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Ask HN: DOs and DON'Ts of collaborating with an NGO as a startup

4 points by carlesfe 11y ago

Hi HN, We have developed a technology that is very interesting for NGOs that work in low connectivity areas. We'd love to start a project to help improve people's communication conditions but, as startup first-timers, we have no idea as to what we should expect, costs in both time and money, and even how to get in contact with them. As a HN user, I have read some articles about Watsi, but none that I remember regarding founder experiences. We'd love to get some first hand advice from startups who worked with NGOs, some tips, DOs and DON'Ts, how to approach them, etc. Thanks!

carlesfe 11y ago
By the way, I purposely omitted most of the details, even the URL, since I really don't want this to be interpreted as spam. If anybody is curious, please check out my profile or drop a comment here for more information.
- brudgers 11y ago
  I'm curious as to what the product does?
  - carlesfe 11y ago
    We can deliver short texts and audio for free, by tweaking an Asterisk installation. It's not super convenient, but can provide an information channel for some isolated communities, and get news on weather, market prices, health, etc.
    - brudgers 11y ago
      What is Asterisk?
      - carlesfe 11y ago
        Sorry, I was being too technical. Asterisk is a PBX (the machine that routes calls) that you can install on your own server. By using it, you can control a most of the communications channels on a phone call, and do pretty advanced stuff.
        brudgers 11y ago
        Is Asterisk installed at the remote location?
        carlesfe 11y ago
        Asterisk can be installed anywhere, for example on a VPS.
mikemaccana 11y ago
Charities often don't value work if it's provided to them for free. If you are providing any kind of discount, make sure you show the full price of your time on your invoices, then any discounts.