NetAid
An international anti-poverty initiative that used concerts, the Internet, online volunteering, educational programs, and civic technology to build support for poverty-alleviation efforts.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
NetAid was an international anti-poverty initiative launched in 1999 as a joint venture between the United Nations Development Programme and Cisco Systems. It was conceived during the Jubilee 2000 campaign as an effort to combine the reach of a globally televised benefit concert with the emerging communications potential of the Internet. Its launch took place on 9 October 1999 through simultaneous concerts at Wembley Stadium in London, Giants Stadium in New Jersey, and the Palais des Nations in Geneva. The events brought together well-known musicians and public figures while directing attention to extreme poverty and debt-related development concerns. The initiative was unusual for its time because it treated the Internet not only as a publicity channel but also as a mechanism for participation, donation, volunteering, and education. NetAid's original website received more than 2.4 million hits from users in 80 countries and reported raising $830,000 in connection with the launch. Cisco sponsored the concerts and website, while the technology architecture and user experience were developed by contributors associated with KPMG Consulting and Gigabaud Studios. The American concert, however, experienced weak ticket sales, and the project faced criticism from some organizers and observers who believed the event had become too closely associated with corporate and institutional promotion. After the concerts, NetAid was separated from Cisco and operated as an independent nonprofit organization. Rather than becoming a conventional relief agency, it experimented with ways to mobilize public attention and channel resources toward projects run by other organizations. In 2000, it launched an online-volunteering matching service in partnership with the United Nations Volunteers programme. The service connected nongovernmental organizations and UN-related development projects with people willing to contribute remotely. The online-volunteering component was transferred to United Nations Volunteers in 2004. NetAid also tested early forms of digital fundraising. In 2001, it worked with Time magazine on a pilot that used Palm VII handheld computers to collect donor information and transmit it to the NetAid website. The experiment reflected both the initiative's interest in new technology and the privacy, security, and usability challenges associated with early mobile commerce. Education and games became another area of experimentation. NetAid developed the NetAid World Class board game for pilot use in several United States states and co-produced Peter Packet with Cisco Systems in 2004. These projects presented issues such as education, clean water, HIV/AIDS, and the potential of Internet access through interactive formats. NetAid also helped co-found the Games for Change movement in 2004, extending its role as an incubator for civic-technology and social-impact projects. By 2006, the initiative had concentrated more narrowly on educating high-school students in the United States about poverty in developing countries. In 2007, NetAid became part of Mercy Corps. Its history is therefore best understood as a transitional model of digital philanthropy: it moved from a high-profile benefit concert to a nonprofit platform focused on awareness, online participation, educational tools, and partnerships supporting anti-poverty work.
History
NetAid emerged in 1999 from cooperation between the United Nations Development Programme and Cisco Systems. Its founding concept was to use an international entertainment event and the Internet to support the Jubilee 2000 campaign, which sought public action on global poverty and developing-country debt. The initiative's launch on 9 October 1999 consisted of coordinated concerts at Wembley Stadium in London, Giants Stadium in New Jersey, and the Palais des Nations in Geneva. Performers included major British, American, and international artists. The London concert reached capacity, while the New Jersey event had substantially weaker ticket sales. A website accompanied the concerts, allowing the initiative to communicate internationally and accept donations. NetAid reported more than 2.4 million website visits from 80 countries and $830,000 raised during the launch period. The launch also exposed tensions within the benefit-event model. Some participants argued that the project had become too focused on institutional and corporate presentation. Harry Belafonte and Danny Glover were reported to have withdrawn amid criticism that the event had been reduced to a trade show promoting the United Nations bureaucracy and Cisco. NetAid also faced questions about how its funds were allocated and about the relationship between immediate charitable distribution and the costs of building a lasting organization. In a November 2001 explanation, NetAid said it had awarded $1.4 million to 16 poverty-alleviation projects in Kosovo and Africa, while additional funds had supported the creation and operation of an institution intended to generate longer-term support for global poverty reduction. After the concerts, NetAid was separated from Cisco and continued as an independent nonprofit. It pursued a wider range of public-engagement methods rather than operating primarily as a direct-service relief provider. In 2000, its partnership with United Nations Volunteers produced an online-volunteering service. NGOs and UN-associated projects working in developing countries could use the service to recruit people for remote assignments. The service represented an early attempt to use the Internet to broaden participation in international development beyond conventional donations. In 2004, United Nations Volunteers assumed control of this part of the operation and moved it to its own online-volunteering website. NetAid also explored digital fundraising at a time when mobile Internet devices were still emerging. In February 2001, NetAid and Time announced a pilot using Palm VII handheld computers. Volunteers could gather credit-card information from donors and submit it through wireless devices to the NetAid website. Contemporary observers viewed the initiative as an experiment in turning handheld technology into a mobile donation tool, while also noting unresolved challenges involving privacy, security, and adoption. A further strand of NetAid's work involved interactive education and games. Its NetAid World Class board game was piloted in California, Massachusetts, and New York in 2003. In 2004, NetAid co-produced Peter Packet with Cisco Systems, using a game format to explain how Internet connectivity might contribute to responses involving basic education, drinking water, and HIV/AIDS. NetAid also helped co-found Games for Change in 2004, contributing to the broader idea that digital games could be used for civic learning and social change. By 2006, NetAid had narrowed its emphasis toward raising awareness of poverty in developing countries among high-school students in the United States. This represented a shift from the mass-media ambition of the 1999 concerts toward structured education and youth engagement. In 2007, NetAid became part of Mercy Corps. The initiative's legacy combines celebrity-led fundraising, early online philanthropy, virtual volunteering, educational games, and experimentation with civic technology. Its archived web presence documents a sequence of campaigns rather than a single conventional product line.
