Access, not ability
Nonprofits are not short of commitment or skill. They are short of access to tools that are priced for companies with marketing budgets.
Universal and affordable access to technology
A Ghanaian nonprofit closing the technology gap in Africa. We give registered NGOs free software, train young people for real digital work, and advise brands so the free work stays free.
- 14
- University students trained
- 10+
- NGOs supported and advised
- 1000+
- Lives reached by those NGOs
A registered nonprofit. Registrar-General's Department, Ghana, number CG048220726. Check if you qualify
We have worked with
Maltiti Foundation
Accra Food Bank
BeTechConnected
Eco Africa
Why we exist
Bridging the gap between good work and the technology to do it
Across the African region, NGOs, charities and young organisations are doing work that deserves to be seen, funded and joined. What holds them back is rarely the work itself. It is that the technology which would carry it further sits behind a price they cannot justify. The same barrier stands in front of young people who have the ability but not the opening. We work on both sides: free tools and advice for the organisations, training and placement for the people, and each one makes the other worth more.
Real tools, not trials
Not a cut-down free tier or a discount that expires. The same platform businesses pay for, in full, at no charge.
People and tools together
We train young people and place them in real work. Many give that time back to the organisations we support, and free software makes those few hours count for far more.
“Access to technology should not depend on what you can pay. I gave these organisations my time for years because I had it to give. Now we give them the tools as well, and the young people we train give their time back. That is the whole of it.”
Our programs
Three programs, one goal
Technology should serve the people doing the hardest work. Free software for nonprofits is where we started; we also train young people for real jobs, and advise organisations that can pay so the free work stays free.
Free software for nonprofits
Free access to Unit
Registered NGOs, foundations and charities get the Unit social communications platform free of charge, permanently: publishing, one inbox for Instagram, Facebook, Messenger and WhatsApp, campaigns, analytics and an AI trained on your cause. More channels, TikTok among them, are being added.
Harnessing Youth Potential through Empowerment
HYPE Internship
We train young people in practical digital skills and place them in real work. The first cohort ran through 2023 and graduated in 2024. The second is built around AI literacy and low code automation, and applications open in September 2026.
For brands and organisations
Consultancy
We advise brands and organisations on digital communication and the practical use of technology. Consultancy engagements help fund the free programs.
What you get
The whole platform, not a stripped-down version of it
Approved organisations are not put on a limited free tier. You get what a paying business gets, permanently, because your work is not worth less than theirs.
The full platform, free
Every feature on Unit's highest plan: publishing, engagement, inbox, campaigns and analytics. No trial, no card, no expiry.
All your channels in one place
Instagram, Facebook, Messenger and WhatsApp answered from a single inbox, so nothing from a donor, volunteer or beneficiary goes unread. More channels, TikTok among them, are on the way.
An AI trained on your cause
Unit AI learns your mission, programmes and tone, then drafts posts, replies to comments and handles enquiries, and hands over to you when it isn't sure.
Set up with you, not handed over
We connect your channels, train the AI on your organisation and walk your team through it. You are not left with a login and a manual.
How it works
Three steps, and a person reads every one
There is no automatic approval and no algorithm deciding. We read what your organisation does and make a judgement.
Apply
Tell us about your organisation and upload your registration certificate. It takes about ten minutes.
We review
We check your registration and read what you do. Expect to hear from us within five working days.
We set you up
Approved organisations get their workspace built, their channels connected and their team walked through it.
Our impact
Small numbers we can stand behind
We would rather publish figures we can account for than round them up. This is the work to date, and it grows one organisation and one student at a time.
- 14
- University students trainedChosen from over 69 applications to the first HYPE cohort, shortlisted to 25 and trained to 14. Every one of them was placed.
- 10+
- NGOs supported and advisedGiven free access to Unit, set up on it, and advised on their communication.
- 1000+
- Lives reached by those NGOsThe people served by the organisations we support, in their own communities.
“Significantly increase access to information and communications technology.”
United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 9, Target 9.c
That target is the plainest statement of why the Foundation exists. Our programmes are built to serve it, along with two others.
- SDG 9Target 9.cIndustry, innovation and infrastructureFree access to the software an organisation needs to be heard, so that access is not decided by ability to pay.
- SDG 4Target 4.4Quality educationHYPE gives young people the practical, technical skills that employers actually ask for, then real work to apply them to.
- SDG 17Target 17.9Partnerships for the goalsWe build the capacity of other nonprofits rather than competing with them, and we work with companies that host our interns.
