Creating greater access to digital technology has emerged as an aspiration with broad potential. At the individual level, digital access enhances or constrains opportunities for participation in modern society. At the community level, it is evolving as a measure of community health and vitality. At the regional level, infrastructure and access are baselines for economic competitiveness.

To pursue this aspiration, in June 2020, The Patterson Foundation created its Digital Access for All (DA4A) initiative, which explores the efforts of multiple sectors working to enhance access to technology that connects people in ways that foster inclusion and well-being.

Three essential elements or three “legs of the stool” emerged as critically important through The Patterson Foundation’s in-depth research and interviews with national thought-leaders in the digital access arena. The three essential elements of digital access are:

• Connecting: The ability to connect to affordable, reliable, high-speed internet
• Devices: Possessing the right device for one’s needs
• Skills/Support: Having access to the necessary training and support to use devices and programs effectively while solving technical issues when they arise

All three need to be present and work together for digital access for all to be achieved.

For more than a decade, The Patterson Foundation’s initiatives have emphasized embracing technology and maximizing its benefits to strengthen their work.

Digital access is a basic necessity to connect to a variety of vital services that have increasingly shifted to an online format, including those related to education, health, and employment — a necessity that many asset-limited families and communities struggle to acquire. Discovering efforts and entities that are moving the needle on this issue and how each of them are working on it creates an opportunity to strengthen efforts to overcome the common obstacles to digital access.

• Education and Employment
• Health and Wellness
• Government Services
• Financial Services
• Economic Competitiveness

• Connectivity: The ability to connect to affordable, reliable, high-speed internet
• Devices: Possessing the right device for one’s needs
• Skills/Support: Having access to the necessary training and support to use devices and programs effectively while solving technical issues when they arise

• Access: Refers to one’s ability to connect to high-speed internet. While income certainly plays a role in determining the level of access community members have to connectivity, it is not the only one, as The Patterson Foundation has discovered during its conversations with organizations and leaders in our four-county area. Access can also be greatly impacted by issues like geography (rural vs. urban setting) and competition (Internet service providers may be less inclined to spend money to upgrade cable and fiber-optic lines in areas where they face little competition).

• Adoption: Refers to whether or not members of a community actually subscribe to a high-speed internet plan. The catch is that the definition of “high-speed” can differ depending on the data source. For instance, nonprofit advocacy groups like Broadband Now often use a threshold of 100+ mbps to define “high-speed,” whereas the FCC has traditionally used 25 mbps. Think of this as the difference between a car whose top speed is 25 mph versus one that can go 100 mph.

• Affordability: Cost is perhaps the most limiting factor when it comes to many asset-limited families and individuals across the country, including those living in our four-county area. Most Internet Service Providers (ISPs) offer budget plans for qualifying lower-income residents. These plans run as low as $9.99 per month, but they often are limited to 25 mbps versus 100+ mbps for higher-priced plans and require that the user has no outstanding credit balances.

• Awareness: The Patterson Foundation’s research shows that even when low-cost, basic plans (+/- 25 mbps) are available for ALICE families in our region, residents are often unaware of them or how to qualify for them. Furthermore, in areas like DeSoto County, these low-cost plans may provide access at rates as low as 3-4 mbps, not nearly enough for students engaged in online classes or for parents or individuals who need to work from home.

Asset-limited, income-constrained, employed (ALICE) families and communities can be found among all ages, ethnicities, households, and geographic areas within our four-county area. They often live below or barely above the federal poverty guidelines and struggle to afford basic necessities like food, housing, and healthcare, despite working one or more full-time jobs. A lack of education and digital skills prevent many from attaining higher-paying jobs or promotions.

The table below illustrates the percentage of ALICE households within our four-county area:

Source: United For Alice

As the table suggests, the percentage of ALICE households in our four-county area is higher than many might expect, and the barriers affecting digital access for this portion of our population are significant.

For example, due to such issues as cost, availability, and other factors, ALICE households in our four-county area are far less likely than the general population to have high-speed internet in their homes. As the bar graph below demonstrates, nearly one-third of ALICE households in Charlotte, Manatee, and Sarasota counties lack a subscription to a high-speed internet plan at even the lower federal standard of 25 mbps. The numbers are of even greater concern in DeSoto county, where just over 40% of ALICE households have such plans.

In terms of education for our youth, employment opportunities for job seekers, and access to healthcare, social services, and other vital needs, both the short- and long-term impacts of this disparity in digital access between ALICE households and other members of our communities are cause for concern. Exploring ways to close this gap is one of The Patterson Foundation's Digital Access for All initiative's key goals.