- 2007
NetAid joins Mercy Corps
[1]The initiative becomes part of Mercy Corps.
- 2006
Focus shifts to American high-school students
[1]NetAid concentrates more heavily on poverty awareness and education among high-school students in the United States.
- 2004
Games for Change is co-founded
[1]NetAid helps establish a movement devoted to using games for education, civic engagement, and social change.
- 2004
Online volunteering transfers to UN Volunteers
[1]United Nations Volunteers takes over the online-volunteering service and moves it to its own platform.
- 2003
NetAid World Class is piloted
[1]The educational board game is tested in California, Massachusetts, and New York.
- 2001
NetAid becomes independent
[1]Following the launch period, NetAid is spun out of Cisco Systems and operates as an independent nonprofit organization.
- 2001
Palm VII donation pilot
[1]NetAid and Time test wireless handheld devices as tools for collecting and submitting charitable donations.
- 2000
Online-volunteering service begins
[1]NetAid partners with United Nations Volunteers to match remote volunteers with NGOs and development projects.
- 1999
NetAid is launched
[1]The initiative launches through simultaneous concerts in London, New Jersey, and Geneva in support of the Jubilee 2000 anti-poverty campaign.
Products and positioning
A technology-enabled anti-poverty and public-engagement initiative positioned between international development advocacy, digital philanthropy, online volunteering, and social-impact education.
Benefit concert and fundraising campaign · 1999
NetAid launch concerts
NetAid's original flagship offering was a coordinated benefit-concert event held on 9 October 1999 at Wembley Stadium in London, Giants Stadium in New Jersey, and the Palais des Nations in Geneva. The concerts used simultaneous international programming, celebrity performers, and an accompanying website to raise awareness of global poverty and support the Jubilee 2000 campaign. The London performance sold out, whereas the United States event had poor ticket sales. The initiative reported $830,000 raised from 80 countries in connection with the launch.
Online volunteering platform · 2000
NetAid online-volunteering service
Created in partnership with United Nations Volunteers, this service matched NGOs and UN-affiliated projects in the developing world with people able to contribute remotely. It extended NetAid's mission beyond one-time donations by making online participation part of international development work. United Nations Volunteers assumed ownership of the service in 2004 and moved it to its own online-volunteering platform.
Educational board game · 2003
NetAid World Class
NetAid World Class was an educational board game developed to communicate issues surrounding global poverty and development through an offline, participatory format. The game was piloted in California, Massachusetts, and New York in 2003. It formed part of NetAid's broader effort to use interactive learning rather than relying solely on concerts, websites, and donation appeals.
Educational digital game · 2004
Peter Packet
Peter Packet was co-produced with Cisco Systems in 2004. It explored how Internet access and connectivity could contribute to responses to basic education needs, access to clean drinking water, and HIV/AIDS. The game exemplified NetAid's civic-technology approach, using an interactive format to link communications infrastructure with development challenges.
Youth education program · 2006
High-school poverty-awareness programs
By 2006, NetAid had narrowed its public-facing focus toward educating high-school students in the United States about poverty in developing countries. The work represented a move away from mass concert fundraising toward sustained awareness-building and classroom-oriented engagement.
