alternative funding innovation lab
Beyond Grants
A series on building sustainable funding for digital adoption
The federal funding cliff has made one thing clear: digital inclusion can’t keep depending on grants alone. This series makes the case for co-investment from the sectors that quietly rely on the work — and gives practitioners the language, evidence, and partnership structures to start building it.
Where we are
Federal funding for digital inclusion is collapsing. We’ve been here before. We can’t afford to be here again.
Digital inclusion isn’t charity. It’s the infrastructure that lets healthcare, education, employers, housing, local government, and ISPs deliver on their own goals. They benefit from it. They should help fund it.
Connect Humanity’s framework inverts the usual grant logic: start with what the community needs, then map who else captures the value, then design the funding to match.
This series applies that framework to six sectors, written by experts in each one.
START HERE
A Framework for Co-Investing in Digital Adoption
In the series introduction, Sam Schartman lays out the case for why the digital inclusion sector can’t continue to rely on grant funding along. Brian Vo introduces the financial logic that can bring cross-sector co-investments to make this work more sustainable. This sets the foundation for exploratory chapters across six sectors.
The view from six sectors
Telecommunications
B. Rathbone, D. Dawson, J. Sural, S.Schartman
ISPs already have a business case for digital adoption. Communities have leverage they often don’t realise. Here’s how to convert both into investment.
Healthcare
Dr Amy Sheon
Health systems and payers can co-invest because telehealth and reduced no-shows depend on it. The VA’s data already shows the financial case.
Telecommunications
B. Rathbone, D. Dawson, J. Sural, S.Schartman
ISPs already have a business case for digital adoption. Communities have leverage they often don’t realise. Here’s how to convert both into investment.
Healthcare
Dr Amy Sheon
Health systems and payers can co-invest because telehealth and reduced no-shows depend on it. The VA’s data already shows the financial case.
Telecommunications
B. Rathbone, D. Dawson, J. Sural, S.Schartman
ISPs already have a business case for digital adoption. Communities have leverage they often don’t realise. Here’s how to convert both into investment.
Healthcare
Dr Amy Sheon
Health systems and payers can co-invest because telehealth and reduced no-shows depend on it. The VA’s data already shows the financial case.
Who is this for?
Practitioners
Start with your most relevant sector brief. Use the framework when designing partnerships.
Pick a sector ->
Sector partners
Health systems, employers, housing authorities, ISPs: read your sector’s brief, then talk to us.
Get in touch ->
Funders
The framework is the read. The briefs show where pilots can move first.
Get in touch ->
Chapter Contributors
Aaron Schill
National Digital Inclusion Alliance
Dr. Amy Sheon
Public Health Innovators, LLC
Brian Rathbone
Broadband Catalysts
Brian Vo
Connect Humanity
Catherine Crago Blanton
Independent Consultant
Doug Dawson
CCG
Dr. Jen Vanek
JSI Research and Training Institute | World Education Initiative
Roberto Gallardo
Purdue University
Samantha Schartman
Connect Humanity
Jeff Surral
Surral Consulting LLC
We’re grateful to the chapter authors of the series in addition to all members of the Alternative Funding Working group who provided comments and guidance throughout. Particularly grateful to Blair Levin and Karen Mossberger who served as senior editors and to Mark Colwell and Mission Telecom Giving for making this work possible.
How to cite: [Add details]
Beyond Grants is the published series produced by Connect Humanity’s Alternative Funding Innovation Lab, with support from Mission Telecom Giving.
To learn more about this work, suggest additional chapters, or join the Alternative Funding Working Group, email info@connecthumanity.fund