the person in control of their child's treatment. It offers tools, tips and resources and community as well as pre-developed modules. The app was developed by ForLifeApp in São Pedro da Aldeia, Brazil. It is common for children with autism to perform various therapies: It's common for people with autism to receive various therapies including Speech Therapy, Occupational Psychology, and Educational Psychology among many others. All these therapies may generate anxiety if parents do not have tools to evaluate what is being effective and which is thus not ensuring the coordination of the treatment of their child The continuous and careful evaluation by this application aims to provide parents and caretakers the opportunity to coordinate the treatment of their child and through feedback, seek the best intervention strategy.

Their Mission:       Help families of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder coordinate and evaluate their child's treatment and to determine the most effective intervention strategy

Founder(s):           ForLifeApp

Location:               São Pedro da Aldeia, Brazil

Learn More:           download the app / Archived: January 25, 2020

Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

Justice Alert Technology is an app that allows victims and witnesses to report crime in a safe and confidential way. It can instantly report to 911, police, and first responders, along with your contact list so help can come sooner. The app records, captures, and sends the perpetrator’s picture, voiceprint, and geolocation to authorities.

Their Mission:       Empowering victims to stop domestic violence

Founder(s):           Juan Cano

Learn More:           Justice Alert Technology video / Archived: February 5, 2020

Goal 8: Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all

My RoundUp App lets you put your spare change from everyday purchases to good use by contributing to causes that are important to you. Connect your debit/credit card and your purchases will be rounded up to the nearest dollar and given to your cause in micro donations. My RoundUp App also has options for private label use and customization.

Their Mission:       Helping people donate spare change to causes that matter to them

Founder(s):           Aaron Lowe and team

Location:               United States

Learn More:           My RoundUp App / Archived: January 22, 2020

zeusjuice is a free application that displays publicly-accessible power outlets. Through the app, people can find and share the locations of power outlets with one another. The app also features an SMS tool that lets them look up nearby power outlets with the app is not available.

Their Mission:       Make finding and sharing free-to-use power outlets fast and easy

Founder(s):           Ehb Teng

Location:               San Francisco, California, United States

Learn More:           zeusjuice video / Archived: January 16, 2020

Goal 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation

BH: Capital da Inovação is an app that focused on the startup environment in Belo Horizonte, the capital city of Minas Gerais state. This collaborative application seeks to bring together those interested in the market for startups and digital entrepreneurship.

Their Mission:       Facilitate the interaction between companies, investors, professionals and students, strengthening the sector within Minas Gerais

Founder(s):           Ana Barbosa

Location:               Brazil

Learn More:           BH Capital da Inovação / Archived: January 28, 2020

BlueLight is an app designed to optimize access to emergency services by routing calls more effectively using sensors in smartphones. The app seeks to minimize wait times caused by call transfers to authorities such as state highway patrol to local providers, which can impact wait times during life threatening emergencies.

Their Mission:       Help save lives by minimizing wait times to emergency services.

Founder(s):           Lauren Wilbanks

Location:               United States

Learn More:           Labre / Archived: January 22, 2020

Cadê o meu Pet? / Where is my pet? helps people to find their lost animals. Pet owners download the app and input a picture and other information about their pet, including any special medicines or conditions the animal may have. In the event the pet gets lost, the owner can alert the community through the mobile app, who are then able to keep an eye out for the missing animal.

Their Mission:       Connecting people with their lost animals

Founder(s):           Mayra Castellano and Carolina Motta

Location:               Brazil

Learn More:           Archived: January 28, 2020

Code Alliance creates volunteer opportunities that last from 6 to 40 hours, spanning from a weekend to a week-long commitment. In order to be considered for a Code Alliance project, the project must be open source, the nonprofit must already be using the technology in the field, and they must have one engineer on staff.