Controversies
2001
Questions about fundraising and expenditure
NetAid faced criticism and questions about how its funds were divided between grants to anti-poverty projects and the creation of an institution intended to generate longer-term support. In response, it published figures describing grants to projects in Kosovo and Africa and other program-related spending.
1999
Criticism over commercialization of the launch event
Harry Belafonte and Danny Glover were reported to have withdrawn amid criticism that the concert had become overly focused on promoting institutional and corporate participants.
Marketing campaigns
- 2006U.S. high-school poverty awareness
United States
NetAid concentrated its awareness work on high-school students and education about poverty in developing countries.
Outcome. This became the initiative's principal stated focus before its integration into Mercy Corps.
- 2004Games for Change
International
NetAid co-founded the Games for Change movement to explore games as tools for civic education and social impact.
Outcome. The initiative became part of NetAid's wider experimentation with civic technology and social-change education.
- 2003NetAid World Class
United States
The board game pilot used interactive learning to introduce students to global poverty and development issues.
Outcome. The game was piloted in California, Massachusetts, and New York.
- 2000NetAid online volunteering
International
NetAid and United Nations Volunteers created an online matching service for NGOs and development projects seeking remote volunteers.
Outcome. United Nations Volunteers took ownership of the service in 2004.
- 1999NetAid launch and Jubilee 2000 concerts
United Kingdom · United States · Switzerland · International online audience
A three-city benefit-concert campaign used live music, online communications, and donation appeals to build support for Jubilee 2000 and global poverty reduction.
Outcome. The London concert was sold out, the New Jersey event had weak ticket sales, and NetAid reported $830,000 raised from 80 countries.
Brand decisions
2007
Join Mercy CorpsM&ABackground
NetAid had evolved from an independent digital philanthropy initiative into a smaller awareness and education program.
Action taken
NetAid became part of Mercy Corps.
Aftermath
The initiative no longer operated as a separate independent nonprofit brand.
2006
Narrow focus to high-school poverty educationStrategyBackground
After experimenting with concerts, online volunteering, mobile donations, and games, NetAid narrowed its mission toward awareness-building among young people in the United States.
Action taken
The initiative focused on educating U.S. high-school students about poverty in developing countries.
Aftermath
NetAid became part of Mercy Corps the following year.
2004
Transfer online volunteering to United Nations VolunteersStrategyBackground
The online-volunteering service had been operated with United Nations Volunteers since 2000 and required a durable institutional home.
Action taken
United Nations Volunteers took ownership of the online-volunteering portion and moved it to its own platform.
Aftermath
NetAid continued concentrating on other awareness, education, and technology initiatives.
2001
Separate NetAid from Cisco SystemsStrategyBackground
After the 1999 concerts, NetAid moved beyond its original joint-venture structure and sought to operate as an independent nonprofit focused on awareness, fundraising, partnerships, and anti-poverty programs.
Action taken
NetAid was spun out of Cisco Systems and continued independently.
Aftermath
The organization experimented with online volunteering, mobile donations, educational games, and civic-technology initiatives.
Recent events
- 2007
NetAid becomes part of Mercy Corps[1]
M&A
NetAid was incorporated into Mercy Corps after several years as an independent nonprofit initiative.
- 2004
Online-volunteering service moves to United Nations Volunteers[1]
Other
United Nations Volunteers took ownership of NetAid's online-volunteering service and moved it to its own online volunteering platform.
- 2004
NetAid co-founds Games for Change movement[1]
Campaign · Other
NetAid expanded its civic-technology work by helping establish Games for Change, a movement focused on games for social impact.
- 2001
NetAid and Time test handheld donations[1]
Product launch · Other
The organizations piloted a donation process using Palm VII handheld computers to collect and transmit contributor information.
- 2000
NetAid introduces online volunteering[1]
Product launch · Campaign
NetAid and United Nations Volunteers established an online matching service connecting NGOs and UN-affiliated development projects with remote volunteers.
- 1999
NetAid launches through simultaneous benefit concerts[1]
Campaign · Product launch
NetAid began on 9 October 1999 with concerts in London, New Jersey, and Geneva intended to raise awareness and funds for the Jubilee 2000 anti-poverty campaign.
- 1999
NetAid reports global online reach and launch fundraising[1]
Campaign
The initiative reported more than 2.4 million website hits from 80 countries and $830,000 raised in connection with its launch activities.
Sources1 sources
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