Activate Good: Use Social Capital to Boost Local Volunteerism

Project Managers: Amber Smith and Keith Morris

Project Summary:

Less than 1 in 4 citizens in Raleigh volunteer. We want to help transform Raleigh, NC, into an engaged volunteer network using our innovative online platform as the basis of our efforts. The beta version of our online platform (called the “Volunteer Community”) launched in 2011, but due to limited resources we have not yet been able to develop the platform to its full potential. In building the next phase of the Volunteer Community (Volunteer Community 2.0) we’ll make it easy and fun for citizens to act as “volunteer ambassadors” and recruit friends, coworkers and neighbors to get involved. Our platform will capitalize on the fact that 42% of new volunteers get involved because someone they know asked them to [Bureau of Labor Statistics], empowering everyday citizens become our city’s top volunteer recruiters to fill the volunteer needs of local causes. In doing so, the Activate Good team aims to make volunteerism “viral,” engaging 25,000+ Raleigh citizens by 2017.

Over the next 6 months, the Activate Good team will undergo an inclusive evaluation and development process to develop the Volunteer Community 2.0. We’ll work with focus groups who represent diverse aspects of Raleigh to flesh out the features for the Volunteer Community 2.0 so it will reflect the top needs of our local citizens. Then, using feedback and data collected from Raleigh citizens, we’ll work with a web team to begin development of the Volunteer Community 2.0. Funds obtained through the Mobilize.org challenge will help us leverage other resources needed to achieve our goal of releasing Volunteer Community 2.0 in 2013.

The Artist Spring: When Art Sparks a Revolution

Project Managers: Hannah Hasan and Shaheid Hasan

Project Summary:

The best way to engage millennials and get them excited about voting and civic engagement is merge those efforts with the arts. Most revolutions and movements that have had an impact on our world had a component that allowed moving artistic expression. My project would would encourage all types of performance artists to utilize their medium to make a difference. It would be two-fold. We would a have website that would allow artists to upload videos, submit blogs, and discuss the arts and civic engagement. This will be a social network that encourages peaceful, meaningful change. Locally, we would plan a fun stage show where various artists would perform for their family, friends, and neighbors about topics that encourage voting and civic engagement. We would have canvassers there to register voters, and an accurate account of all in attendance would be used to for further communication to provide information about voting and future programs and opportunities to stay involved.

We will work with a local graphic/web designer to create a website that will provide safe space for artists and non-artists to come together and inspire each other and the world to get involved in civic engagement. We will maintain the promotion of this site through social media and innovative marketing strategies. On a local level, we will partner with organizations that encourage civic involvement, artists, and volunteers; plan and implement a stage show that speaks to our mission. An accurate account of contact information for all involved would be utilized to continue this movement in Charlotte and abroad.