Technology for good
People first, tools second
We are a technology organisation working for public benefit. The software matters only for what it lets people do: reach a community, answer a supporter, learn a skill that pays.
Updates
What the Foundation has been doing
The second HYPE cohort opens for applications in September
The second cohort is shorter, more intensive and built around AI literacy and low code automation, with a portfolio and a capstone project at the end. Applications open in September.
The organisations we have worked with
Unit Foundation has now supported and advised more than ten NGOs, among them Eco Africa, Accra Food Bank, BeTechConnected and Maltiti Foundation.
Applications are open online
Registered foundations, NGOs and charities can now apply through the website for free, permanent access to the Unit platform.
Questions
The things organisations ask us first
If your question is not here, write to us. We would rather answer it than have you decide against applying because you were unsure.
Is it really free, or is there a catch?
It is free, permanently, and there is no catch. No card, no trial period, no expiry date, and no charge that appears later. Approved organisations get the same platform businesses pay for, with every feature on the highest plan. The Foundation covers the cost because putting these tools in the hands of nonprofits is the entire point of it existing.
Do we have to be a registered organisation?
Yes. We need to see a registration certificate and a number we can check with the authority that issued it. That is the one rule we cannot bend, because it is what separates a nonprofit from anyone who says they are one. If you are doing good work but have not registered yet, apply once you have.
We are outside Ghana. Can we still apply?
Yes. Registered nonprofits anywhere in the world are welcome to apply. We are based in Accra and we understand Ghanaian registration best, but tell us which authority registered you and show us the certificate and we will do the work of understanding it.
Nobody on our team is technical. Is this going to be too much for us?
That is the situation we built the programme for. We do not hand you a login and a manual. We connect your Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp accounts for you, train the AI on your organisation, and walk your team through it until they are comfortable. If your team can use WhatsApp, they can use this.
What does the training cover?
Live sessions with a person, not a video library. We cover planning and publishing posts, answering comments and messages from the shared inbox, putting the AI to work safely, and reading the reports that show what your community responded to. Sessions run remotely for teams anywhere and in person in Accra where distance allows, and we repeat them when your staff change.
What is the HYPE internship?
HYPE stands for Harnessing Youth Potential through Empowerment. We train young people in practical digital skills and place them in real work, inside real teams with real deadlines. The first cohort ran remotely through 2023 and graduated in 2024: over 69 applied, 25 were shortlisted, 14 were trained by 11 volunteer facilitators, and all 14 were placed, in technology companies, government agencies and NGOs. The second cohort opens for applications in September 2026. It runs three months, blended, with AI literacy and low code automation across every track, and ends in a professional portfolio and a capstone project. Students, host companies, and professionals who want to facilitate or mentor can contact us to register interest.
How can I support the Foundation?
Write to our team. We do not run an online payment page; supporters contact us and we work out the right fit together, whether that is funding grants and cohorts, hosting a HYPE intern in your company, volunteering your skills, or partnering with us. The support page explains each route, and the volunteer form is the fastest way to offer your time.
How long does a decision take?
Five working days, and we reply either way. A person reads every application and checks your registration, so it is not instant, but you will not be left wondering. If we decline, we tell you why, and you are welcome to apply again if the reason is something you can resolve.
Does Unit handle donations or take a share of them?
No. Unit does not process donations and the Foundation takes no share of anything you raise. The platform helps you reach people, answer them quickly and stay in touch. What those relationships turn into is entirely yours.
Who owns the content and contacts we put in?
You do. Your posts, your messages and your contacts are yours. If you ever want to leave, tell us and we will give you a copy of your content before the workspace closes.
Can our access be taken away?
Only in narrow circumstances, all written into our programme terms: if the organisation stops being a registered nonprofit, if the application turned out to be materially inaccurate, if the terms are seriously or repeatedly breached, or if the workspace sits unused for a year and we cannot reach you. Except where a breach is serious we give 30 days notice and a chance to put it right. The grant itself has no expiry date.
What does applying actually involve?
About ten minutes. We ask for your registered name, country, registering authority and registration number, a copy of your certificate, a short description of what your organisation does and what you would use the platform for, and a contact person we can reach. Applying does not create an account and gives you no access until we approve you.
Apply for access
If your organisation qualifies, this costs you nothing.
About ten minutes to apply. Have your registration certificate to hand. We reply within five working days either way.
- Every feature on Unit's highest plan
- Instagram, Facebook, Messenger and WhatsApp
- An AI trained on your mission and programmes
- Setup and training with your team
- Free permanently, with no card, no trial and no expiry
Applying does not create an account. Nothing is set up until we approve your organisation.