TechFoundation and IBA Bring Internet Access to Inner City Boston.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 8, 2003

International public charity TechFoundation has announced the completion of a comprehensive, yearlong project to bring Internet and technology resources to the residents of Boston's Villa Victoria neighborhood, represented by Inquilinos Boricuas en Accion (IBA), a community-based organization in Boston's South End.

IBA is dedicated to empowering Villa Victoria's 3,000 predominantly Latino residents in 884 housing units by offering social services, education and arts programs.

"TechFoundation has brought our community into the high-tech world," said David Cortiella, executive director of IBA. "Our residents are getting access to better education and more jobs, and our organization is running more efficiently."

TechFoundation has brought all of its resources to bear on this "city within a city," with model results:

      --  Wired residents to jobs and education by deploying two of its         "Geeks for America" to IBA, setting them to work installing         computers, printers and high-speed Internet access for the         entire 16-block housing complex. The Geeks worked with         neighborhood residents in IBA's community computer room,         helping residents learn how to access education and job         opportunities through the Internet.      --  Introduced 21st century management techniques. To support its         growth, IBA needed a sophisticated donor and project         management database. TechMarketplace helped arrange IBA's         discounted purchase of software specifically designed for         nonprofit management.      --  After TechMarketplace provided a discounted rate, TechGrant         stepped forward with a grant, allowing IBA to pay only half         the market price for critical software. Now, committed to         continually improving their systems, IBA staff keep up with         the latest funding opportunities by subscribing to the         TechGrants newsletter.      --  IBA leadership has learned how to use information technology         to benefit the organization, joining hundreds of other         Boston-area nonprofit executives at TechConnect lectures on         subjects such as IT staffing and Web strategies. 

"As foundations are cutting grants for the first time in 20 years, creative philanthropy is more important than ever," said David Altshuler, president and chief executive officer of TechFoundation. "Our goal is to create technological capabilities for nonprofits that will continue producing results long-term, and IBA stands out as a group determined to use technology to enrich the lives of the people it serves."

TechFoundation, an international public charity headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, envisions a world where nonprofit organizations can access the same resources to serve humanity that businesses use to create wealth. To that end, TechFoundation delivers technology, expertise and capital to help nonprofit organizations harness the power of information technology. www.techfoundation.org.