Shared value in a digitally Connected Future
Shared value partnerships provide a crucial mechanism for corporate and not-for-profit organisations to work together to create positive social change. Through a common agenda for change, organisations around the world are developing innovative responses to some of society’s biggest challenges.
Infoxchange is proud to be working with Credit Union Australia (CUA) and Australian Red Cross in Connected Future – a shared value partnership that aims to improve the digital and financial capability of vulnerable community members across Australia.
And last month our partnership was recognised with a Shared Value Award for “Collaboration of the Year to Watch” by Shared Value Project, the peak body for advancing the adoption of shared value in Australia and New Zealand. The Shared Value Awards acknowledge organisations using shared value strategies to create social and economic outcomes.
Infoxchange, CUA and Australian Red Cross share an ambition of designing to solve digital exclusion and thereby support those who are deeply socially excluded to access the benefits of the digital world. As a shared value partnership, we saw a great opportunity to design a program that leveraged our collective expertise in financial management, digital inclusion and the delivery of social wellbeing programs.
The first stream of our shared value partnership focused on the design and development of practical training to build confidence using digital technology to navigate financial products and services. From there, we launched two new Connected Future courses (modelled on our successful Digital Springboard program) that are delivered online and face-to-face by CUA as well as other trusted, local delivery partners.
In light of the bushfires that ravaged much of Australia in 2019/20, the three partner organisations are now collaborating to ensure people living in disaster prone areas in Australia are digitally confident and capable before, during and after disasters. Using a human-centred design approach involving community stakeholders, we are working to identify and develop innovative solutions to help reach digitally excluded Australians.
The Shared Value Project award selection committee praised Connected Future’s approach to delivering both social and business outcomes through the partnership.
“Connected Future is a shining example of the magic that can happen when people and customers sit at a program’s heart,” the committee said.
CUA Head of Communications and Community, Allison White, says the Connected Future partnership was established to help digitally excluded Australians thrive in an online world.
“We couldn’t have imagined how important that issue would become as COVID-19 forced a reliance on digital technology like never before,” she says.
“It’s been through our commitment to shared value principles that we’ve worked through the challenges of 2020. We’ve been able to deliver – and even grow – more from the partnership than we originally imagined,” says Infoxchange CEO David Spriggs.
Thank you to the Shared Value Project for recognising the work of the Connected Future partnership, and thank you to our collaborators and supporters who are helping us to achieve our mission to grow the social and financial wellbeing of communities through digital inclusion.
Read more about Connected Future.
Find Digital Springboard courses online or in your local area.
