NOLO’s data-driven impact analysis
At the height of the pandemic, 80 foster youth and families across Oregon received invaluable Internet access thanks to a partnership between No One Left Offline (NOLO) and Every Child Oregon. Through that partnership, NOLO helped families get back on their feet during COVID-19 and supported youth navigating a complex web of institutions and individuals.
For the majority of families, NOLO’s intervention closed that manifestation of the digital divide. In our final survey, 2 out of 3 foster families told us, “I wouldn't have been able to connect to the internet without this support from NOLO.” We are grateful for the impact we made in this community -- one that was in deep need of support and that may not have received the assistance otherwise.
We sent surveys to foster families before they received NOLO support, at the 6-month mark, and after 1-year of service and saw amazing results. NOLO closed the digital divide for foster families in 5 different counties and across 15 different zip codes.
NOLO was able to 100% close the digital divide for foster youth that we worked with in Oregon. Prior to working with NOLO, 1 in 4 foster youth had 0 internet access. They went to their friends' homes to submit homework or to the public library to get online. After NOLO sent these foster families hot spots, these families were able to access government e-services, receive telehealth support, and receive the foster resources they needed.
Before receiving NOLO devices, foster families were able to spend 5.5 hours online each day. After receiving devices, we recorded a 32% increase in access as households were able to spend 7.25 hours online each day.
Before receiving NOLO devices, foster families rated their connectivity as 5.8 on a 0-10 scale, where 0 meant that families could barely get online and 10 meant that they never had problems connecting. After receiving their devices, we saw a 28% increase in ranking as households now said they would rate their connectivity as a 7.4 on a 10 point scale.
NOLO is grateful for the support of Every Child Oregon in this endeavor. The foster youth community can be difficult to reach and yet they are often the ones that are most in need of support. The internet has become a much greater necessity in ensuring equitable access to basic goods and services, but many more are still at risk of not receiving the access they need. We will continue to support at-risk families across America and continue to drive this same impact and more for those in need.