• Civic Responsibility — Several vital services and resources have shifted to an online format, making digital access a prerequisite to connect with them. Strengthening digital access among people of all ages and backgrounds helps ensure that everyone is able to benefit from our increasingly online world.
• Education — Schools and educational institutions serving students of all ages have added online learning platforms and modules to their curriculum. Digital Access for All engages partners such as the Sarasota Technology Users Group (STUG) to help students obtain proper devices and internet connectivity to fully leverage these platforms.
• Health — Digital access helps people connect with important healthcare services, such as telehealth providers and enrollment for health insurance and benefits. Digital Access for All’s Digital Navigator Program trains nonprofit staff to assist their beneficiaries in connecting with these services.
• Infrastructure — Many communities in our region lack the broadband internet service needed to fully utilize online technology, particularly for remote work. . Digital Access for All learns from and shares with experts from multiple sectors who are advancing efforts to expand broadband across our region and beyond.
• Nonprofit Sector — Nonprofits often serve people with disparate levels of digital access, providing them with key opportunities to help their beneficiaries obtain and use online technology. Digital Access for All identifies and strengthens these opportunities alongside regional nonprofits through endeavors such as the Digital Navigator Program.

The Patterson Foundation’s Digital Access for All initiative is about connecting and sharing information, ideas, and strategies to help bridge the digital divide,
especially as it relates to asset-limited populations and communities in Southwest Florida. The Resource Library contains resources from leading state, regional, and national organizations on a broad range of topics related to digital access.

View it here.

Connectivity

• Through the Digital Navigator Program, TPF trains local organizations to connect asset-limited families and individuals with opportunities to obtain digital connectivity, devices, skills, and support.
  • Individuals are encouraged to connect with one of the organizations here to receive assistance.
  • Organizations interested in receiving training to offer digital navigation services can email Cheri Coryea at Ccoryea@thepattersonfoundation.org.
• Through The Gap, TPF creates opportunities for asset-limited families and individuals to benefit from low-cost internet, devices, and digital skills to foster inclusion and well-being — closing this enrollment gap.
  • Organizations hosting an event tailored to asset-limited families and individuals can request Gap Engagers attend and get them started by emailing Cheri Coryea at Ccoryea@thepattersonfoundation.org.

Devices

• Through the Digital Navigator Program, TPF trains local organizations to connect asset-limited families and individuals with opportunities to obtain digital connectivity, devices, skills, and support.
  • Individuals are encouraged to connect with one of the organizations here to receive assistance.
  • Organizations interested in receiving training to offer digital navigation services can email Cheri Coryea at Ccoryea@thepattersonfoundation.org.
• In celebration of Suncoast Digital Inclusion Month, Digital Access for All hosts an annual Device Drive in our four-county area to collect unused devices and put them to new use with the help of the Sarasota Technology Users Group (STUG). Donations can be made to STUG throughout the year. Click here to learn how to donate your devices, such as computers, monitors, printers, tablets, and peripherals, to be refurbished and given to those in need. Individuals are encouraged to connect with one of the organizations here to receive assistance.
• Through The Gap, TPF creates opportunities for asset-limited families and individuals to benefit from low-cost internet, devices, and digital skills to foster inclusion and well-being — closing this enrollment gap.
  • Organizations hosting an event tailored to asset-limited families and individuals can request Gap Engagers attend and get them started by emailing Cheri Coryea at Ccoryea@thepattersonfoundation.org.

Skills/Support

• Through the Digital Navigator Program, TPF trains local organizations to connect asset-limited families and individuals with opportunities to obtain digital connectivity, devices, skills, and support.
  • Individuals are encouraged to connect with one of the organizations here to receive assistance.
  • Organizations interested in receiving training to offer digital navigation services can email Cheri Coryea at Ccoryea@thepattersonfoundation.org.
• Through The Gap, TPF creates opportunities for asset-limited families and individuals to benefit from low-cost internet, devices, and digital skills to foster inclusion and well-being — closing this enrollment gap.
  • Organizations hosting an event tailored to asset-limited families and individuals can request Gap Engagers attend and get them started by emailing Cheri Coryea at Ccoryea@thepattersonfoundation.org.

Additionally, DA4A will host virtual learning opportunities to convene people, organizations, and communities interested in digital access or within this space to learn, connect, and share opportunities to strengthen our work. Examples include the Suncoast Digital Connect Webinar Series. If you are interested in being invited to future conversations, email Cheri Coryea at Ccoryea@thepattersonfoundation.org.

