Webinar: Leveraging technology to achieve impact at scale
SaverLife recently hosted a conversation with leading industry experts about the ways technology can play a critical role in expanding the impact of the social sector. Not only does technology have the potential to benefit people’s lives on an individual level, it can also drive systemic change — two areas of focus that are central to our work here at SaverLife.
Historically, the social sector has relied heavily on grassroots outreach to connect with audiences and support them in their daily lives. Although in the past this approach has worked locally and regionally, it leaves little opportunity to expand into new markets and geographies. However, when organizations leverage technology to reach more people, they can achieve greater impact at scale. And, when done with intention, organizations can deliver personalized experiences that cater to the unique needs of their audiences. For SaverLife, this audience is people living with low-to-moderate incomes, a population that is often underserved by current financial products and services.
Meet our panelists
We assembled leaders who have found successful ways to leverage technology to drive impact in the social sector, including:
Leigh Phillips, President and CEO at SaverLife
Neha Gupta, Vice President of Marketing at SaverLife
Samir Goel, co-founder of Esusu
Jenny Flores, Head of Small Business Growth Philanthropy at the Wells Fargo Foundation
(Intentional) technology as a force for good
During the panel conversation, Samir Goel explains that when technology is leveraged with intention, it can create an environment where everyone can prosper. “I think technology is a force for good that can shift a system that doesn’t work today,” he describes. “That being said, what’s lacking and what’s always been lacking, is intentionality. I think we need to be very thoughtful as we’re building companies, as we’re instituting new policies, as we’re grappling with new technology, about who’s at the table.”
If we want to create ways for everyone to reap the benefits of innovative tech, we must center the stories and feedback of the people who will be using it.
Impact in action: A SaverLife success story
In 2022, SaverLife launched a campaign to connect with over 9,000 microentrepreneurs and learn more about their financial health. We realized that although these microentrepreneurs were starting small businesses, taking on side hustles, or maintaining gig work, they weren’t receiving the specific tools and resources needed to improve their financial health and take steps toward their business goals.
Rather than relying on traditional outreach to contact and connect with this population, we used digital marketing to directly meet them on social media platforms and through influencers and Google searches. In this way, we were able to deliver relevant content and tools to support these self-employed individuals’ efforts and help them achieve their entrepreneurial goals — all at a faster rate than ever before.
What’s at stake?
The social sector has an incredible opportunity to achieve impact at scale when they leverage technology — but as Goel reminds us, it needs to be done with intentionality. At SaverLife, we have seen positive outcomes by being intentional and centering our audience to deliver products and services that meet them along their financial journey. This intentionality is a necessary part of the technology conversation and one that will continue to be a focus for leaders in the social sector. “Who is going to get to shape the future?” Leigh Phillips asked during the panelist conversation. “Financial technology is transforming our industry, but if the only people at that table are the same people who built the old system, we’re not going to meet the promise of being able to really drive forward on financial inclusion.”
And with support from forward thinking philanthropic partners like the Wells Fargo Foundation, we will continue leveraging technology to shape a more financially inclusive future. As Jenny Flores shared during our panelist conversation, “Technology can enable impact at scale but also makes things much more efficient for everybody, so that we are focusing our resources not just on pain points all the time — but rather we can make it a positive experience and get the solutions that are needed to people really quickly.”
To learn more about SaverLife’s work and to keep up with our latest news and research, be sure to sign up for our monthly newsletter. You can also follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
