Hope for Haiti is thrilled to announce a partnership with Niantic 8th Wall, uniting the power of augmented reality (AR) technology and philanthropy to drive meaningful change in Haiti. This collaboration underscores Niantic’s commitment to leveraging AR for social good and aligns seamlessly with Hope for Haiti’s mission to address real-world challenges through innovation. This collaboration not only brings innovative AR experiences to life but also supports critical humanitarian work in Haiti. Hope for Haiti is one of few nonprofits integrating AR technology into their work and how they reach supporters.   

“Niantic has always had an inherent social impact by encouraging people to connect and explore the world together. The work with Hope for Haiti showcases how we can advance philanthropy and community impact by leveraging our technology to make a broader impact,” said Yennie Solheim, Director of Social Impact at Niantic.

Developer Challenge: Harnessing AR for Impact As part of this partnership, Niantic issued a developer challenge, inviting their community to build WebAR experiences on 8th Wall. This challenge was not only a showcase of technological innovation but also an opportunity to uplift critical work in Haiti. Developers utilized WebAR and immersive storytelling to create experiences that make a real-world impact, competing for $15,000 in prizes. Read more about the challenge and view the winners here.

Donation Match: Amplifying Support for Haiti In a significant show of support, Niantic has committed to matching donations made through these AR experiences. At the end of each AR experience, users will find a donation page where they can directly support Hope for Haiti’s critical projects in Haiti, including healthcare and responding to the current humanitarian crisis. With Niantic’s match, our goal is to raise $10,000 during the Augmented World Expo (AWE). We invite attendees to visit Hope for Haiti’s booth #1046 during the conference at the AWE Playground to demo the experiences for a chance to win a special raffle prize. 

“Most of us have a smartphone sitting just a few inches away from our hands at any given moment. By tapping into AR, we can engage with new audiences who we would not have reached otherwise, while also connecting them to Haiti,” said Sarah Porter, Hope for Haiti’s Director of Innovative Philanthropy.