Greenstand is a data-driven, technology-oriented organization, but as a web-based nonprofit sustaining their digital infrastructure is difficult. Maintaining their website and open-source technology like Treetracker typically requires using industrial-grade computers that hold all the software, data, and infrastructure Greenstand’s volunteers have worked tirelessly to build.
Any organization using web services requires cloud providers to function effectively. Greenstand is fortunate to have partnered with DigitalOcean as its primary provider since their founding.
Cloud service providers, like DigitalOcean, are third-party companies that sell cloud computing resources to businesses, organizations, and individuals. For organizations like Greenstand, these service companies allow them to build, use, and store their technology without maintaining their own infrastructure.
Founder David ‘Ezra’ Jay started Greenstand on DigitalOcean and has utilized the cloud software company ever since. Zaven, Greenstand's lead architect decided to develop the Treetracker software stack on DigitalOcean due to its performance, quality and scalability.
“They're really easy to use from an entrepreneurial standpoint,” Jay said. “If you were having to build any new technology, you can do it on DigitalOcean fairly easily.”
As the founder, Jay wanted to ensure all the work put into Greenstand and Treetracker was safely stored and reliably accessible. DigitalOcean met Greenstands requirements; however, what set it apart from other reliable cloud providers was its size as a company.
DigitalOcean was (and still is) a much smaller cloud service provider compared to the mammoth enterprises of Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft. Although some of Greenstand’s technology is stored on AWS due to the growing nature of the nonprofit, the majority is still held safely in DigitalOcean.
“We operate them both in parallel, but our primary cloud infrastructure is DigitalOcean,” Jay said. “Their spirit resonates with our open source genetics”
DigitalOcean has recently been donating its services to Greenstand, allowing Greenstand to operate on its platform at no cost. As a nonprofit, Greenstand depends on in-kind donations to funnel resources into new projects rather than spending thousands of dollars on cloud computing.
Greenstand is incredibly appreciative of everything Digital Ocean has done throughout its affiliation, from supporting the infrastructure for the site and Treetracker to donating its cloud services.
Greenstand would not be where it is today without DigitalOcean. They are more than a service provider - DigitalOcean is a partner in alleviating poverty and supporting reforestation throughout the globe.
_________________________
Jackson Sneeringer is a contributor to Greenstand’s communications team and is supporting the mission through her writing. She can be reached at jackson.sneeringer@greenstand.org.
