Tawaki Project & Google.org

The Tawaki Project has been selected by Google.org as a case study showcasing how the Google for Nonprofits programme is helping small organisations amplify their impact.

The feature, written by Maggie Johnson, Global Head of Google.org, and published on the official Google blog on 28 July 2026, highlights how we use Google Workspace and the Maps Platform API to run our research infrastructure across some of the world’s most remote environments.

At the heart of our Google story is PenguinArchive.org, our field research data management platform we develop that is now used by penguin monitoring groups across New Zealand and South America. Field researchers enter data directly on their phones – no internet connection required – and Google Sheets acts as the pipeline that carries that data into a centralised scientific database. The system at the moment holds over 214,000 nest check records accumulated across multiple groups and field seasons, and has helped organisations that previously struggled to process years of backlogged data finally get it into usable form.

Beyond data management, our penguintracking.org platform, built on the Google Maps Platform API, makes GPS bio-logging and satellite transmitter data from penguin foraging trips publicly accessible, giving anyone a window into the lives of these remarkable birds at sea.

We should also mention: we found the Google for Nonprofits programme entirely by accident while searching for grants in October 2025. Up until then, we had been running a paid Workspace account without knowing a nonprofit programme existed. If you’re a small NGO and not yet enrolled, it’s worth checking your eligibility at google.com/nonprofits – it could make a real difference.