Helping Communities Connect

Introduction

We are currently seeking partners, sponsors, volunteers and financial and other support resources to assist launching our pilot programs which will take place in Melbourne, Australia and Dayton, Ohio and then other regions.

These pilots and the subsequent full roll-out by replication are designed to create member-driven local networks that connect consumers, local businesses, community groups and other key stakeholders. One aim is to help each stakeholder group achieve their goals by fostering community spirit and providing a platform that enables community commerce.

This project is operated by Community Enabler Pty Ltd, an Australian Social Enterprise, that has staff and volunteers located around the world, with most activity and initial market potential in North America.

The pilots are designed to demonstrate that it is possible to create sufficient interest and word of mouth activity in a local community to successfully launch a project that:

  • is readily scaleable
  • is profitable
  • encourages individuals to share their skills and knowledge for personal benefit and greater good
  • fosters volunteerism, co-operation, innovation, diversity, compassion, entrepreneurialism and tolerance
  • provides a communications channel that promotes uplifting news stories (positive media)
  • generates significant funding for community groups and grants for local community projects

In the pilot phase it is forecast that :

  • the participation rate will be 10% of the population for each 100,000 resident local community
  • this level of support would raise A$240,000 a year for local community groups, charities and community projects

Vision - A Brighter Future

We believe that society is well placed to influence the tussle that is the human condition. As Jeremy Griffith identifies in his book 'A Species in Denial', humans strive to be 'co-operative, loving and selfless' but in practice we are often 'competitive, aggressive and selfish'.

We plan to provide a community driven environment that encourages individuals to achieve their goals and make good things happen.

We believe that society is ready to move into a golden era underpinned by recent technological and social developments. This era will be where we move past the scarcity mentality to an abundance outlook by creating a more effective and efficient economy by:

  • Shortening supply chains
  • Reducing unrewarding consumerism
  • Simplifying business processes
  • Encouraging collaboration by enabling teams and think tank groups
  • Replicating successful business and social endeavours
  • Bridging the Digital Divide by creating accessibility to the Internet, computers, and other enabling technologies
  • Shining the spotlight on 'good' initiatives
  • Giving people the means to have a voice in a collaborative environment

Project Objectives

  1. Foster Community Building in
    • Local Communities
    • Communities of Interest (locally and globally, for business or social reasons) eg scrapbooking, fly fishing, gardening, social entrepreneurship or sales presentation techniques, etc
    • Community Groups such as schools, churches, sports clubs and non-profits. We help get people together within local community groups by keeping them in touch with the goings-on in the community and encouraging them to get involved
      .

  2. Be a trusted intermediary

    " The surest path to wealth is to own the pipeline and not what passes through it " - Robert Kiyosaki Author Rich Dad Poor Dad

    • Creating an open and transparent Social Enterprise that is accountable to its stakeholder members
    • Empower the membership to wield the power of our pipeline and steer the direction of the community to enhance sustainability and innovation
      .
  3. Enable Community Commerce
    • Give small business a boost in a globalizing world
    • Support community groups and non-profit organizations with financial and other resources
    • Foster "Co-Opitalism" in a manner similar to how software is developed by the Open Source Community. Our "Co-Opitalism" model does, however, have a more capitalistic approach and encourages entrepreneurialism by providing financial gain to the innovators and marketers of the project. These marketers include the community groups who promote our products as a fundraising initiative
    • Sell our products and services, including Internet Directory Advertising

     

  4. Replicate = Growth and Greater Social Benefit

As a profitable Social Enterprise, the project will be used to generate the necessary resources to replicate itself in other communities:

  • By linking up these local networks as a larger network, other value creation and fundraising opportunities become available
  • These will create even larger benefits and social impact and generate further growth and expansion of the network by bringing on board the slower adopters
  • The lofty ideals of having a significant impact on poverty, apathy and helplessness become viable by establishing and growing these community networks that are supported by enabling technologies, education, co-operation and collaboration

Success Factors

The key to the success of the project is ensuring people 'get involved'. We intend to achieve this by providing:

  1. A benefit or reason to act that is primarily based initially on self interest and not altruism
  2. A simple guide of actions to take in order to realize these benefits
  3. An environment to empower them to obtain and contribute to social enrichment which will encourage even more people to get involved, thereby increasing the impact of the project

We are also working in cutting edge areas that have significant growth potential, such as:

  • Local Internet Search: Helping people find things at a local level
  • VoIP Telephone, Web Conferencing and other innovative communication solutions
  • Social and Business Networking
  • Open Source software
  • Peer to Peer trust systems
  • Corporatisation of the NGO sector

The Pilot Project Details

There are three stand alone, yet synergistic parts of the pilot that all come under the broader business :

  1. The Community Benefits Catalogue (General local promotions and specials)
  2. The Community Benefits Club (Member-only savings)
  3. The Co-OpWorld Search Communities (Local Search Directory)

These initiatives will be piloted in 2 or 3 sub regions of Melbourne and 5 sub regions of Dayton, Ohio (Card and Search Communities only)

They have been designed to create the initial growth of our community networks, and are just the second step of a ten phase plan to build a larger network to create substantial good.

