About Us
NetHope's mission has a clear focus: to be a catalyst for collaboration among international humanitarian organizations. By working together to solve problems and share knowledge, we help ensure that our members have access to the best information and communication technology and practices when serving people in the developing world.
We do this by working across our membership as a highly collaborative team, solving common technology problems, fostering strong relationships with private industry, and educating our members and the wider community of humanitarian organizations worldwide.
NetHope focuses on five strategic initiatives, all enabled by the power of collaboration:
Values & Guiding Principles
- Technology (ICT) matters - effectiveness of a humanitarian organization depends on technology and capacity building
- Benefiting all benefits one - Benefiting one also benefits all
- Learn through collaboration - Learn by doing
- Build for the field - IT solutions are deployed solutions
- Bias for action - Speed is essential, especially for emergencies
NetHope Timeline
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'01
"Wiring the Global Village" paper presented to Cisco
Dipak Basu, first Cisco Fellow, coins the name "NetHope"
First Summit hosted by Cisco in San Jose with seven organizations represented
Save the Children
World Vision
CARE
Mercy Corps
Catholic Relief Services
Winrock International
Children International
What's up Phil
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'02
NetHope's first pilot launched, from planning to implementation
Oxfam
Plan International
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'03
Spring 2004 Summit hosted by Cisco in San Jose, California
NetHope incorporated as public charity in Delaware
Ed Granger-Happ elected as NetHope's first Chairman
Fall 2004 Summit hosted by Microsoft in Redmond, Washington
Honored as Tech Museum Awards Laureate, NetHope receives the Agilent
Technologies Equality Award for the use of technology to benefit mankind
Earliest version of the Network Relief Kit developed
Christian Children's Fund
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'04
Wall Street Journal covers NetHope's work during the South Asian tsunami
Leadership transferred from Dipak Basu to Molly Tschang, Cisco's second NetHope Fellow
NetHope signs long-term VSAT contract with Skylogic/Eutelsat; Phase II Project begins
Spring 2005 Summit hosted by Save the Children in Westport, Connecticut
501(c)(3) tax exemption application filed
Fall 2005 Summit hosted by The Nature Conservancy
ActionAid
The Nature Conservancy
Relief International
International Rescue Committee
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'05
NetHope receives 501(c)(3) nonprofit status from IRS
Board of directors elects Bill Brindley as its first Chief Executive Officer
Microsoft provides $40 million grant for NetHope members
NetHope's first chapters form in Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Thailand
Spring 2006 Summit hosted by IRC in New York City
NetHope selected as Grand Prize winner of Cisco's Growing with Technology Awards
NetHope strategy refresh project launched Newest version of Network Relief Kit developed and deployed
Fall 2006 Summit hosted by WCS in New York City
Heifer International
Wildlife Conservation Society
Save the Children - UK*
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'06
Ed Granger-Happ, NetHope's chairman, deemed by eWeek and CIO Insight to be one of the Top 100 Most Influential People in IT
NetHope's chapter is launched in India, hosted by ActionAid Bangalore Spring 2007 Summit hosted by Microsoft in Redmond, Washington
NetHope's chapter is launched in East Africa, hosted by ActionAid Nairobi
NetHope goes live with new Collaborative Platform NetHope hosts "NetHope 3.0" strategy working session at Accenture in New York City
NetHope India Chapter hosts two-day meeting in New Delhi, hosted by CARE India
Fall 2007 Summit hosted by CCF, Plan, IFRC, TNC, and Winrock, and sponsored by Dell and Fundacion Ciudad del Saber in Panama
NetHope achieves goal of over 100 NetHope VSAT installations to date
Shared Services program launched Innovation for Development program launched
Opportunity International
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'07
Spring 2008 Summit hosted by Cisco in San Jose, California
Intel Chairman Craig Barrett announces strategic relationship with NetHope
NetHope's fourth chapter is developed in West Africa, hosted by ActionAid Ghana
Shared Services program road map and business plan completed, initial pilots launched, with substantial funding and support from members, Accenture and the Rockefeller Foundation
Innovation for Development program creates business model and road map, with support from Intel, Microsoft and other partners
Innovation for Development road map developed and pilots launched, focused on agriculture, health, education, natural resource management and financial service platforms
ICT Skills Building program piloted in Africa, Asia and South America
American Red Cross*
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
Family Health International
WaterAid
VSO**
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'08
Fall 2008 Summit hosted by IFRC in Geneva, Switzerland
NetHope Leads First Advanced VSAT Installation and Maintenance Workshop in Nairobi
Ashoka
PATH
Christian Aid
VSO
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'09
Stories about NetHope appeared in the New York Times, the International Herald Tribune, the Stanford Social Innovation Review and the Agence France-Presse (AFP)
Over $3,000,000 in new Gifts-in-Kind obtained for members
Launched social networking strategy and sites
Completed launch of ICT Database capturing member connectivity solutions globally
NetHope Members Win Two of Four Intel's INSPIRE•EMPOWER Challenge Awards Demonstrating Innovative Uses of ICT
NetHope awarded major new grants by The Rockefeller Foundation and the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation
In response to Economic Crisis, NetHope obtained deeply discounted scale procurement deals and services for members and launched online conferencing task force
Obtained funding to reach 10,000 field workers by offering instructor-led live online training and expand course offerings for members and professionals
Shared Services pilot launched in Africa and India
Spring 2009 Summit hosted by Microsoft in Redmond, Washington
ACCION
FINCA
CHF
Federated Canadian Red Cross
This update highlights the impact of NetHope's focus on making the billions of dollars of revenue received by its member agencies go further through the effective use of technology.
Approximately 92% of NetHope's budget is dedicated to programs. Download past financial statements here: 
This one-page document outlines NetHope's mission, strategy and member base.