Neighbors Online: Community Engagement Online for All Seattle Workshop

Connecting Neighbors, Building Communities, and Raising Voices since 1994

Workshop Outline – 4:30 – 6:30WelcomeOverview and Seattle Neighbors

Online Surf Introductions - Seattle Share-a-thonNumbers – Who’s Missing Intro

Micro Break (if time)

In-Depth: Outreach, Inclusion, and Engagement in St. Paul and Minneapolis

Closing Questions, Discussion, Connections

Welcome

Thank You

Why?

Connecting Neighbors is GoodSocial connections, family-friendlySafety and crime preventionMutual benefit , sharing stuffGreater voices and civic engagementSocial capital generatorOpenness and inclusion (if done

right)= Stronger communities

Resources: Block Activities, Block Connectors, Locals Online, Soul of the Community

Online Neighbor Connecting

Two-way online “groups” at core

Connecting at two primary levels:

Block-level, neighborhood crime watch ▪ Very Private, Covering ~100 households,

typically resident-only, often “cc:” e-mail chains

Neighborhood/Community-wide ▪ Public , Semi-Public (request to join), or

Private - Covering hundreds to thousands of households

Big Numbers 27% of adult Net users (22%

overall) use

“digital tools to talk to their neighbors and keep informed about community issues.”

Source: Neighbors Online study from PewInternet.org, 2010

Numbers – “Joiners”“Joiners” – 10.5% of adult Net

users members of neighborhood e-mail lists, forums, or social network site groups

Includes 7% on e-lists/forums or ~10 million folks across ~20,000 to 40,000 online spaces – DC, Seattle, Mpls, etc. have deep history

Source: Neighbors Online study from PewInternet.org, 2010

Seattle Surf

PlaceblogsSeattle must have the most placeblogs

per capita!

Editor in center with “news” models vs. groups

Web ForumsWest Seattle

Blog’s Forums Most successful

media-sponsored local online forums

in the world??

Local web-based “forums” in U.S. rare, popular in UK

Simple Concept

Imagine a shared e-mail box for your neighborhood:

neighbors@inyourarea.org

E-mail Lists YahooGroups

mostly, “forum host” is crucial

Few are “public” - hard to “see” the awesomeness your area is missing

Talk2 Seattle.Gov Dozens! Mostly

nhood assoc work??? Can’t tell how active

From our directory: Admiral - 123

members Alki Beach- 185 Ballard - 110 Beacon Hill  Hillman City - 192 Georgetown - 557 Greenwood - 420 Montlake - 946 North Ravenna Squire Park - 330 South Park- 759

E-mail ListsMoms/Parents E-

Lists Seattle has a massive

network ~20

MUST live in a certain area

Biggest – Ballard 1705, N Beacon 1876, Madrona 2785, Magnolia 903 … Seattle “Dads” 1

Facebook GroupsHillman

Brighton moved from YahooGroups

Host likes pictures in Member Directory

Few FB Groups for Seattle Nhoods?

Example Topics This Week in

Seattle Missing bike Chickens Gunshots Free stuff City council Folk club Food forest Strawberry

plants Nhood meeting

Free trees School walk “foro de discusión”

– Seeking Spanish-speaking folks

Voter registration Nickelsville Bikes for books Suicide prevention Spanish lesson guy Neighbor needed

for school project

EveryBlockGreen Lake

blog moved to EveryBlock

Everyblock serves ~20 major cities, started as local data to map site, added community

NextDoorPrivate residents-

only “social network for your neighborhood”

Venture funded, partnering with some governments

Mostly small groups, but can cover thousands of residents (no access for local business, community orgs, elected officials by design)

Twitter Hashtag

#bainbridge

Very social

“Organic”

Tags launchedduring crisises

Who’s Here

Introductions break the virtual

ice.

IntroductionsEveryone

Name Neighborhood/

Place Top question?

Diverse Voices Social Media Which

community(ies) Current online

efforts

Neighbors Online Group Members Which one Which tech

platform How long a

member Most recent

example Important or

useful example

Who’s Missing?(w/neighbor connecting online)

Numbers – Inclusion Matters

Neighborhood E-Lists/Forums – 7% Overall 15% of online households over $75K – 5

times higher! 3% of online households under $50K 3% Latino 2% Rural … 8% Blacks and Whites 9% Women, 5% Men

Of 22% of ALL adults who “talk digitally with neighbors”: Only 12% under 30K, Over 75K 39%

Source: Neighbors Online study from PewInternet.org, 2010

Forums for Today’s St. Paul

Quick History 1 – E-Democracy 1994 –

World’s first election information web site AND Minnesota Politics two-way e-list

1998 – Minneapolis and St. Paul Issues Forums – “online town hall” model

2005 – UK grant to pilot, Bristol and Oxford asked for neighbourhoods in ’07

2008 – Minneapolis neighborhoods get started Mixed classic “neighborhood e-list” with PUBLIC online

town hall with neighborhood watch, Freecycle, Craigslist (non-selling), community news and bulletin board for areas with 5,000 to 15,000 residents

