Avanade Launches "Tech For Social Good" With Microsoft Philanthropies; Becomes Founding Partner Of NetHope Center for the Digital Non-Profit

SEATTLE -- With this announcement, Avanade, the leading digital innovator on the Microsoft ecosystem, and Microsoft Philanthropies will advise non-profit organizations and the social sector on the right technologies to operate in the digital world.

Avanade is also proud to announce its founding membership, along with Microsoft, Blackbaud, Okta, Box and Oracle NetSuite, of the NetHope Center for the Digital Non-Profit. NetHope is a consortium of 50+ leading global non-profits whose mission is to change the world through the power of technology. Working together, the group will collaborate and develop digital solutions to share and replicate for the greater good of all non-profit partners.

"Many non-profit organizations face systemic challenges in leveraging technology, whether it's a shortfall of the right talent or scalable industry solutions," said Pamela Maynard, president, product and innovation, Avanade, and executive sponsor of this initiative. "As a strategic partner with Microsoft Philanthropies and their Technology for Social Good, we will work together to tackle these challenges and at the same time enable our employees to make a genuine human impact in our world today."

The new Technology for Social Good business is staffed with Avanade's workforce of 34,000 digitally connected people, and a central investment fund is available to support the delivery of impactful technology and relevant solutions. These solutions represent tailored intellectual property (IP) designed to support and digitally transform non-profits to enable these deserving organizations to streamline their work and better serve their communities.

"We couldn't be more excited about our partnership with Avanade and Technology for Social Good," said Justin Spelhaug, general manager, Microsoft Philanthropies Tech for Social Impact. "Avanade is a great partner given their unparalleled experience in the Microsoft stack and their IP in Dynamics and Azure are all hyper relevant in the non-profit industry. They also have a global footprint, which very few partners operating in the world of non-profits can offer."

Pamela Maynard introduced Technology for Social Good to the non-profit sector and set out the focus Avanade will deliver to the social sector in collaboration with NetHope CDN and Microsoft Philanthropies when she represented Avanade at the NetHope Summit in Dublin the week of November 5, 2018.