Google: 10 Canadian organizations that may change the world

Par Marie Allimann | 10 mars 2017 | NGO

Google recently announced the 10 finalists for its first Impact Challenge contest in Canada.

These 10 organizations have one thing in common: they all use technology in an innovative way to make the world a better place, regardless of the problem they are trying to tackle.
“We truly believe that technology has the power to transform lives, and this contest is a way for us to learn about and fund organizations that are using technology in new ways to tackle some of the world’s biggest challenges. It’s also an opportunity to make Canadians more aware and interested in the incredible work being done by nonprofit organizations,” said Sam Sebastian, vice-president of Google Canada.

Through this contest, Google.org, Google’s philanthropic arm, will award $5 million across 10 nonprofit organizations (NPOs) to help bring their socially-minded ideas to life. After a request for submissions launched last fall, Google.org has just announced the 10 finalists. Five of these organizations will receive $750,000 grants and mentoring from Google and Leap, a Toronto-based centre for social impact. The other five organizations will receive $250,000. A number of social issues are represented within this first Canadian cohort, from access to the best learning resources for Indigenous youth, to access to hearing care for children living in remote communities.
“We have been bowled over by the response to this challenge – more than 900 non-profits shared their best ideas with us, and these ten projects were the best of the best.”
One of the finalists, Growing North, works in the food sector, building greenhouses that will grow fresh, affordable produce all year round in Canada’s North. This initiative, created in Toronto, is primarily focused on the reality in Nunavut, where close to 70% of adults are food insecure.

Growing North builds greenhouses that will grow fresh, affordable produce all year round in Canada’s North

Another example is the Victoria Hand Project, which can produce affordable 3D-printed prosthetics. This organization is responding to a situation where only 5% of the 40 million people who need prosthetic care can access the resources they need. The Victoria Hand Project will provide affordable 3D-printed prosthetics in low-to-mid income countries.
One of the five winners will be selected based on votes from the public (public voting is open until March 28), and the remaining winners will be announced at a live event at the end of March, after pitching their projects to a panel of judges. The jury members include The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage, and professional hockey player P.K. Subban.
To find out more about the 10 finalists, click here.