Testing a Texting Platform That Connects Locals, Representatives and Community Leaders

In Brooklyn, Testing a Texting Platform That Connects Locals, Representatives & Community Leaders | TechPresident:

What if you wanted to start a dialogue about charter schools in your neighborhood? The information hotline wasn't built to handle conversations like that, but a new text message-based platform called HeartGov is.

If you looked at a graph that measured "scale of issue", on one end you would put "reporting", which would be things like pot hole reporting, which 311 handles. On the other end of the spectrum you could have "big ideas", such as "marriage equality" or things that something like change.org handles. In between are medium scale civic ideas that are trackable and tangible.

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Videos from the Conference on Volunteering and Service

Hear From the People Who Inspired Thousands at the Conference on Volunteering and Service | Points of Light:

Missed the Points of Light Conference on Volunteering and Service last week? Thousands of leaders from the nonprofit, corporate and civic sectors came together in Atlanta to celebrate and shape the future of volunteerism.

Now you can feel like you were there. Or if you were fortunate enough to join us, you can relive some special moments. Check out our videos.

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10 Host Sites Chosen to Execute Nationwide ServiceWorks Program

Points of Light Announces 10 Host Sites Chosen to Execute Nationwide ServiceWorks Program | Corporation for National and Community Service:

Points of Light, one of the world’s leading organizations dedicated to volunteer service, today announced the 10 organizations chosen to execute its ServiceWorks program. ServiceWorks is a three-year nationwide initiative that will use community engagement and volunteer service to help underserved young adults develop the skills they need to prepare for college and careers.

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Making cities smarter through citizen engagement

Making cities smarter through citizen engagement | The Governance Lab @ NYUThe Governance Lab @ NYU:

Vaidehi Shah at Eco-Business: “Rapidly progressing information communications technology (ICT) is giving rise to an almost infinite range of innovations that can be implemented in cities to make them more efficient and better connected. However, in order for technology to yield sustainable solutions, planners must prioritise citizen engagement and strong leadership.

This was the consensus on Tuesday at the World Cities Summit 2014, where representatives from city and national governments, technology firms and private sector organisations gathered in Singapore to discuss strategies and challenges to achieving sustainable cities in the future.

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Web-based tools to facilitate participation in the local civic process

The Civinomics Roadmap: From here to November | Tipping Point:

Stated simply, the goal of the Civinomics site is to provide members with an online “civic tool box”, a selection of web-based tools to facilitate participation in the civic process.

Current features include online workshops and initiatives and the just released new public meetings and agendas listings. There are several other features in the works, to be launched between now and over the summer and early fall to coincide with the November elections.

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A shortage of sock donations at homeless shelters

When Socks Are `More Important Than Food’ | Points of Light:

Socks are among the most needed items at homeless shelters, yet among the least-often donated.

Because of the shortage, the nation’s homeless population is constantly at risk of serious foot disease and, during winter months, in severe danger posed by the cold.

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"My Brother's Keeper" mentoring campaign

National Service:

As President Obama has said, “There are a lot of kids out there who need help, who are getting a lot of negative reinforcement. And is there more that we can do to give them the sense that their country cares about them and values them and is willing to invest in them?” The “My Brother’s Keeper” Mentoring Campaign will connect youth and young adults to caring mentors who will not only “give them the sense that their country cares” but will also help them to believe in themselves, aspire to new dreams, and climb the ladders of opportunity that President Obama is committed to creating in every American community.

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A civic-social platform for a new kind of citizen duty in The Netherlands

A civic-social platform for a new kind of citizen duty | The Governance Lab @ NYUThe Governance Lab @ NYU:

"...a small team of four started Pleio for Dutch civil servants and citizens to meet each other, have discussions, and work together on things that matter to them."

(Pleio translates loosely in English to “government square.”)

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National Service Agency Announces $205 Million in AmeriCorps Funding

National Service Agency Announces $205 Million in AmeriCorps Funding | Corporation for National and Community Service:

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) today announced $205 million in grants to put AmeriCorps members on the ground to tackle critical challenges in communities across the U.S.

The grants will allow more than 43,000 Americans the opportunity to serve their country through AmeriCorps. These AmeriCorps members will serve from coast to coast, strengthening education, providing disaster services, fostering economic opportunity, assisting veterans and military families, preserving the environment, and expanding health services.

In addition to the grant funding, CNCS is making available $163 million in education scholarships for AmeriCorps members serving under these grants. After completing a full term of service, members receive a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $5,645 to pay for college or to pay back student loans.

In addition to the $205 million in competitive AmeriCorps funding, CNCS is also awarding $115 million in formula funding to governor-appointed state service commissions. These funds will be awarded this summer to organizations in their states to support additional AmeriCorps members.

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10 Ways to Collaborate with Government

10 Ways to Collaborate w/ Gov | Code for America:

• To help citizens get started in their community, we’ve put together the guide How To: Collaborate with Government. We wanted to share a list of 10 tips for reaching out and collaborating with government.

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Changing Communities for the Better Through Citizen Academy

Changing Communities for the Better Through Citizen Academy | Points of Light:

• Whether you’re a community organizer, a nonprofit worker, a social entrepreneur or just someone who wants to help your neighbors, Points of Light’s Citizen Academy can give you the skills you need to make a difference.
• Beyond academic year 2013-2014, Points of Light will be working with a series of university partners to design a full community-engaged leadership program. Students enrolled in the Citizen Academy program will develop key critical thinking, problem solving and communication skills to empower communities to address their social, political and economic challenges. 

