California Emerging Technology Fund
Internet for all NOW — A 21st Century Civil Right
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
The CETF mission: close the Digital Divide in California by accelerating the deployment and adoption of broadband and other advanced communications services to unserved and underserved communities. CETF is a unique organization in the nation—no other state has a non-profit with a primary mission to close the Digital Divide by addressing the challenges of both “supply” and “demand” to increase the use of technologies enabled by ubiquitous high-speed Internet access.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
San José Digital Inclusion Partnership
San José is the first city in the country to pledge to close the Digital Divide by establishing the Digital Inclusion Partnership, a $24 million cross-sector fund that will be distributed in grant awards over a ten-year period. It is the city’s largest philanthropic effort in recent history.
School2Home
School2Home is an innovative statewide initiative to close both the Achievement Gap and Digital Divide at low-performing middle schools by integrating the use of Internet-enabled computing devices into teaching and learning coupled with significant parent engagement. It is anchored in research and best practices for improving academic performance and effectively using technology. School2Home employs a compendium of mutually-reinforcing interventions that transform school culture to improve student outcomes on a range of measures.
Telehealth–Telemedicine
Telehealth-Telemedicine is the ability to promote healthy behavior and provide medical care remotely using broadband connectivity between facilities, thus expanding access to vital services and improving the quality of care by linking critical expertise to medically-underserved communities.
Neighborhood Transformation
Residents in low-income neighborhoods face an interrelated set of factors that constitute a “wall of poverty” and a major barrier to broadband adoption. CETF launched Neighborhood Transformation Initiatives in pacesetter communities to align county, city, and school resources to support community leaders and to achieve better outcomes for students and their families, and join forces to tackle poverty.
Digital Literacy
CETF works statewide with a network of community-based organizations (CBOs) and public agencies to increase Digital Literacy. Since 2008 CETF grantees and partners have provided Digital Literacy Training to almost 1M people, including: delivering stand-alone training courses in community facilities; assisting unconnected households become sufficiently digitally-proficient to sign up for an affordable home Internet service and acquire a computing device as part of achieving adoptions; and training parents of students participating in School2Home.
Smart Housing
Smart Housing refers to the policy to ensure publicly-subsidized housing has affordable high- speed Internet connectivity in all units to help residents get out of poverty and transform their lives. There are about 300,000 publicly-subsidized multi-family housing units in California, but most residents are not online. CETF has been a leading voice nationally to advance Smart Housing.
Smart Communities
Smart Communities refers to a policy commitment and focused effort by local governments and civic leaders to optimize broadband deployment as a community grows or redevelops, incorporating it into major public buildings, transportation facilities, and other infrastructure projects. It also means optimizing the use of broadband and other information technologies to deliver public services and integrating it into solutions to major problems to increase efficiency and enhance quality of life. CETF has published several reports that are considered significant reference materials for policymakers and continues to facilitate public policy forums.
The Public Awareness and Education
Internet For All Now (IFAN) and Get Connected! are initiatives of California Emerging Technology Fund, a non-profit organization providing statewide and national leadership to achieve Digital Equity by accelerating broadband deployment and adoption for unserved and underserved communities through public policy and community investments. Today, Internet For All Now (IFAN) and Get Connected! serve as a catalyst for closing the Digital Divide with the California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF) providing a consumer-focused platform with information and resources for obtaining affordable home Internet access and digital skills. The IFAN website provides information on affordable high-speed home Internet in multiple languages, Digital Literacy classes and events, Digital Equity advocacy, and tools for community leaders to conduct outreach and increase awareness in digitally-disadvantaged communities.
