Mission
ShelterTech believes everyone has a right to technology. We improve access to the internet, provide digital training, and operate the largest online directory of homeless services in San Francisco. ShelterTech was founded in 2016 by Darcel Jackson after he was injured at work and experienced life on the streets. His vision was for technology that served those who need it most, and that continues to drive our core mission. We work directly with people who have experienced homelessness to build the most impactful products and services. Our programs target three core problems faced by those experiencing homelessness: poor access to the internet, difficulty finding reliable information for homeless services, and the digital divide separating the tech community and underserved communities.
Ruling year
2016
President
Hicham Sabir
Product Lead
Derek Fidler
Main address
268 Bush Street #4302
SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94104 USA
EIN
38-3984099
NTEE code
Human Services - Multipurpose and Other N.E.C. (P99)
Management & Technical Assistance (S02)
IRS filing requirement
This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.
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Communication
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
People experiencing homelessness face three main challenges to effectively utilizing technology to improve their situation. The first is access to reliable internet and digital tools. Low-income people often have access to smartphones and computers, but can't reliably access the internet in places they live, like emergency shelters, single-room occupancy hotels, and transitional housing. The second is accurate information about homeless services. In San Francisco, there are over 500 homeless services providers, but up to date information on what services are available and how to access them did not exist in a unified place before AskDarcel, the online directory of homeless services we provide. Finally, is digital literacy. There is a growing digital divide between low income and homeless people and housed people. We provide training and jobs that improve digital literacy to people experiencing homelessness.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
ShelterConnect
ShelterConnect installs WiFi in shelters and SROs throughout San Francisco to provide free internet access to over 2,000 residents.
Where we work
External reviews
Photos
Goals & Strategy
Learn 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?
Our goal is to close the digital divide between the tech and underserved communities of San Francisco. To accomplish this we build solutions that address the technological issues facing those who experience homelessness. We hope to make progress towards this goal by providing free WiFi in all Bay Area Shelters before 2024.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
We hire people that have experienced homelessness to guide our product development decisions. Through direct feedback with the community we're working for, we've been able to create the relationships that are vitally important to growing and serving the homeless community.
Additionally, we've leveraged a popular organisational framework in the tech industry, the Open Source model, to maximise our impact per dollar raised. All our leadership and program teams are all-volunteer, allowing us to utilise millions of dollars worth of in-kind volunteer hours to develop our programs at a fraction of the estimated cost.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Our all-volunteer team is made up of tech industry professionals, developers, and designers, startup founders, government employees, homeless service providers, and people who have experienced homelessness. This unique and diverse team has enabled us to leverage people's professional experience and capacities with none of the cost of hiring full-time staff.
Our technical team has experience building globally scalable products which enables us to build state-of-the-art, industry standard services for the homeless community.
Our leadership team is composed of founders, engineers, finance and human resources leadership allowing us to develop a unique open source all-volunteer organisation that is effective and resilient to individual changes in the composition of the team.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
So far we've provided internet access to over 2,000 people in San Francisco via our wifi installations. Our online directory has grown from 200 services to over 1,400 in one year, and we've gone from one man's idea to the official online directory of homeless and human services for the Mayor's Office of San Francisco.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
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With whom is the organization sharing feedback?
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Shelter Tech
Board of directorsas of 4/27/2021
Hicham Sabir
Philips Lighting
Term: 2017 - 2018
Derek Fidler
Bebo, Inc
Richard Xia
Alice Henry
Samasource
Joe Freund
MyVest
Leland Garofalo
CloudFlare
Phil Chu
Springboard
Sarah Freier-Miller
Airbnb
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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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? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? GuideStar partnered on this section with CHANGE Philanthropy and Equity in the Center.
Leadership
No data
The organization's co-leader identifies as:
No data
Race & ethnicity
No data
Gender identity
No data
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 04/27/2021Policies and practices developed in partnership with Equity in the Center, a project that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems within the social sector to increase racial equity. Learn more
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- 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 seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
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