While hosting its Go North conference in Toronto celebrating the Canadian tech ecosystem, Google announced today that it was bringing its Google.org Impact Challenge to Canada for the first time.
Google.org, Google’s philanthropic arm, uses the competition to find and fund innovative nonprofits that are using technology to make the world a better place. Through the competition, Google will award $5 million across 10 organizations. Five organizations will receive $750,000 grants, while another five additional finalists will receive $250,000.
“We created the Google.org Impact Challenge because we truly believe that technology has the power to transform lives,” said Jacquelline Fuller, director of Google.org. “We have seen firsthand the incredible impact that innovative technology can have in addressing complex and difficult social issues, and we are excited to see how Canadian nonprofits will respond to the challenge.”
One of the five winners will be selected based on votes from the public, and the remaining winners will be selected following a live event at the end of March, when shortlisted projects will pitch their projects to a panel of judges.
“We want to make a better world, faster. That’s what this Challenge is designed to do,” said Sam Sebastian, managing director of Google Canada. “We have huge expectations for what Canada can deliver through the Google.org Impact Challenge. Not only is Canada home to some of the world’s smartest and most talented tech innovators, but we also have a deep commitment to humanitarian causes both as a nation and as individuals.”
Nonprofit organizations across all sectors are invited to submit their proposals by November 26, 2016. The shortlist of grantees will be announced in February.
The confirmed judges for the Google Impact Challenge include:
- Melanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage
- Dr. Samantha Nutt, Bestselling author and Founder of War Child Canada/War Child USA
- Joseph Boyden, award-winning author and professor
- PK Subban, NHL Defenceman and philanthropist
- Hani Al Moulia, member of the Prime Minister’s Youth Council
- Don Harrison, Vice President, Corporate Development, Google
- Jacquelline Fuller, Director, Google.org