Steven Odzer on the Technological Approach to Fighting COVID
Steven Odzer is renowned for his work in philanthropy, his expertise in politics, business, and for his efforts to benefit the nation of Israel and its communities. We sat down with him to discuss the changes that can be expected to develop within the field of charitable giving as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and how technology will drive these changes. According to Steven Odzer, information technology will be key in achieving the new normal when it comes to reaching out to donors as well in how aid and charitable giving is to be delivered to communities in need.
Here’s what we learned:
Remote Efforts
Steven Odzer explains that remote access to spaces, offices, homes, hospitals, and the community was already on the rise before the outbreak early in 2020. Today, technologists are looking more seriously at these capabilities not just as a way to generate convenience, but to save lives as well. As part of the new normal, we can expect to see a sharp rise in the use of telecommunication for all manner of purposes, not just virtual events for charitable groups.
Online Outreach & Robots
It is becoming increasingly common for companies like Instacart to allow customers to perform their shopping online and to deliver. As social distancing is increasingly mandated by governments and businesses, not only will this type of transaction become more common but they will be completed using flying and ground-based delivery robots. Drones and automated delivery carts can be deployed over short to medium distances to deliver food, medicine, medical supplies, and other necessities. And Steven Odzer explains that these machines can be sanitized at either end of their journeys to and from the beneficiaries of charitable organizations.
Distance Learning
As new professionals enter philanthropic endeavors, they need to be trained to fulfill their roles- especially, according to Steven Odzer, when those roles require them to interact directly with vulnerable populations. Distance learning has been on the rise in the last 20 years and has become an accepted norm in the educational industry. That is certain to become the case for charitable entities that must train their newest members.
Telehealth
Like distance learning, telehealth has been well established over the last two decades. Steven Odzer explains that the infrastructure that is already in place only needs to be expanded to incorporate charitable organizations. These entities can use telehealth assets not only to deliver aid to their target populations but to communicate with donors.