ACTion Alexandria is an online civic engagement initiative focused on connecting citizens and organizations to solve community challenges in Alexandria, Virgina. This presentation was made to the City of Alexandria's Leadership & Management Institute on November 4, 2010 and the Youth Services Coordinating Council.

1. Raising The Barn
Tracy Viselli, Community Manager
tracy.viselli@actionalexandria.org
@ACTionAlexVA | http://facebook.com/ACTionAlexandria

2. It used to be simple

3. Barnraising formula

4. Communities are more complex

5. But we’re still here

6. 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?

7. Yes

8. Communities moving online
• 22% of all adults (28% of internet users) signed up to receive alerts about local
issues via email or text messaging.
• 20% of all adults (27% of internet users) used digital tools to talk to their neighbors
and keep informed about community issues.
• Nearly in 1 in 10 social network users (8%) joined an online group focused on
community issues in the past year
• Individuals who don’t know neighbors by name (15%) are as likely to keep up with
community events by reading community blogs or by joining an online group
Pew Internet: http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Neighbors-Online.aspx

9. How people choose social actions
• It’s easy to find
• It speaks to their personal
background
• A desire to ‘personally
make a difference.’
http://www.kent.ac.uk/research/stories/why-donors-choose-charities/2010
What better place than in your
neighborhood?

10. Technology-aided barnraising
ACTion Alexandria is an online
community that will connect
neighbors and organizations to
solve local problems related to
health, homelessness, hunger,
education, and literacy.

11. Partners
You

12. Technology aided engagement

13. ACTion Alexandria Goals
• Create an online community that inspires offline
action.
• Engage residents and organizations in problem solving
to strengthen community ties and increase everyone’s
stake in creating positive outcomes for specific
community problems.
• Improve the quality of life for our most vulnerable
residents through a platform that provides more
citizens with an opportunity to identify problems and
offer solutions.

14. Clearinghouse for community action
opportunities

15. Increase citizen engagement

16. Deepen citizen engagement

17. Engage new people

18. Amplify current efforts
• Volunteers
• Feedback
• Events

19. 3 Ways To Use It
• Take an Action
• Start an Action
• Solve a Challenge

20. Take an action

21. Start an action

22. Solve a challenge

23. When & how does this happen?
When
•Phase I: blog launch in
September
• Phase II: online
community platform
launch in January
How
•Partner outreach
•Community outreach
•Information gathering
•Citizen participation

24. Sign up at
ACTionAlexandria.org