Adoption: Achieve At Least 90% Adoption Statewide
The California Emerging Technology Fund calls Digital Equity a 21st Century Civil Right. Rural and low-income residents stuck on the wrong side of the Digital Divide are being left behind at an accelerating pace—unable to apply for jobs, keep up in school, or access information about public services. Today 22% of California households are digitally-disadvantaged—12% are Unconnected (not online at home) and 10% are Underconnected (have only a smartphone). Getting residents connected at home to the Internet is called Adoption. Given the depth of economic insecurity among digitally-disadvantaged populations, CETF set an aggressive target of 500,000 Adoptions in 5 years (2018–2022) to achieve a net 90% Adoption statewide. While availability and access to broadband infrastructure is It takes targeted strategies and intense outreach in-language and in-culture by “trusted messengers” to overcome 3 primary barriers for low-income households: (a) cost; (b) relevance; and (c) digital literacy.
Deployment: Achieve At Least 98% Deployment in Each Region
CETF sponsored the Internet For All Now Act of 2017 to add $330 million to the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF), which is administered by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), and set the official State Deployment Goal so that at least 98% of all residential households in each region have access to high-speed Internet infrastructure by 2022. Building broadband infrastructure is referred to as Deployment. Since the Legislature and CPUC established CASF in 2008 with $100 million, CETF has sponsored all subsequent legislation related to CASF, adding $545 million with dedicated funding for Regional Consortia, Public Housing, and Adoption. CETF has taken an active role in CASF rulemaking and continues to recommend streamlined procedures to accelerate broadband Deployment.
Where we work
External reviews

Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Broadband Adoption
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people, Ethnic and racial groups, People with disabilities, Adults, Students
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Home broadband adoption grew from 55% to 91%, but 9.6% still are not connected. 15% of California households remain digitally-disadvantaged: 9.6% are unconnected and 5.6% are underconnected.
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Overall CETF 5 year Goals
A hallmark of CETF is a disciplined focus on outcomes and accountability for results. The 5-Year Strategic Plan continues a focus on aggressive Overall Goals to achieve at least:
• 98% Deployment in Each Region
• 90% Adoption Statewide
CETF also strives to build capacity in other public and private institutions to incorporate Digital Inclusion policies and practices into their ongoing operations and programs. This is called “institutionalization” so that Digital Equity is “rooted” into the organizational culture and actively pursued by all public agencies and major organizations that serve large numbers of low-income households and other disadvantaged populations.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Achieve 98% Deployment In Each Region
• Implement the Internet For All Now Act of 2017 and efficient administration of California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) by California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).
• Engage State Agencies to facilitate broadband deployment and incorporate Digital Inclusion in all policies and programs.
• Support Regional Consortia to assist ISPs submit CASF applications to reach unserved households.
• Ensure ISPs comply with deployment public benefit obligations governing corporate consolidations.
• Secure funding for CASF to achieve ubiquitous high-speed Internet infrastructure.
Achieve 90% Adoption Statewide by 2022
• Achieve 110K adoptions through performance-based CBO grants.
• Generate 390K adoptions by promoting affordable Internet offers to 7.8M eligible households.
• Ensure ISPs meet adoption public benefit obligations governing corporate consolidations.
• Lead School2Home to close the Digital Divide and Achievement Gap to transform practice and policy for excellence in education.
• Help City of San José advance Digital Inclusion and get 50,000 low-income families online in a decade.
Institutionalization: Establish and Root Digital Inclusion
• Expand State policy and leadership to achieve Digital Equity.
• Promote Digital Inclusion legislation, programs, and funding.
• Pursue performance-based regulations to accelerate broadband deployment and adoption.
• Support Regional Consortia and Local Governments.
• Engage civic leaders and foster public-private partnerships.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
98% Deployment In Each Region
• Submitted detailed recommendations for CPUC CASF rulemaking with community support.
• Analyzed CASF results and offered revised greater impact rules.
• Incorporated broadband into State transportation planning guidelines, and charted a Statewide Strategic Corridor Action Plan.
• Funded Regional Consortia to engage Local Governments, and assist Internet Service Provider (ISPs) CASF applications.
• Managed ISP pubic benefit deployment obligations to reach 107K unserved households (HHs) and to upgrade Internet access for 150K HHs
• Negotiated ISP MOU to reach 99% of all HHs and 10 rural fairgrounds.
