Partnerships for Social Impact: Co-Designing Online Services with Non-profit Organisations

As services increasingly move to online platforms, many nonprofits lack the resources or expertise to optimise their digital offerings, resulting in digital exclusion and dehumanisation of online services. In this context, service researchers have an opportunity to expand the social impact of their research by collaborating with non-profit organisations to design online services that respond to the needs of people and communities experiencing vulnerability. Social impact
refers to the positive changes in society that come from applying research findings in ways that achieve officially defined social goals. Our study explores how service researchers can partner with non-profit organisations for social impact and support evidence-based improvements to social services.