Child Status Index Mobile App

We are proud to announce that at this year’s Christian Alliance for Orphan’s (CAFO) annual summit we will debut a mobile app that allows for input of the Child Status Index (CSI) information related to OVC.  Last year, I attended a webinar conducted by Dr. Bev Nyberg, one of the creators of the CSI, as she went through your presentation she mentioned that she would love to get some software to make the collection, analysis and reporting of CSI data to be available by the 2017 CAFO conference.  For me, it was a God ordained moment that I heard this comment and thought perhaps our group could assist.  Since then Bev and our group have worked to create a mobile app that allows users to enter data whether phone service or the Internet is available or not.  When the Internet is available the user data is sent to a centralized organization database via an encrypted connection.  A user simply answers questions and can eliminate pen and paper and then retyping data into Excel.

We will be presenting at several sessions of this year’s conference during Bev’s talks about Measuring & Evaluation.  We will also be at the research intensive for OVC advancement on Wed, May 3rd.  It is our prayer that we can partner with at least three orphan serving organizations that are either currently using the CSI or looking to adopt the CSI to report results to their funders and other stakeholders.

CAFO Summit Technology Discovery Meetings

In May 2014, my beautiful wife Anne and I were blessed to attend the Christian Alliance for Orphans (CAFO) Summit 2014. This was the fifth annual conference I was able to attend to learn more about the needs of the global orphan community. One of our goals was to also to gather with some of the technology thought leaders that were also in attendance. We had three similar meetings where we just gathered to understand greatest needs and learn about current best practices. We learned alot and met some awesome new contacts. Our biggest and best meeting, quite frankly, was on Friday, when we had Greg Buzek and some of his Retail Orphan Initiative (ROI) buddies were able to attend. We were also gratified to have Curtis Artis from CAFO join us. During this meeting we identified the following priorities for future discussion:

* Case Management – how to better keep track of individual child and family cases
• Data management – how to better manage data for improved programs and evidence-based research
• Donor management – how best to interact with donors and keep them engaged.
• Child sponsorship Management – how to manage child sponsorship programs.
• Security of Data – how to ensure that sensitive child data is keep private and secure according to international child protection standards
• Development of a portal to link ministries and their needs with individuals in larger, “Silicon Valley like” companies who could help. (Perhaps a portal, like NTEN utilized) – how can we match technology and business donors with specific ministry needs?
• Sharing of best practices – how can we share lessons learned on programmatic best practice and technology tools?
• How to run a ministry more effectively using technology – how technology might support the full range of operational needs that ministries have.
• Funding for technology/capacity – how to raise extra funds for technology use and training that can improve practice in ministries and/or show how investments in technology can save time and money by improving practice and streamlining processes etc.

These are topics that will have more discussion and are worthy of greater understanding.

Helping Orphans with Technology

Helping Orphans with Technology

I have been talking with those I know that will be attending the CAFO Summit 2014 and have an interest in how to leverage technology to assist orphan serving organizations build capacity and sustainability. After sending an invite to Greg Buzek at Retail Orphan Initiative (ROI) he let me know that he has 4-6 high level IT industry executive coming to this year’s conference. They include a senior analyst for Gartner and a director from Intel. We have setup one meeting for Thurs, May 1st at 1:15. The actual location is still being determined. For now, the tentative agenda for this meeting is to listen and learn what orphan care providers indicate are there greatest needs and to talk through how technology could assist. The overall goal is to learn and put together a group of people that can move the best ideas forward as is appropriate. I also sent an invite to Jean Gerran from Each, Inc. She has about 10 people she would like to invite that share this same passion. I have about 10 folks I would like to invite, so we are hoping for a couple of meetings from 1-2 hours where at least 10 folks could gather where the majority would be directly involved in orphan care and the balance those professionals that could capture needs and advance solutions that would leverage various technology resources to assist these organizations. Clearly, we are still working through the details, but we are all excited at the group God is pulling together this year and we look forward to seeing what He will do to advance care for the fatherless around the world.

CAFO Summit 2014 Technology Intensive Goals

Technology Pre-conference Meeting Proposed Agenda

My lovely and sweet wife, Anne, has been in touch with Jedd from CAFO and has learned that they have filled out the “official” pre-conference intensives and aren’t in a position to assist with promotion of our idea for a meeting around technology needs and common understanding of tech terms for global orphan care ministries.  Below is what I submitted to Jedd last summer.  I think for a list of items for consideration this has some merit.  Since I’m not in the direct orphan care path, I wouldn’t pretend to understand all of the realities and what would be most helpful in terms of technology leverage, but I have talked with a lot of orphan care ministries and have heard some of these themes repeatedly.  We hope you can join us for this pre-conference meeting to be held at Willow Creek Church April 30th, the day before the CAFO Summit 2014 officially begins.

Purpose – understand greatest needs and then advance and leverage use of technology for global orphan care ministries

Global Orphan Care Ministries

1. Identify key group of ministries for focus group to determine most effective topics
2. Develop survey to determine greatest opportunities for technology

Definition of success

1. Greatest needs
   1. Increasing support
      1. Donor connections to children
      2. Child profiles and direct communication
   2. Extending input to the field
   3. Leveraging social media

1. Desired outcomes
   1. Common terminology
   2. Integrating various solutions
   3. Best practice library 
2. Grab donor side

1. Build relationship
2. Be mobile—stickiness
3. Let donor know how to choose and how to interact

1. Dashboard

1. See ministry at a glance
2. Money buckets
3. Kid trends
4. Better forecasting

CAFO Summit 2014

CAFO Summit 2014 – Pre-conference IT Intensive

My very sweet and smart wife, Anne F. Rauth, has been kind to step in and assist me with planning for an IT intensive the day before the CAFO Summit 2014 officially begins on May 1st.  So, on Wed., April 30th at 1:00 we will gather at a room at Willow Creek Church for about 4 hours to discuss how technology can help those helping orphans.  We are not an orphan care ministry, but in Oct 2008, God told me the purpose of my life was to help every orphan find a good home using technology.  In pursuit, of this HUGE God sized goal, I am always blessed to hear from those who are on the front lines and providing direct care for orphans how we can assist them leveraging technology.  To that end, I have attended every CAFO summit since 2010 and have seen the explosive growth of this conference and the great passion of those who attend.  It is so inspirational to me to go every year and learn more about those working tirelessly to care for the fatherless.  It is literally one of the funnest weeks of my year.  We are open to other ideas, but thought we would start with the following agenda:

Agenda:

1:00 – 1:15    Introductions

1:15 – 2:15    Biggest technology challenge you are facing (Roundtable)

2:15 – 3:00    Prioritize Technology Challenges

3:00 – 3:15    Break

3:15 – 4:15    Break into small groups to discuss next steps

4:15 – 5:00     Each group shares ideas

We are certainly open to other ideas for an effective use of time.

CAFO Summit 2014 IT Intensive

Technology Pre-conference intensive get together

In May 2014, the Christian Alliance for Orphans (CAFO) will have their annual summit at Willow Creek Church in Chicago.  This year, we have been working with CAFO and others we have met attending this great conference over the last few years to organize a pre-conference get together the day before the conference.  This will be held at the church and will be a 2-4 hour gathering for those that have a heart for helping orphans and want to leverage technology to improve efficiency, outcomes and fundraising.  Over the last few years we have been working on a solution that integrates a donor database with case management, but this is based on a very small group of initial beta testers.  We would like to learn more about the real challenges of global orphan care ministries and dream a little about how technology can be leveraged to allow them to help more orphans.  Please let us know if you would like to join this session at the CAFO Summit 2014.