Raising The BarnVirginia Government Communicators Spring Conference

Tracy Viselli, Community Managertracy.viselli@actionalexandria.org

@ACTionAlexVA | http://facebook.com/ACTionAlexandria

It used to be simple

Barnraising formula

Community needs

Limited resources

Organized collective

action

Communities are more complex

Barnraising is still the solution

Community needs

Limited resources

Organized collective

action

Why ACTion Alexandria?

• Alexandria was faced with increasing community needs and fewer resources.

• Community members, nonprofit leaders, and city agencies embarked upon year-long assessment of possible solutions.

• Could technology help fill the needs-resources gaps?

Yes

Communities moving online

• 22% of all adults receive alerts about local issues.

• 20% of all adults used digital tools to talk to their neighbors about community issues.

• Nearly in 1 in 10 social network users joined an online group focused on community issues in the past year

Pew Internet: http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Neighbors-Online.aspx

Technology-aided barnraising

ACTion Alexandria brings together neighbors and organizations to exchange ideas, coordinate efforts, and solve problems in our community.

Community needs

Limited resources

Organized collective

action

ACTion Alexandria goals

• Increase the level of civic engagement and philanthropy in Alexandria.

• Create an online community that inspires offline action.• Engage residents and organizations in problem solving.• Improve the quality of life for our most vulnerable

residents.• Create a clearinghouse of opportunities to help.• Create an open source platform and model that other

communities can easily and affordably adapt.

Partners

Community

How it works

Urgent Community Needs • Featured ACTions• Take an action• Start an action• Sponsor an action

Community Challenges• Solve a challenge• Suggest a challenge• Sponsor a challenge

How it works - Citizens

Creating Opportunity• Take an action• Start an action• Solve a challenge• Suggest a challenge• Post events• Submit content• Support local organizations

How it works - Organizations

Creating Infrastructure• Start an action• Sponsor a challenge• Post events• Submit content• Gain supporters

Results since launch

• 343 registered members • 6 featured actions, 12 community actions• 129 individual actions taken*• 47 organization pages• 3 community sponsors• 3 contributing community bloggers

*This count is much smaller than the number of people who have actually completed an action launched by ACTion Alexandria

Results since launch (2)

Actions• Carpenter’s Shelter $1495 raised ($500)• ALIVE! 712 items/706 people (700 items)• Community Lodgings 2,500 diapers (640)• ANHSI’s Pediatric Clinic 320 single servings Pedialyte

(160)• Friends of Guest House $1,000 raised ($500)

*20-30% new donors

Challenges• 901 votes in Quality of Life Indicators Challenge

Spring2ACTionACTion’s biggest action yet

• 3 day online giving event• Local giving for local orgs• Engaging fundraising

platform using game theory

1,265 Donors Participating + $76,323 in Online Donations + $27,833 in Matching Grants

= $104,156 Total Raised!

Sign up at ACTionAlexandria.org