Their Mission:       Connect tech professionals to open source volunteer opportunities

Founder(s):           Benetech a nonprofit 501(c)(3) that empowers communities in need by creating scalable technology solutions

Location:               Palo Alto, California, United States

Learn More:           Code Alliance / Archived: February 5, 2020

Events Hub helps users find out about events near them and identifies if the event space is accessible. The platform is free for non-profits and public entities, such as libraries.

Their Mission:       Democratize event promotion and advertisement

Founder(s):           Hélcio Ricardo and Raísa Rodrigues

Location:               Brazil

Learn More:           In Prototype / Archived: January 22, 2020

Everybody Helping

Their Mission:       Connects individuals/groups with local organizations and causes that are important to them, facilitates monthly donations, and builds awareness

Founder(s):           Ehco Inc.

Location:               United States

Learn More:           Everybody Helping / Archived: January 23, 2020

Footprint is a web app that prompts you to take a quiz about your lifestyle and shows how your carbon footprint compares to others.

Their Mission:       Spread carbon footprint awareness

Founder(s):           Hannah Lim and Jessica Brush

Location:               California, United States

Learn More:           Footprint twitter / Archived: January 21, 2020

Hermes Translator uses text messaging to help users communicate with anyone, in any language in the world.

Their Mission:       Break down language barriers to communicate with others

Founder(s):           Reid Chatham (started this app to address the need to communicate more efficiently when traveling)

Location:               San Francisco, California, United States

Learn More:           Hermes Translator / Archived: January 25, 2020

Kill the Cup app allows San Diegans to upload "coffee selfies" with a reusable mug using the Kill the Cup mobile app to enter into prize raffles. Kill the Cup is a San Diego-based nonprofit that has been running reusable mug contests on college campuses. In addition to the waste reduction benefits, participating coffee shops have seen 10 percent higher revenues compared to baseline periods.

Their Mission:       Reduce our reliance on single-use disposables and reach a tipping point where it becomes a social norm to carry a reusable cup

Founder(s):           Karuna Mukherjea

Location:               San Diego, California, United States

Learn More:           Kill The Cup / Archived: February 7, 2020

Labre is an app that helps community members crowdsource and share information about resources available in their immediate area, such as mobile charging stations, Wi-Fi, street art, food, shelter, and safe public places.

Their Mission:       Helping the homeless and low-income community locate resources

Founder(s):           Ehb Teng

Location:               San Francisco, California, United States

Learn More:           Labre / Archived: January 16, 2020

Local Free Web is a text messaging service that provides a resource directory of sites that locate free internet enabled computers. 25% of adults do not have any regular Internet access. You need the Internet to find the Internet. Local Free Web also places physical signs at bus stops. Text any bus stop ID to their phone number and receive text messages with locations of computers with Internet in the area.

Their Mission:       Bringing Internet access to those who do not have access

Founder(s):           a team in SF Brigade Code 4 San Francisco

Location:               San Francisco, California, United States

Learn More:           GitHub / Archived January 28, 2020

MEDAPulse is an NPO in San Francisco’s Mission District. It helps financial counselors better engage with their clients by moving them from their standard paper action plans to a secure web-based texting platform. The app uses group text messaging for the coach and the clients, with scheduled reminders. MEDAPulse is open-source and they invite any non-profit being able to roll their own version of the app. The app was built in Rails and AngularJS and designed for the Mission Economic Development Agency (MEDA) to enhance their financial capability coaches' ability to interact with and track the progress of their clients' action plans. The MEDAPulse project was started at San Francisco’s first financial empowerment hackathon, SF Smart Money Hackathon, then went on to win the national Hackathon in August 2014.

Their Mission:       Help people with their financial goals

Founder(s):          

Location:               San Francisco, California, United States

Date Started:         August 2014

Learn More:           Github / Archived: January 23, 2020

RippleGiving / TriggerGive is a mobile-based platform that allows users to instantly donate money to organizations via Twitter.