We are happy to share the following reports:

The National Philanthropy Scan Report - Phase 1: Here.

• Background: Since 2020, TPF has connected with and learned from national thought-leaders across the digital space, including businesses, government, and nonprofits. An immense amount of insight was gathered from what funders shared about their endeavors locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. While the knowledge gleaned has helped shape and evolve TPF’s strategies and approaches, the Foundation recognizes the enormous value in sharing these findings widely. This report will speak to people in different ways. Some reading this may come from backgrounds well immersed in Digital Access. Others may be exploring whether to consider investing in the Digital Access space. For all who have decided to join this exploration, it is TPF’s hope that this report inspires a deeper engagement with the diverse strategies and approaches to advancing Digital Access.

The National Philanthropy Scan Report - Phase 2: Here.

• Background: On the heels of our discoveries in our “Society and Philanthropy in Action: Creating New Realities in Digital Access Report,” funders who contributed to its development were eager to continue the conversation, share knowledge, and hear diverse perspectives to strengthen our collective work in digital access. Our findings made abundantly clear that regardless of a funder’s mission, addressing the pressing concerns of digital access touches everything we do as a society. With great interest from funders with diverse missions, The Patterson Foundation (TPF) launched a series of eight funder workshops cohosted with The Campaign for Grade-Level Reading.
  
  These workshops featured panelists invested in many of the prevailing themes of the findings in our landscape scan and continued exploring the roles funders can play in addressing our society’s digital access needs. Our workshops attracted funders in education, theater, arts, culture, civic engagement, democracy, advocacy, climate, health and wellness, workforce, vital services, government services, financial services, economic competitiveness, supporting underserved and underrepresented populations, diversity, equity, and inclusion. This report, “Pathways Forward: Learnings and Takeaways in Digital Access,” shares our learnings, takeaways, and resources from each Funder Workshop, with opportunities to dive deeper by watching recordings. Our collective work continues across the philanthropic landscape as we explore all possibilities for the roles funders can play in digital access.

The 2024/2025 Device Drive Report: Here.

• Background: In celebration of Suncoast Digital Month in October, the Digital Access for All (DA4A) team hosted a Device Drive in its four-county area to collect unused devices and put them to new use, with the help of the Sarasota Technology Users Group (STUG). This report narrates the efforts that led to over 400 devices being collected and donated to STUG.

There are several ways to stay engaged with DA4A:

• Sign Up for the DA4A Newsletter: This monthly newsletter shares DA4A’s efforts to explore, educate, and engage sectors working to enhance access to technology that connects people in ways that foster inclusion and well-being.
  • Do you have a resource or idea to share with the community? Is there a national, regional, or local effort you'd like us to know about or feature in future publications? Contact DA4A at digitalaccess@thepattersonfoundation.org to be considered.
• Join the DA4A LinkedIn Group: This group creates a more connected and collaborative community around digital access and increases the digital access knowledge and skills of people and organizations engaged in expanding digital access across the Suncoast and beyond. While DA4A will continue to convene people virtually and in person, the LinkedIn group is an opportunity to keep the conversation going and continue deepening our growing community asynchronously. Join the group here To learn more about the why and how, watch this promo video here.
• Listen and share to Beyond The Blog’s Digital Access for All Podcasts: In addition to its weekly blog posts, the Foundation offers Beyond The Blog podcasts to inform and engage listeners while sharing compelling stories of people, organizations, and communities strengthened by its initiatives. Listen to DA4A podcasts here.
• Support Suncoast Digital Inclusion Month in October: Every October, we celebrate Suncoast Digital Inclusion Month, which has evolved from the work of Digital Access for All (DA4A) as we seek to strengthen digital inclusion in the four-county area. This work connects with the National Digital Inclusion Alliance’s Annual Digital Inclusion Week (DIW) in October. You can support this by doing the following:
  • Social Media: Share stories, statistics, and local digital inclusion efforts using hashtags like #SuncoastDigitalInclusionMonth and #DIW2025.
  • Newsletter & Blogs: Write or feature articles highlighting digital inclusion success stories from the Suncoast.
  • Community Outreach: Talk to neighbors, friends, and colleagues about digital inclusion and encourage them to get involved.
• Participate in Events & Workshops: Attend or host local events, workshops, and training sessions focused on digital literacy, broadband access, and technology use. Join virtual discussions and panels to learn about innovative approaches to digital access.