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Let’s Start Practicing Civil Discourse

Let’s Start Practicing Civil Discourse by George Wolfe | InterMix:

• Mediation is a process that can be used to resolve disputes between parties in conflict. The approach stipulates certain ground rules that can also be applied to our daily conversations with friends, colleagues, rivals and strangers. If these simple rules are observed and practiced when we engage in interfaith dialog, personal conversation and group discussion, rhetoric that can lead to misunderstanding and conflict is minimized. Our problem-solving efforts will then be far more constructive, increasing our chances of finding common ground. What follows is a list of mediation ground rules that I have modified to fit the forums of personal and public discourse.

See discourse ground rules.

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Technology, when it works, amplifies the impact of individuals

Technology, when it works, amplifies the impact of individuals: Why I'm Coding for America | EngagingCities:

• I code for America because I believe in the power of technology to make the world a better place. Technology, when it works, amplifies the impact of individuals – making it easier for friends and families to connect, informing and inspiring people, and empowering communities to solve real problems together.
• ... to build technology that really works, you must collaborate with your users and stakeholders on their own terms, while respecting their motivations and needs. You must engage with them as true partners, transparently communicate your own motivations, and always be open to criticism.

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August 22, 2013 CommunityMatters conference call features "Secrets of Successful Communities"

NCDD Community News » CommunityMatters Call + $500 = Be There:

• The next CommunityMatters conference call on Thursday, August 22nd will feature Ed McMahon, Senior Fellow at the Urban Land Institute, and his “Secrets of Successful Communities.”
• CommunityMatters is encouraging anyone – individuals, local organizations or community groups – to organize “listening parties” for people to come together, listen and discuss how Ed’s call relates to their city or town. As a bonus, the Orton Family Foundation is offering four (4) $500 awards to groups that hold parties and decide to take action as a result.
• Learn more at www.communitymatters.org/communitymatters-listening-parties.
• CommunityMatters helps cities and towns steward change by fostering “civic infrastructure” – the systems and structures that give people the power and the tools to solve their community’s problems and shape its future.

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The Civic Commons is a civic engagement utility and consultancy

Civic Commons and ideastream join forces with Knight Foundation support - Knight Foundation:

• The Civic Commons is a civic engagement utility and consultancy serving community leaders, institutions and the growing desire of citizens to be engaged and empowered on key civic decisions. The Civic Commons is an online environment combining the best and most effective aspects of social networking and social media. Its mission is to build conversations and connections that have the power to become informed, productive and collective civic action.

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What is Placemaking?

Project for Public Spaces | What is Placemaking?:

• Placemaking is a multi-faceted approach to the planning, design and management of public spaces. Put simply, it involves looking at, listening to, and asking questions of the people who live, work and play in a particular space, to discover their needs and aspirations. This information is then used to create a common vision for that place. The vision can evolve quickly into an implementation strategy, beginning with small-scale, do-able improvements that can immediately bring benefits to public spaces and the people who use them.

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New Poll on American Attitudes Toward Public Service

National Commission on Political Reform Releases New Poll on American Attitudes Toward Public... -- PHILADELPHIA, July 23, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --:

• The Bipartisan Policy Center's (BPC) Commission on Political Reform and USA TODAY released a new national poll that shows Americans are interested in participating in public service, but are reluctant to run for and serve in public office.
• "Americans support multiple ways to serve their communities, and they value it highly.  But they are increasingly skeptical of the value of some types of governmental service, given the hyper-partisanship that has coarsened the tenor of politics and prevented government from being able to achieve results.  We must change that environment to restore government's capacity to solve problems," said former U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe, a commission co-chair and BPC senior fellow.

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Community Engagement ToolKit

SPARC BC's Community Engagement ToolKit:

• The Social Planning and Research Council of B.C. (SPARC BC) is an independent, non-partisan, registered charity working with BC communities  in building a just and healthy society for all.  The organization operates on the understanding that communities are just and healthy when people have equitable access to places, knowledge, services, adequate incomes, and community decision-making processes.  To this end, SPARC BC works with people on income security, accessibility, and community development; and on the connections between them.
• SPARC BC recently published a Community Engagement Toolkit to provide advice to municipalities in the design and implementation of a community engagement process.

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The Next Generation of Community Radio

This Year’s Best-Kept Secret: The Next Generation of Community Radio | Democracy Now!:

• A microphone and a radio transmitter in the hands of a community organizer imparts power, which some liken to the life-changing impact when humans first tamed fire. That’s why the prospect of 1,000 new community radio stations in the United States, for which the Federal Communications Commission will accept applications this October, is so vital and urgent.

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Volunteering: doing good is good for you

Doing good is good for you « Blog Archive « Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship Blog:

• ... volunteering is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. In our study with the Optum Institute, Doing Good is Good for You: 2013 Health and Volunteering Study, we found that people who volunteer feel better – physically, mentally and emotionally. And volunteers tell us that they are convinced their health is better because of the things they do when they volunteer. Doing good is good for you!
• It’s true – volunteering makes us feel better. And while we’re feeling better, we’re also helping other people who benefit from our efforts feel better, too.  Everybody wins.

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