1. Community Benefits Catalogue (click to open a new window and visit the website)

We are currently in discussions with one of Australia's leading media groups to manage the catalogue publication and distribution.

Key Features:

  • 20+ page magazine catalogue in glossy colour, delivered free each month to households in a local community (population approx. 100,000) as an insert to the local community newspaper
  • Funded by local businesses who are given a low cost way to advertise their promotions and specials. (A$300 for a display ad)
  • 10% of the proceeds from each ad are donated to a participating Community Group or Non-Profit Association chosen by the advertiser
  • 15% of the ad proceeds are provided to the sales commission associate or fundraising groups as an incentive to approach local businesses with this advertising opportunity. This can also create a local income opportunity for the unemployed

To enhance the word of mouth 'buzz' and increase the retention time of the catalogue and hence the shelf life of the ads, the catalogue has the following additional features:

  • Monthly free prize draws donated by participating businesses seeking additional business and product exposure. To claim their prize the winner must retain their catalogue
  • Monthly Local Community Grants initiative where 80% of the proceeds from the sponsorship ads on the back page of the catalogue are distributed to local community projects (as determined by the volunteer committee who review applications)
  • Quarterly Local Traders Directory. People will be encouraged to retain the catalogue so they'll be able to see businesses/phone numbers in Local Shopping centres and strip shopping precincts at a glance
  • Community Benefits Club Directory where businesses who accept the Community Benefits Card are listed free

 

2. Community Benefits Club
(click to open a new window and visit the website)

Key Features:

Consumers purchase a card that provides them benefits from local businesses such as:

    1. Point of sale discounts
    2. Special offers such as Buy 2 Get 1 Free
    3. Introductory offers such as a free haircut
    4. or Rewards points redeemable for gift vouchers
  • 80% of the A$15 (or US$10) purchase price is distributed to registered charities and community groups such as schools, churches, sports clubs or non-profit associations. Cards are marketed through Community Groups, key participating retailers and the Community Benefits Catalogue
  • Businesses are recruited by commission sales associates and fundraising groups
  • Operational overhead costs are kept low thanks to the support of community minded volunteers
  • Creates benefits for the following community stakeholders:
  • Consumers
  • Local Business
  • Community Groups
  • Charities
  • Local media
  • Chambers of Commerce
  • Local Government
  • Income Seekers

.

 

3. Co-OpWorld Search Communities

A place people can go to find information, products, services and meet people who share their interests or hobbies.

The Co-OpWorld Search Communities consist of:

  • LocalWorlds: Internet based portals that are gateways to what is happening locally
  • Worlds of Interest: Portals on topics such as gardening, music, fishing or meditation, etc

These Search Communities will be expanded from their current format to be a one stop spot for the following services:

  • Local Community Directory: A yellow pages style Internet Directory
  • Community Forums: Places to share tips, advice and views on local news, events, or services
  • Calendars and Photo galleries
  • Education and Training: Web conference based venues for business and hobby courses
  • Community Marketplace: A member to member trading platform where people can buy crafts, music, books and other member created products
  • Community Links to local organizations
  • Links to other "Community Sites" such as eBay, MeetUp and Freecycle
  • Local News: Uplifting human interest and positive media stories; and other member generated content
Click below for example websites
Current temporary platform
After launch on the main platform

Additional Benefits for Consumers, Small Business and Community Groups

In the spirit of Co-Opitalism, we distribute 80% of what would normally be retained as profits, back to our members, member chosen charities and community groups. Half of this is via a loyalty pool. As we build the membership we will be able to negotiate additional savings and rewards for our members.

Our Business Boosters will be developed into a range of products to help small business compete in a globalizing world. Many of these will be enabling technologies, products and management processes. The focus will be on providing good accessibility by keeping products affordable and making it simple for the time-poor and non-technical small business operator. Click here for an example of an introductory product range.

Our Community Boosters package will be provided FREE to Community Groups such as Schools, Churches, Sports Clubs and other Non-Profit Associations and FREE to their members. It will include a fully hosted website with a suite of:

  • Innovative ways to Fundraise
  • Communication products such as forums, spam free email, web conferencing, calendars, photo galleries and other collaboration tools
  • Community Building solutions to increase active participation rates
  • Community Forums (places to share tips, advice and views on local news, events, or services)
  • Calendars and Photo galleries

Let's Help Create a Better World

The project hopes to have a significant impact on some of the largest problems facing mankind:

  • Information Overload. By creating a one stop spot for people to readily find what they are looking for without the information clutter
  • Loss of sense of belonging. By creating a nurturing environment for people to get together and achieve their goals. The potential benefits of reducing the number of disenfranchised people around the world is staggering
  • Caring for the disadvantaged. By providing funding, volunteer resources and know-how to make a difference locally and globally
  • Undesired Globalization Outcomes. Globalization can be harnessed to create significant benefits and reduce the risk of outcomes being driven by economic drivers and shareholder value alone

Like all ambitious good ideas, the project needs people, resources and financial support to enable it to deliver on its potential.

So Please Get Involved!! Contact us if you'd like to help