National Digital Inclusion Alliance Gets $10 Million Grant from Google Charity Arm

February 16, 2022 – The National Digital Inclusion Alliance announced Tuesday a four-year, $10 million grant from Google.org to create a National Digital Navigator Corps.

The Corps, which will launch in spring 2022, will identify 18 rural and tribal community organizations and fund digital navigator programs in these organizations that will help people connect to the internet, obtain appropriate devices, and become digitally literate.

This announcement came during the first day of NDIA’s Net Inclusion event in Portland, Oregon. The NDIA is a nonprofit organization that connects various organizations across the U.S., such as policy makers, academics, and other nonprofit organizations, to advocate for national access to broadband and put an end to the digital divide.

This grant is the single largest grant in NDIA history. and will help bring the internet and online skills to rural and tribal communities.

“We must address any and all barriers to digital equity,” said Angela Siefer, the executive director of NDIA. “This is what digital navigators do – weave digital support into our social safety net.”

The grant from Google’s charitable arm will go towards helping the NDIA continue the digital navigator model, support navigator programs in tribal communities, and provide publicly available digital navigator resources.

“Where you live shouldn’t be a barrier to connecting to the world. Internet connections and digital skills training can provide enormous opportunities,” said Kent Walker, president for Global Affairs at Google. “By supporting NDIA and their work to deploy a team of Digital Navigators across the country, we’ll be meeting people where they are, in rural and Tribal communities, providing tailored, one-to-one support.”

Editor’s Correction: A previous version of this story said the the NDIA announcement of the grant from Google.org was on Tuesday, February 15, 2022, when it was actually on Wednesday. The story has been corrected.