• Promoted middle-mile fiber network policy for public safety and economic needs.
• Provided COVID-19 response input to policymakers.
90% Adoption Statewide by 2022
• Managed grants to achieve 31K verified adoptions.
• Launched ad program and established INFO Line to connect low-income HHs.
• Distributed affordable offers information to 5M HHs to generate 229K adoptions.
• Engaged 105 School Districts to distribute affordable offers fliers to families.
• Partnered with an ISP to achieve 150K adoptions and distribute 50K computers.
• Oversaw an ISP commitment to achieve 350K adoptions.
• Negotiated an ISP MOU to achieve 332.5K adoptions and maintain 675K LifeLine Internet customers.
• Implemented School2Home at 30 Schools in 7 Districts for more than 16K students, their parents, and 800 teachers.
• Developed “School2Home In A Box” a detailed Implementation Guide.
• Assisted San José design and launch Digital Inclusion strategies and grantmaking.
• Managed $1M in grants for 23 CBOs to achieve 4K adoptions in Year 1.
• Supported COVID-19 response to accelerate adoptions and device distribution.
Institutionalization: Establish and Root Digital Inclusion
• Served on the California Broadband Council to coordinate State Agencies.
• Promoted Governor’s Broadband For All initiative and urged Legislature to reform CASF and extend collections.
• Advised Legislature to inform all School Lunch Program, CalFresh, and Covered California recipients about affordable Internet service.
• Appealed to the Legislature to get all residents in publicly-subsidized housing online.
• Submitted State testimony to establish broadband as a “green strategy.”
• Petitioned Energy Utilities and regulators to get all CARE customers online for public safety.
• Became party in State LifeLine Proceeding to secure universal affordable home Internet service for all low-income residents.
• Negotiated an ISP MOU establishing $5M grant program for Local Governments in collaboration with Regional Consortia.
• Co-sponsored Los Angeles Region convening of public and private leaders to transform schools and neighborhoods with integrated services and Digital Inclusion.
• Worked with ISPs to increase sign-ups for affordable home Internet service.
• Joined the Silicon Valley Education Foundation to promote Digital Inclusion and achieve academic excellence.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
-
Who are the people you serve with your mission?
The mission of the California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF) is to close the Digital Divide in California by accelerating the deployment and adoption of broadband and other advanced communications services to unserved and underserved communities. CETF uses “broadband” as a generic term for high-speed Internet infrastructure, including both wireline and wireless networks and advanced communications such as 5G. CETF is a unique organization in the nation—no other state has a non-profit with a primary mission to close the Digital Divide by addressing the challenges of both “supply” and “demand” to increase the use of technologies enabled by ubiquitous high-speed Internet access.
-
How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
-
Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We act on the feedback we receive
-
What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We serve the technically disadvantaged, with limited access: online, text , paper, cell, phone.
Financials
Unlock nonprofit financial insights that will help you make more informed decisions. Try our monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights?
Learn more
about GuideStar Pro.
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
California Emerging Technology Fund
Board of directorsas of 10/18/2022
Barbara O'Connor
Professor Emeritus, California State University, Sacramento
Term: 2021 - 2023
Rich Motta
Retired, AT&T
Renée P. Martinez
Emeritus, Los Angeles City College
Jeff Campbell
Cisco Systems, Inc.
Martha M. Escutia
University of Southern California
Jim Kirkland
Trimble Inc.
Tim McCallion
California State University, Los Angeles
Darrell J Stewart
Intel, Americas
Dorian Trauble
University of Southern California
Barb Johnston Yellowlees
The Castleton Group
Frances Marie Gipson
Claremont Graduate University
Lenny Mendonca
Former Chief Economic Advisor for Governor Newsom and Senior Partner Emeritus, McKinsey & Co.
Carlos Ramos
Maestro Public Sector
Shireen Shantosham
Nextdoor Kind Foundation, Nextdoor
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
-
Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
Equity strategies
Last updated: 04/28/2022GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.