Not-for-Profit Passion drives digital innovation: Live Streamed Surfing and Platform as a Social Service

Komosion

For more than a decade I’ve had the good fortune to spend some of my time working in the not-for-profit sector where I continue to be amazed by how passion and professionalism drive creativity and innovation.

Most of my not-for-profit time has been divided between helping share the joy and lifestyle benefits of the sport of Surfing (Surfing NSW) and helping find better ways to connect children with permanent, loving families (Adopt Change).

In November 2020, after a year of the most profound global disruption since wartime, both organisations are flourishing through remarkable digital innovation.

During the months of November and December, for example, Surfing NSW is running and live streaming nine major surfing events, each COVID safe and held in different destinations across much of the vast 2,000 kilometre-plus NSW coastline.

Collectively, CEO Luke Madden says, the organisation will deliver more than 80 hours of live-streamed surfing and back-of-the-beach content promoting these idyllic destinations and communities in just two months.

It all kicked off in Sydney’s Cronulla on the weekend of November 7 when fans around Australia and from other countries tuned in via the organisation’s website and Facebook live stream feeds. Three other upcoming events, part of a battle between Australia’s best Boardrider Clubs, will also feature on the sports streaming platform Kayo.

Over at Adopt Change, the organisation is currently running its annual month-long awareness campaign under the banner A Home for Every Child, executed across social channels with PR Support.

This comes off the back of delivering its annual conference virtually in October to a bigger audience than ever via a tailored
online event platform and a series of digital lounge rooms designed to support Carers at times when they can’t gather and
train or share challenges face-to-face.

Image: Platform as a Social Service 

CEO Renee Carter has identified 2020 as marking a fundamental shift to what can be described as a “Platform as a Social Service”
business model, inherently scalable and reaching and connecting more people than ever before.