OpenDream provides low cost web services and applications development to non-governmental and non-profit organizations, in order to support their communications. OpenDream is able to provide such services at below market rates by maintaining a portfolio of regular for profit companies that pay the regular fees.
1.The New Idea
OpenDream uses revenue earned from charging market rate prices to commercial clients for their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) jobs in order to subsidize services for lesser-endowed social groups. They also help build connections amongst the community of software developers willing to work on lower-paying social projects.
Competition in this field is very limited as OpenDreams' target clients are those who normally do not have the means to afford such services. The benefiting organizations themselves take partial responsibility in raising efforts to raise the needed funds.
2.The Problem
Most socially oriented groups and organizations lack sufficient funds to invest in communications or web and application development services. While their funds understandably are directed first toward mission-related projects rather than publicity, these groups are severely handicapped by their limited reach to potential donors, investors and the general public. Internal organization and communication also largely suffer from a lack of technology-based communication resources.
3.The Strategy
OpenDream charges market rate prices to commercial businesses with CSR initiatives and then utilizes part of these funds to subsidize the same services to small NGOs and NPOs, which would normally lack the resources to hire such services. A minimum of 30% of profits are reserved for reinvestment in projects for OpenDream's subsidized clients. By servicing small NGOs and NPOs Open Dream is able to secure funding from commercial and grant-based sources.
The organization also focuses on developing connections amongst the community of software developers who are willing to work at lower-paying wages for jobs that focus on social projects. This strategy helps increase and improve overall NGO and NPO presence on the web and contributes to more efficient organizations.
OpenDream plans to serve over 800 clients and to generate USD $68,000 in profits by 2011.
4.The Person
Patipat Susumpow is the Technology Director of OpenDream and holds a degree in Computer Engineering. He is an open source software advocate with a vast variety of knowledge regarding open source software that he puts to great use through his OpenDream social venture. He has over 5 years of professional experience in software project management at Toyota Motors in Thailand and 2 years in social responsibility projects.
