NetAid History
At the height of the Internet boom in 1999, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Cisco Systems joined forces to launch NetAid. Founded as a public-private partnership, NetAid set out to use the power of technology—specifically the Internet—to channel the time, resources, and voices of individuals and corporations in the fight against global poverty.
NetAid was launched on October 9, 1999 with high-profile rock concerts in Geneva, London, and New York, web-cast around the world. The web-cast reached 132 nations and was a huge technological feat, attracting significant public attention. In the months following, NetAid granted $1.7 million to 15 organizations in Africa and Kosovo.
In 2001, NetAid became an independent not-for-profit organization, no longer operated by UNDP and Cisco Systems, but still working in close cooperation with these and other partners. To continue building an active network of individuals and organizations committed to its mission, NetAid created online outreach and advocacy programs during its first few years, launching a pioneering online volunteering program which used the Internet to match motivated individuals with poverty-fighting organizations. By the end of 2003, more than 5,000 people from 75 countries were offering their skills as translators, fundraisers, and web designers to groups around the world.
NetAid also connected donors to poverty-reducing projects through successful online campaigns about issues such as access to education, clean water, and HIV/AIDS. Our ground-breaking partnership with Time Magazine in February 2001, for example, drew enormous attention to NetAid's "Breaking the Silence" campaign on HIV/AIDS in Africa, which went on to raise more than $500,000.
NetAid launched the World Schoolhouse in 2002 to focus attention on the more than 100 million children worldwide that are denied a basic education each year. By carefully selecting effective grassroots organizations in developing countries, and partnering with corporations and individuals in the U.S., the Schoolhouse has successfully benefited nearly 112,500 students in 20 developing countries and raised $1.85 million in support.
In 2003, NetAid underwent a strategic planning process, and with funding from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, explored America's public awareness of and engagement in global development. The results of the study clearly identified youth as the segment of our population with the greatest potential to make a long-lasting shift in America's perspective and understanding of the underlying issues of global poverty. A solid base of research also supports these findings, revealing that the U.S. lags far behind other nations in preparing our youth for responsible engagement in a rapidly globalized world. Based on these findings and NetAid's successful history of working with young people, the board of directors decided to focus our efforts on engaging teens in the United States.
