eBay founder Pierre Omidyar’s philanthropic investment firm, Omidyar Network, has announced three new grants today, all to non-profits that are helping to add transparency and accountability to government institutions.
In total, the Omidyar Network has given $2.3 million in grants to the three organizations, Global Voices, mySociety and The XYZ Show.
The network has granted the largest amount, $1.2 million, to Global Voices, an online citizen-media platform. Global Voices aims to create and online newsroom for citizen journalists for developing countries, translating citizen journalists’ blogs into more than 20 languages, helping people speak out online in places where their voices may be censored, and helps marginalized communities use technology. The non-profit will use the funds to support citizen voices from underrepresented regions around the world.
UK-based mySociety will receive $575,000 to help organizations in Africa develop digital tools and websites to help hold their governments to account. mySociety helps power a number of democracy and transparency websites in the United Kingdom.
The XYZ Show, a Kenyan political satire TV program, will receive $500,000 to expand reach and engagement via web and mobile channels and to support an upcoming season of the show.
Some of these investments could be part of Omidyar’s $30 million pledge towards backing high-impact entrepreneurs in emerging markets, specifically Sub-Saharan Africa and India.
