Since
beginning operations in 1994, DCANet President Keith Duncan has made
a point of providing service to Delaware's nonprofit community and
arts organizations.
Last year, the Wilmington-based Internet service company went a
step further by establishing and maintaining a Web home base for
regional community news and organizations at DelawareValley.org.
"Our goal is to make all community groups in the region have an
equal opportunity at Internet access," Duncan said. "DelawareValley
provides them with an opportunity to make a bigger impact on the
region than might be otherwise possible."
He is patterning the operation after the original
Philadelphia-based LibertyNet, which three years ago transformed
itself into a for-profit general information service. It previously
served as a bulletin board of community news with links to various
community and cultural Web sites.
"It's not surprising that Keith would do something like this,"
said Bill Osborne, interim president of the 350-member Delaware
Association of Nonprofit Agencies. "Although his is a technology
company, he has a doctorate in sociology. He looks at technology as
a way to benefit people. With him, it is a means, not the end."
Many of the association's members have Web sites that DCANet
helped create and now hosts online. These include OperaDelaware, the
Delaware Humane Association, the Wilmington Drama League and the
Christina Cultural Arts Center.
It's not just Duncan who gets involved. He encourages staff
members to volunteer time - "often during regular working hours" -
to design nonprofit Web sites and work on DelawareValley.org.
"It is a companywide project that our employees are honestly
interested in," he said. "The site is only at its beginning. It
should reach maturity in another six to nine months."
The project is similar, though on a larger scale, to his
7-year-old relationship with the Delaware Division of the Arts. With
DCANet providing the technical support, the state agency operates a
Web site (http://www.artsdel.org/ that
combines art-related news, an events calendar, artist information
and links to cultural organizations.
"DCANet is critical to our mission to promote the value of the
arts and awareness of art in Delaware," said Laura Scanlan, director
of the division.
Reach Bill Hayden at 324-2887 or mailto:bhayden@delawareonline.com
