Have you heard of TheCommon.org? Maybe you should! They are my newest sponsor and have a cool service for your church that you should consider. Check out this guest blog post:
TheCommon.org started with a need. Actually it started as a list; an extremely inefficient list of things people needed help, being communicated to a huge audience of people who “might be able to help” that led to an idea. You see, every community has both Needs and Abilities. And we’ve found that, generally, People want to help each other. But the process of connecting these needs with the people who want to help is severely broken.
What if there were a better way for people help each other, and for communities to help people help each other? Not just another piece of software or a place to share photos, but a movement and a connecting point—something that has true value to the community. Something that can embrace both philanthropy and simplicity.
Connecting people looks like a huge, complex system in most communities. You have an entire ecosystem that is dependent upon a central system of administration to drive service, outreach, care. And your system is then limited by the capacity of that individual or team.
But when you open communication—allow your community to connect directly with those opportunities—those limits go away. I can really only speak from personal experience. In the three years that TheCommon has been a living, breathing resource for people to serve, there have been connections I have been able to make, places to serve and relationships formed that flat out wouldn’t have happened in whatever you consider the “current model” without it.
And in the last few months I’ve witnessed some incredible interactions on the Projects and Marketplace as well: from baby clothes and waffle makers, to cars, refrigerators, and computers being given away to help people—all because they were made aware of a need and stepped up to meet it.
So, what happens when people have easier access to the needs in their community and partner communities through blending? Check out our Twitter feed. Listen to the 73 year old woman who just received help packing boxes, or the guy who just got help with his car repair. They share the stories of connections made and the good that is right therewaiting to be done.
We would love for you to test drive it in your community, and for a limited time are extending a FREE 60 day trial to all of Greg’s readers. Click the link HERE and be sure to enter the code “ga2011” when you create a community account. It’s simple to get started and we have some great resources to help you along the way. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at hello@thecommon.org.
This was a guest post from Jay Kroll who works in Marketing and Relationships at TheCommon.org. Follow them on Twitter at @thecommon.