Their Mission:       Allow users to send donations to any nonprofit of their choice, in response to social media posts that either "enrage or inspire them"

Founder(s):           Issac Alfton

Location:               United States

Learn More:           RippleGivingtwitter / Archived: February 5, 2020

Goal 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries

Balance was built because nearly 50 million Americans are receiving SNAP (Food Stamps) and the creators wanted to give them an easier way to check their balance. Balance started as an idea to help social service clients in San Francisco. Balance now works in: California, Texas, Pennsylvania, Alaska, Oklahoma, and Virginia. Balance is still in Beta testing.

Their Mission:       Let anyone check their EBT (Electronic benefit transfer) balance with a text message

Founder(s):           Dave Guarino, Alan Williams, and Jake Solomon through Code For America

Location:               San Francisco, California, United States

Learn More:           Balance Github / Archived: January 28, 2020

No Place Like Home Through the site, the tenant inputs info about them, their rental and the buyout offer, and then gets estimates of what they should request for a buy-out. A map is also made of all the buy-outs recorded in San Francisco.

Their Mission:       Help tenants make informed decisions about a buyout offers since they are common practice for property owners of rent-controlled apartments in San Francisco

Founder(s):           developer Jesse Germinario

Location:               San Francisco, California, United States

Learn More:           No Place Like Home. See the open-source code on Github. / Archived: February 7, 2020

Goal 11: Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

Faya is a learning civic engagement chatbot that recommends community-building places and activities for you to do nearby. Learn more about PlayMC2.

Faya was created in the United States.  / Archived: February 7, 2020

Toot is a platform that informs community members about violence occurring at determined points, helping to identify more secure routes. As community members pass by certain landmarks, they anonymously designate whether the situation was "ok" or "not ok." This information is added to the app’s map, which shows areas that have been reported to be safe, or unsafe, to transit.

Their Mission:       Help save lives by identifying more secure routes to travel

Founder(s):           Pablo Lopes

Location:               Brazil

Learn More:           toot facebook twitter / Archived: January 28, 2020

wonktonk is designed for all policy wonks: informed citizens, students, advocates, practitioners and professionals who like to apply logic and facts to public issues.

Their Mission:       Enable crowd-intelligence to come up with reasoned solutions to public problems that are usually "left to the experts"

Founder(s):           Jonathan Fishbein

Location:               United States

Learn More:           wonktonk / Archived: January 28, 2020

Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

Producing Right App helps producers collect information directly from the field quickly and efficiently , online or offline. It works for any rural property, regardless of size and type of production. Producers will be able to gradually and continuously improve their production practices and as a result, will have the opportunity to raise the compliance level of the farm to national and international sustainability standards. Performance reports are created and made available in a fast and transparent manner, allowing instant sharing with the various links of the supply chain, and creating new business opportunities. For further assistance, a team of environmental technicians are prepared to give the necessary support through email or phone.

Their Mission:       Assist rural producers in managing the social and environmental aspects of their properties

Founder(s):           Aliança da Terra

Location:               Goiânia, Brazil

Learn More:           "Producing Right App" / Archived: January 24, 2020

Goal 16: Promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies

AboliShop intervention tool is a website to display Free2Work grades as consumers browse through online retail space. Armed with this information, consumers can make the decision to buy from suppliers that have a commitment to preventing human trafficking. AboliShop is currently in beta testing. AboliShop partners with Not For Sale and USAID.

Their Mission:       Prevent the spread of human trafficking around the world by informing consumers of the ethicality of supply chains for certain products

Founder(s):           Nick Montgomery, Kwamina Orleans-Pobee, and Wes Williams

Location:               United States

Learn More:           AboliShop and Free2Work / Archived: January 28, 2020

App Boca de Urna is a Brazillian Android app that promotes sharing social opinions on candidates and voter information within a network. It supplies news of the election in real time with ranking of the richest politicians, as well as ranking of those chosen for users networks (Friends and Friends of Friends).

