Launched by the America Online Foundation, the Benton Foundation,[1] the National Urban League and other institutions, Helping.org was dedicated to volunteerism, technology capacity building for nonprofits and charitable giving.
Two months after the website was launched, Bill Clinton hosted a national Digital Divide Summit in Washington D.C. During the meeting, representatives from civil society and the private sector met with Clinton; soon, the idea was hatched to create a new national Web portal dedicated to bridging the digital divide.
[2] DDN has become a leading website for organizations interested in sharing news, research and other resources to help bridge the digital divide.
In February 2004, the site and its senior staff relocated to Massachusetts to move their operation to the Education Development Center (EDC), as part of the creation of a new institute called the EDC Center for Media & Community.
Andy Carvin is no longer directly involved in the website, though he continues to moderate the group's email discussion list.