A New Chapter for Develop Impact
I recently moved the Develop Impact newsletter off Substack and over to GhostCMS. It is just another platform, but one that I can host, control, and manage more easily. It is also more cost effective to run. That shift felt like a good moment to pause and share a bit about what I am imagining for Develop Impact going forward.
We are just past the one year mark since many of us received stop work orders tied to USAID funded work. For most people reading this, that moment was deeply disruptive. Our worlds were turned upside down almost overnight. I will write a longer piece soon reflecting on that past year and what it has meant for me and my family and the changes we have navigated.
After spending much of the past year wrapping things up, transitioning away from USAID related work, and starting a new job, I have decided to continue investing in writing. Specifically, I want to spend more time exploring the intersection of technology for good, human computer interaction, and how we engage with technology in our everyday lives. A lot of the research I am doing at the university I am working at touches directly on these questions, and Develop Impact feels like a good place to explore them more openly.
As I relaunch Develop Impact, I am shifting it away from being only a newsletter focused on funding opportunities. That will still be part of it, but I want to broaden the scope. Going forward, I plan to share relevant news from the tech for good space, longer form articles that I am working on, and pieces from friends and colleagues who are thinking and working in similar areas. I also hope this can become a place where I occasionally publish research findings and early ideas.
Ideally, Develop Impact can grow into more of a community for people working on technology for good. Funding opportunities will still be shared. Funding Fridays are not going away, though the cadence may change. Every Friday feels like a lot right now, so we may move to a biweekly or monthly roundup instead. I am still figuring that part out.
For those of you who have subscribed and followed along over the years, thank you. Nothing fundamental is changing. I am just trying to add more content that feels thoughtful, relevant, and useful alongside what already exists.
At some point, I will likely add a paid feature or subscription. I do not yet know what that will look like. It may be access to a specific section of the site or another way to support the writing and curation work that goes into this. The goal is simple. To help cover the costs of running the platform and keeping things going for the community.
This past year has not been easy for most of us. I am genuinely grateful for the messages, check ins, and encouragement many of you have shared along the way. Thank you for being here and for continuing on this journey with me.
