Produced with the support of the
Written by John Mills, Associate Professor of Emergent Technology and Journalism at the University of Central Lancashire, UK.
Meedan is a tech nonprofit that builds software with a mission to fight online misinformation and build a ‘more equitable’ internet. CEO Ed Bice, who co-founded Meedan in 2006, describes it as “a bridge between global civil society, journalism, and platforms.” This bridge has three parts: software, media development programs, and research. Through its work, Meedan aspires to create a world in which all people — regardless of their languages, locations, or incomes — can access trustworthy information, evaluate its quality and credibility, and make informed decisions.
Although it has enjoyed national and international recognition for over 15 years, Meedan has been doubly challenged: as a growing nonprofit operating adjacent to news media and technology companies and amid a constantly changing climate for misinformation, grassroots journalism, and media funding.
This case study explores how Meedan handles challenges related to its unique position in the market — as neither a media company nor a platform — but as a nonprofit that uses a “Theory of Change” approach to underpin its software solutions, integrate its programs, and better serve audiences.
The study will examine three friction points that shape Meedan’s Theory of Change strategy:
- Understanding and incorporating the diverse needs of partners, funders, collaborators, and local communities
- Securing funding through a business model structured primarily around grant capture
- Ensuring its values and direction are understood by a diverse and globally distributed team
This case study will also outline how Meedan used the resulting Theory of Change strategy to accomplish the following:
- Outline Meedan’s overarching vision, so that everyone in the organization can co-create values: Be global; practice empathy; collaborate in community; encourage inclusion; own impact; embody awesome and respect context.
- Understand how Meedan creates and measures impact. The organization has worked extensively to develop processes for supporting local partners in achieving, understanding, and capturing impact in regions across the globe.
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