Challenge Overview | Featured Projects | How it Works | Rules & Guidelines | Final Judging

About the FACT Challenge Process

Q: What is the goal of the 2010 FACT Challenge?
A: The FACT Challenge seeks to surface innovative Projects that leverage web and/or mobile technologies that foster collaboration around social justice issues.

Q: What is the exact definition of a collaboration technology in this context?
A: Our Challenge theme this year is “Collaborate for Social Justice.” We chose this theme because beneath all the new platforms, widgets, tools, social media, and innovative products lies the potential for people to collaborate in new ways with one another. The FACT Challenge seeks to surface innovative Projects that leverage web and/or mobile technologies that foster collaboration around social justice issues.

Specific technologies could include, but are by no means limited to:

• Leveraging use of wikis
• Social networking platforms  
• Citizen journalism and reporting
• SMS

Q: Are Projects expected to produce an actual working solution or a concept or feasibility study?
A: Projects are encouraged to illustrate their vision in a clear and compelling way; we encourage Projects to include videos and links to examples.  Project submissions should focus on demonstrating:

• Credibility and commitment to seeing the work through completion
• An understanding of how collaborative dynamics work on the web
• An innovative approach to leveraging collaborative technologies to getting things done

Q: What kind of support will I get for my Project?
A: All Projects participating in the Challenge will garner attention from NetSquared’s global community of +40,000 developers, designers, researchers, funders and innovators.  Projects can solicit feedback from community members via comments in the FACT Project Gallery.

Q: What do winners get?
A: Five FACT Social Justice Winners will receive a cash award of $5,000 each and recognition on the NetSquared and FACT web sites.  In addition to direct financial support through the FACT Social Justice Award, FACT is generously supporting fund development assistance for all FACT Featured Projects.  This assistance will connect winning Projects with fundraising experts and guidance to help them move towards increased investments and greater community impact.
Details regarding this assistance will be shared with the Featured Projects following the all-community vote.

About the FACT Challenge Project Submission Process:

Q: Who can apply?
A: Any nonprofit, individuals, social entrepreneurs using collaborative technologies to better the world.  (TechSoup Global and FACT employees are not eligible to apply.) Submissions are not limited to the USA and France; we welcome participation from all countries.

Q: If you submitted a Project to an earlier Challenge, can you submit it again?
A: Absolutely, yes.  If your Project matches the FACT Challenge criteria, simply edit your Project and add the “FACT Challenge” to your submission form.

Q: Are we accepting Project submissions from outside the United States?
A: Yes. We encourage project submissions from around the globe.  Having said this, we recognize the limits of our Submission Form, which is currently only available in English.

Q: I applied for a user account and have not received confirmation, how long do I have to wait?
A: New user registration is automated but can take up to 15 minutes to process. The confirmation email often gets filtered into junk mail so please be sure to double check this folder.

Q: What are the key dates of the Project Submission and Selection processes?
A:

• August 23, 2010, 12pm PST - Submission Open
• October 4, 2010, 5pm PST - Submission Close
• October 11, 2010, 12pm PST - Community Voting Open
• October 15, 2010, 5pm PST - Community Voting Closes

Q: Whom do I contact if I encounter problems during the application process?
A: The NetSquared Team is here to help you. Contact us at net2@techsoup.org.