CanDoNet – another way to support your community!
CanDoNet is Australia's first community owned Internet Service Provider (ISP) specifically established to aid community organisations and people who have disabilities.
CanDoNet was established by CanDo4Kids a not-for-profit organisation operating since 1874 from Townsend House in South Australia. It has a proud history of providing services to children who have a sensory impairment; deaf, blind, hearing or vision impaired. As a community organisation it established this social business model with the aim of achieving long term sustainability - giving potential and existing supporters another way to support their community without spending any extra!
Like many not-for-profits CanDo4Kids has seen the waves of fundraising and the impacts of different political and economic times. These changing conditions mean that Not-for-profits are often at the mercy of these changing conditions, trends and priorities and this affects what community services they can provide. Short term funding for services often makes it difficult to plan for the future to meet current and or expanding service needs.
Recently CanDo4Kids explored a new line of endeavours to position itself for greater sustainability. CanDo4Kids embarked on a social entrepreneurial initiative to set up as a community based Internet Service Provider retailing internet access and related products to it's database, to provide a cause related commodity business and in doing so promote and create a hub of communication for people with disabilities with reliable partners in eCommerce and other content reducing the digital divide further.
From concept to fruition this has proved to be an involved and rewarding process connecting private sector partners and not-for-profit sector environments to build a model which is now proving successful.
Probably the most exciting aspect of this initiative has been the development to make it an available and viable solution for other community groups - small to large, with the eCommunity model. This model provides a revenue stream via a portal platform with the tools to connect communities with internet access, a web presence and communication tools - all with very little administrative skill and effort required.
CanDoNet is building sustainable and well connected communities to maximise digital opportunities and reduce the divide!
CanDoNet offers several internet solutions to: individuals, not-for-profit / community organisations and businesses - all of these solutions, whilst innovative in their own right, will have the added benefit of enhancing revenue generation and promoting social investment and community spirit.
CanDoNet has launched with a program to support our special needs children and their families to get online. With profits in this financial year we aim to assist up to 500 families with disabled children in metro and regional areas across South Australia by providing them with computer based technology and internet connections via the CanDo4Kids Foundation!
Technology is a great leveller for people who have a disability. Areas such as Banking, Bill Paying, Shopping and broader community involvement are all made easier for people with disabilities when they are connected to the Internet. CanDoNet will turn technology into a tool of empowerment for people with disabilities and other community based organisations.
Vision
CanDoNet has a vision to be a successful social business to secure the future of CanDo4Kids and expand its services to children. It also has a vision to provide this model to other community organisations as a vehicle to producing a sustainable revenue stream via a supportive eCommunity structure.
We hope that CanDoNet and our Reseller's will become the ISP's of choice for socially conscious customers and people with disabilities.
A commodity such as "internet services" now provides a new purchase choice to support a worthwhile cause!
CanDoNet Products and Services
The internet solutions we provide are a result of CanDo4Kids and business collaboration, taking the concept of linking community groups and their causes with internet business and communication functions. CanDo4Kids has resourced business partners that would proactively invest in and support the development of CanDoNet, in a true partnership fashion, committing to the long term relationship of ongoing technical support and creativity to grow the business and it's outcomes for communities.
As a result we are utilising leading edge technologies from our technical partners and building a product suite which allows us to provide and customise internet solutions for broad markets.
Our Partners are:
CanDoNet is based on a web site builder and web content management portal with a variety of functionality that will service our customers and also allow us to work with a community or business group to design the platform and functions they need for their market. We will also be able to provide the consultancy in working with groups to explore the most appropriate purpose of their internet solution aligned with their business / organisational strategy, but also to explore the creative options of internet mediums to maximise member / customer relations, satisfaction, access, and growth.
These products include:
- CanDoNet Retail (Internet Access - Dial Up or ADSL, Hosting, Domain Registration & Management, Networking and Security Design, Web site and systems development)
- CanDoNet Reseller (Whitelabelled virtual ISP- not-for-profits / businesses
- CanDoNet eCommunity (Community Web Portal with virtual ISP revenue model)
We have also been able to secure eCommerce supplier arrangements for quality products such as wine, flowers and gifts which are available to our valued from our web site.
Best of all each sale is tracked so that profits from each sale go to CanDoNet and in the case of a Reseller - their nominated cause.
eCommerce suppliers:
We have established a relationship with a corporate citizen supplier for Networking and Security Analysis, Design and Installation to enable us to provide a quality end to end solution for ADSL to our valued customers.
Networking suppliers:
Management & Production
The General Manager of CanDoNet; Karen May reports to the Chief Executive Officer of CanDo4Kids and the Board of Directors. Karen's background incorporates community and business development in Australia and internationally where she consulted for community industry development, business incubation, export, systems design for evaluation and research and business development in various industries utilising web technology.
Our Board of Directors is an experienced group of professionals from both the business/finance and sensory communities. They are as follows:
Chair - Ms Carolyn Palmer (Dean of School of Disability Studies - Flinders University)
Deputy Chair - Mr Russ Heywood-Smith (Managing Director - Nelson BDO Business Advisors & Accountants)
Treasurer - Mr Michael Wall (Partner - Norwood Accountants)
Member - Ms Kate Maloney (Business Development Manager - Institute of Chartered Accountants)
Member - Dr Theresa Casey ( Opthamologist)
Member - Dr Nicola Spurrier (Paediatrician)
Member - Mr Kevin Rooney (Optometrist)
Member - Mr Bob Cooper (Senior Manager - TMP World Wide)
Member - Mr Jim Douglas (Partner - Caldicott & Co Solicitors)
Our Chief Executive Officer, Mr Paul Flynn, has been with CanDo4Kids-Townsend House since March 2001. Prior to that he was a Senior Executive with Adelaide Bank having served a 20-year career in the banking industry.
Paul is a Fellow of the Securities Institute of Australia and an Associate of the Institute of Company Directors. He is also on the Regional Council of the Securities Institute of Australia.
A Management Committee, made up of 10 Professionals will act as a Sub-Committee, working with all parties involved to offer advice to all levels of hierarchy.
Together we can build sustainable communities!
For further information
about becoming a Reseller, eCommunity, eCommerce supplier partner or availing of our services please telephone :
1300 88 66 40
or email
support@candonet.com.au.