Mission & History
Mission
The Progressive Technology Project (PTP) seeks to raise the scope and scale of technology resources available to grassroots community-led organizing groups working for environmental, economic, and social justice in low-income communities and communities of color. PTP provides training, technical assistance, and grants to develop the capacity of grassroots organizing groups through the use of information technology.
PTP aims to:
- Assist grassroots groups in developing new technology skills that enable them to do organizing work more effectively
- Explore, create, and share models of technology use that add value to grassroots organizing
- Develop a program of technical assistance to address the unique needs that organizers face in their use of technology
- Leverage resources to support the use of information technologies by grassroots organizations
- Create a place for strategic discussions about the relationship between grassroots organizing and technology
There is a growing divide between those who have access to information technologies and those who don't. Grassroots groups in particular have not been able to take advantage of the potential that technology offers to advance their work. PTP works to support the development of skills and best practices that enable communities and organizations most often left out of the information economy to harness the potential of technology. PTP exists to build an infrastructure that supports grassroots groups' use of information technologies to strengthen their efforts to create just communities.
PTP supports grassroots community organizing groups that engage in multi-issue social, economic and environmental justice efforts to empower low-income people and communities of color. These groups have accountable leadership structures and are constituency-based. They work strategically to empower communities, develop leaders and increase the capacity of people to impact public policy and hold decision makers accountable. PTP believes that community organizing at its best is about developing relationships, skills, and understandings among people that increase their ability to change unjust conditions in their communities and beyond.
History
The Progressive Technology Project grew from discussions among a group of grassroots organizers and grant makers, responding to the expressed need for new information technology to strengthen the infrastructure of community organizing. Through a collaborative decision-making process, a planning committee of grassroots organizers, funders and technology specialists developed the Progressive Technology Project's mission, goals, structure, and target audience.
The planning process led to the development of a board of directors that is built around a core of community organizers. It is comprised of many members of the original planning committee, plus additional representatives nominated from the field who offer diverse experiences and expertise. The board of eight has six community organizers and two funders.
