MENU

About the Organization

Benetech harnesses the power of software and data to create social change. They use the Silicon Valley innovation model, adapted for maximum social impact rather than financial return, to develop breakthrough social enterprises. Day by day, they’re empowering communities in need; helping build a more inclusive, equitable and just world in education and literacy, human rights and poverty alleviation.

Benetech identifies technology opportunities with the greatest potential for software and data-driven impact and brings these projects to scale for sector-wide adoption through broader market and policy uptake. They have a senior management team with expertise in technology, non-profits, public service and intellectual property. They are pragmatic idealists, willing to take measured risks for big social payoffs.

Benetech maintains deep relationships with both Silicon Valley and community and organizational leaders, activists and policymakers that enable it to act as a bridge between communities and translate for groups that don’t speak the same language (tech vs social impact). Its leadership in the software for social good space provides the necessary credibility to participate in policy circles and influence national and international policy. Benetech joins forces with strategic partners, government and philanthropic investors who share their zeal to better the world. Benetech’s return on investment is not measured in dollars, but in the number of lives they affect.

https://s12982.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/benetech-sl1.jpg

The gap between what is possible and what is profitable in technology applications puts communities and social sector organizations at a disadvantage

https://s12982.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/benetech-sl2.jpg

Benetech launches new technology enterprises that serve social purposes, such as the documentation of human rights abuses through their software Martus.

https://s12982.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/benetech-sl4.jpg

Books for the vision impaired, secure platforms for reporting human rights violations, conservation monitoring software, and open source software are improving hundreds of thousands of lives.

Ambition for Change

Benetech’s goal is simple: to create software for social good that serves humanity and empowers people to improve their lives. Benetech believes that technology should serve all the people, not just the richest 10 percent. Benetech seeks to enable access to information for marginalized communities in education and literacy, human rights, and poverty alleviation.

Path to Scale

Public education funding, memberships, philanthropy, platform revenue as well as international treaty and publisher industry collaboration all support their systems change in education and literacy globally. Public and philanthropic funding along with sector initiatives support their human rights and poverty work.

Skoll Awardee
Jim Fruchterman

Founder/former CEO, Benetech, and Founder/CEO, Tech Matters, Benetech

Jim Fruchterman is a technology-focused social entrepreneur who has adapted the Silicon Valley approach to communities in need by creating scalable technology solutions. As a Caltech-trained engineer and Silicon Valley tech entrepreneur, he was inspired to found Benetech when a socially beneficial product idea was vetoed by his venture capital investors. Under his leadership, Benetech created five different software social enterprises with solutions for education, human rights, and the environment. Benetech continues to develop and launch new software for social good applications. Fruchterman frequently works with technologists, companies, nonprofits, activists, and policy-makers to explore how software and data can better serve disadvantaged segments of humanity.

In October 2018, Jim stepped down as CEO and founded TechMatters, an "anti-consulting" tech non-profit. He remains on the board, and former president Betsy Beaumon is now CEO.

Impact & Accomplishments
  • Through 2019, Benetech’s Bookshare program has delivered over 15M digital books to students with reading barriers around the world.
  • As of the end of 2019, Bookshare had reached over 19 percent of all eligible students in the United States.
  • Benetech helped advocate for the Marrakesh Treaty for the Blind that went into force in the U.S. in May 2019.
  • More than 900 publishers globally have partnered with Benetech to drive systemic change in the publishing industry through Born Accessible, an initiative to make all ebooks fully accessible when they are first created.
  • Benetech’s human rights work has empowered rights defenders in over 50 countries, including secure data collection for over 245,000 documented cases of human rights abuses and enabled more than 4,500 individual human rights defenders.
Affiliated
Candace Brady
Vice President of Development, Benetech
Nadine Apelian Dobbs
Director of Communications, Benetech
Jim Fruchterman
Founder/former CEO, Benetech, and Founder/CEO, Tech Matters, Benetech
In the News
Related Content

Mindfully, Measurably 10 Percent Better: How Meditation Changed my Life

I have frequently heard about the life changing effects of meditation from enthusiasts. It often comes across with religious fervor and intensity. It often includes jargon that doesn’t make sense…

See All Awardees