ServiceNow and Fast Forward Drive More Impact with Tech
Since the beginning of our partnership, ServiceNow and Fast Forward have jointly supported 40 tech nonprofits worldwide.
Through initiatives like the Accelerator, Demo Days, Pitch Camp, in-office programming, and others, ServiceNow has been instrumental in supporting the growth of tech nonprofits that have positively impacted 21M+ lives. And it all happened across three offices in just two years.
Most recently, Fast Forward and ServiceNow came together to celebrate the kickoff of ServiceNow’s Month of Service – in person! We spent time in their Santa Clara offices reflecting on our partnership with Gina Mastantuono, ServiceNow’s Chief Financial Officer, and Lyndsay Harris Kyei, ServiceNow’s Senior Director of ESG Social Strategy. The atmosphere was filled with enthusiasm and a shared commitment to making a positive difference in the community.
“ServiceNow’s partnership with Fast Forward is a great example of how support beyond funding can help tech nonprofits scale. Through employee engagement, mentorship, in-person events, and more, we have collaborated to support the growth of early startups addressing issues such as digital readiness, racial justice, and climate change. We are so proud to be working with Fast Forward to help these innovative tech nonprofits amplify their impact and drive meaningful change.”
– Lyndsay Harris Kyei, Senior Director of ESG Social Strategy at ServiceNow
ServiceNow’s support doesn’t stop there. We’re grateful that ServiceNow leadership has uplifted the tech nonprofit community every step of the way. Read on to learn how ServiceNow has empowered organizations to develop tech solutions that combat poverty, foster equitable workforce development, and address diversity in STEM.
Lemontree
Lemontree connects people with personalized recommendations about free food and resources near them through an SMS helpline. This work matters. 77% of hungry people don’t access the food resources available to them. Why? It’s hard to find and hard to access. The Lemontree solution is powered by the most comprehensive dataset on food resources, backed by up-to-the-minute data fueled by real user feedback.
Lemontree’s ethos is all about treating users with dignity and respect. The helpline relies on a mix of support from real hospitality specialists and smart technology. This year, ServiceNow employees stepped up to provide empathy and a human touch by volunteering as hospitality specialists. In 2023 alone, ServiceNow volunteers personally chatted with over 1,200 households to connect them with food worth an estimated $25K.
From left to right: Kasumi Quinlan (Lemontree, Nyamakye Wilson (Black Sisters in STEM), Lyndsay Harris Kyei (ServiceNow), and Anna Pickren (Fast Forward)
Develop for Good
Only 11% of nonprofits view their digital strategies as highly effective. Develop for Good pairs college-age computer science students with nonprofits to help them build tech products. With a focus on underrepresented students, Develop for Good empowers the next generation of leaders in tech to commit their careers to social good early. Through projects like web and mobile app development, data visualization, and more, Develop for Good connects students with nonprofits to accelerate the digital transformation of the nonprofit sector.
Since 2020, Develop for Good has supported over 1,800 students and mentors on 130+ tech projects. With support from ServiceNow, Develop for Good was able to showcase three years of success with its first inaugural Demo Day. At this virtual event, the audience had the opportunity to view demos of projects and vote for standout teams. Over 100 industry professionals joined to give real-time feedback to the projects and hundreds more tuned in to vote for their favorite student projects. Together with ServiceNow’s support, Develop for Good was able to empower the diverse leaders of tomorrow as they build a more digitally equitable world.
Black Sisters in STEM
In the U.S., Black women only hold an estimated 3% of STEM degrees and almost half of Black women drop out of STEM majors by sophomore year. Black Sisters in STEM (Black SiS) is changing that. Its digital community is advancing Black women in tech and supporting them through each step of the STEM pipeline. From culturally-relevant tech training, to job searching and placement, to education on career growth, Black SiS is closing the diversity gap in STEM.
After supporting Black SiS through the Startup Accelerator, ServiceNow took it a step further. ServiceNow partnered directly with Black SiS to leverage the expertise of ServiceNow volunteers and provide Black women with sessions focused on resume writing, interviewing, and creating a stand-out LinkedIn profile. Together, they empowered over 1,000 Black women with 250+ hours of professional development sessions.
From left to right: Marissa O’Rourke (ServiceNow), Lyndsay Harris Kyei (ServiceNow), Gina Mastantuono (ServiceNow), and Anna Pickren (Fast Forward)
Fast Forward is grateful to partner with ServiceNow on their mission to build a more equitable world. We share ServiceNow’s belief that all people should have the same opportunity to succeed and thrive. We are proud of the positive ripple effects of our partnership with ServiceNow. From resume building events with BlackSIS, to connecting hungry people with food through Lemontree, to digitally transforming nonprofits with Develop for Good, so much impact has come forth from the partnership. We are excited to keep working with ServiceNow to uplift early stage tech nonprofits through the rest of 2023 and beyond.