Their Mission:       Have people share thoughts about an election on a social platform and empowering individuals to set the Brazilian political destiny with greater inclusivity

Founder(s):           Dineu

Location:               Brazil

Learn More:           facebook and download the app / Archived: January 28, 2020

B.O. Coletivo is a free interactive map where users can submit their location and share information about criminal activities that take place in Brazilian cities. The application allows the user to register different types of issues related to public security (thefts, robberies, kidnappings and other), giving location, date, time and description of the incident. Thus it is possible to know which areas of a particular city are safer or more violent.

Their Mission:       Increase awareness about public safety

Founder(s):           B.O. Coletivo (an urban activist group focused on public safety)

Location:               Porto Alegré, Brazil

Learn More:           "App download" / Archived: January 24, 2020

Meu Filho Autista or "My Autistic Son" is an application for families of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder developed to help these relations be the person in control of their child's treatment. It offers tools, tips and resources and community as well as pre-developed modules. It is common for children with autism to perform various therapies: It's common for people with autism to receive various therapies including Speech Therapy, Occupational Psychology, and Educational Psychology among many others. All these therapies may generate anxiety if parents do not have tools to evaluate what is being effective and which is thus not ensuring the coordination of the treatment of his son. The continuous and careful evaluation by this application aims to provide parents and caretakers the opportunity to coordinate the treatment of their child and through feedback, seek the best intervention strategy.

Their Mission:       Provide families of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders more control of their child's treatment

Founder(s):           ForLifeApp

Location:               São Pedro da Aldeia, Brazil

Learn More:           download the app / Archived: January 25, 2020

Out App was developed to support youth coming out to friends and family. Out App includes suggested conversation starters that include films, articles, and other media, challenges that encourage involvement in the LGBTQ community, features to schedule conversations with family members, access to volunteer mentors (and a pathway to engage volunteers), crisis services, LGBT-friendly housing resources, and more. The Out App is all volunteer built and is still being built. Learn more and volunteer with.

Their Mission:       Support youth coming out to friends and family

Founder(s):           Eddie Chen at NYU

Location:               New York, United States

Learn More:           Out App twitter / Archived: February 7, 2020

Repare is an app that helps people who have physical difficulties in transiting the city to identify problem areas. The information is compiled on a map so that others can see where the difficult areas are located, and a report is also sent to the relevant authorities, so that they can repair the problem area.

Their Mission:       Improving accessibility for people who have physical difficulties in transiting

Founder(s):           Hélcio Ricardo, Pedro Paulo, and Raísa Rodrigues

Location:               Brazil

Learn More:           In Prototype / Archived: January 28, 2020

SheChange makes tools, including a Chrome web browser extension, that give consumers a voice to influence corporate policies that impact people and our planet

Their Mission:       Empower consumers to make companies do better for people and our planet

Founder(s):           Tracy Wyman

Location:               California, United States

Learn More:           SheChange video / Archived: February 7, 2020

SIC.SP is an app where users can access public info and receive notifications about the progress of their requests. Developed by Prodesp, the Data Processing Company of the State of São Paolo, this app brings government closer to the hands of the people. This app is supports the 2011 Access to Free Information Act and is directly a result of the formation of the Citizens Information Service (SIC) that allows for the request of documents and data related to the entities of the Paulista Public Administration.

Their Mission:       Allow citizens in the State of São Paolo, Brazil to access to the data and public information, produced or guarded by departments within the Paulista state administration

Founder(s):          

Location:               São Paolo, Brazil

Learn More:           SIC.SP and download the app / Archived: January 24, 2020

Vote.org (formerly Long Distance Voter) is a nonpartisan nonprofit digital voting organization. Americans are eager to adopt digital voting solutions. Vote.org has built and will continue to iterate the digital technology that removes barriers to voting and increases voter turnout.

Their Mission:       Increase voter turnout by reaching millions nationwide to help Americans register, check their registration status, and get absentee ballots

Founder(s):           Debra Cleaver

Location:               United States

Learn More:           Vote.org / Archived: January 28, 2020