Quick History 2 – E-Democracy Goal to build civic engagement and raise

diverse voices NOT being met by all volunteer start-up activity … foundation to build on

2010-11 – Ford Foundation - pilot Inclusive Social Media effort – deep engagement in Cedar Riverside, expanding to Frogtown (note 60 page evaluation)

2012-14 – Knight Foundation – scaling to 16 Neighbors Forums reflecting diversity with outreach and active forum engagement to reach ~10,000 daily participants

Seattle Racial/Ethnic Map

Series by Eric Fisher

Red is White, Blue is Black, Green is Asian, Orange is Hispanic, Yellow is Other, and each dot is 25 residents.

NEIGHBORHOODS ON THE NET (by district)seattle.gov/communitiesonline/districts.htm

From Seattle IT Indicator Project, 2009 community survey

BreakDelite Filipino Bakery

Inclusion

Connecting Neighbors Online

St. Paul’s Inclusive Community Engagement Online “Be Neighbors” initiative

Corrine Bruning, Outreach Coordinator@edemo on Twitter

2012 Outreach Team

What’s the Big Picture1.Create online spaces for

neighbors to connect with each other in the ways that they want.

2. Make sure these spaces are as representative as possible of the neighborhoods themselves.

3. Create opportunities for people who do not usually have a voice in their neighborhoods, to have a voice.

What are Neighbors Forums?“Local” online public places to: share information, events, ideas discuss neighborhood issues gather diverse people in an open place

take action and promote solutions

Our neighborhood-level Issues Forums are powered by two-way group communication

We host over 40 neighbors/community forums in 17 communities across 3 countries today

Design for “Inclusion”

Public (vs. private groups)Open access (vs. invite only)Publicly searchable archive

(vs. member only access)Local scope Encourage strong civilityMust use real names, accountability

One Forum, Many Channels

E-mail Web Facebook Twitter

Online public space in “real” community

City Hall

In-personConversations Shared on

Facebook

YourNetworks

Local MediaCoverage

School, Library

Reporte

r

Com

mun

ity O

rgCity Councilor

Candidate

Local Biz

Nei

ghbo

r #1

Park Staff

Neighborhood Leader

Mayor

Forum M

anager

Neighb

or #

500

Polic

e

NEIGHBORS

NeighborsForumOnlineJoin the

Forum

New Resident

Example TopicsAction

Discussion

Announcements

Connecting for actionBeing local means we can

easily meet and act together

Community garden effort launched

“It’s cold” discussion results in winter wear drive to help recent immigrants

Sexual assault response by “Mom” and 400+ rally on a cold winter night, community brainstorming

Community garden

anyone?

Photos from Jeff Wheeler, Star Tribune.

Connecting neighbors leads to dialogue and discussion Topics like:

Community news Crime and safety Crisis response Schools and

parks Service provider

recommendations – home repairs, child care, etc.

• Helping neighbors • Local history• New small

businesses• Landlord issues• Local

environment/recycling

• Questions of every kind – “What was that noise?”

Announcements - Free Flow of Information Community/cultural eventsNeighborhood meetingsLocal news, photos, videoFree stuff (selling is rare/not promoted)

Elected official updatesLost or found pets

In any languageBi-lingual announcements encouraged

How to join?Via the web:

e-democracy.org

Or beneighbors.org▪ Directory starting in Twin Cities▪ Join via Facebook Option Available

Or Paper!Via simple paper sign-up sheets

Sign up at local events, by neighbors, or when doorknocked.

Outreach In-depth

Diverse Community Outreach 2011

Pilot expansion methods across multiple neighborhood/forums

Special outreach to diverse communities in Minneapolis and St. Paul:▪ Latino▪ Native American▪ East African▪ African American▪ Hmong/SE Asian

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Inclusive Social Media Lessons 10-11Face-to-face outreach, paper signup

sheets, and a personal approach are by far the most successful recruiting methods

Building trust is essential. Knowing that “someone like me” is on the forum makes a difference.

Personal invitations and direct support help people get started with posting.

Inclusive Social Media Lessons 10-11

Partnering with respected neighborhood event organizers creates opportunities to participate in community activities and offer people the chance to sign up for our forums.

Understanding people’s needs and helping find ways for those needs to be addressed through the forum smoothes the path for their participation and continued involvement.

Ford foundation funded, 2010-2011

60 Page Report and Webinar

e-democracy.org/evaluation

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Ford Eval: Forum Member Feedback

Members: Forum provides new information and alternative viewpoints

Elected officials pay attention to forum posts

Community organizations who actively participated found it relevant and rewarding

Range and depth of conversations dependent on forum members’ willingness to share opinions, ask questions, and seek input

Summer Outreach 2012

2012-14 – BeNeighbors.orgGoal: Recruit and engage 10,000+

Saint Paulites by 2014

Focus outreach on highly diverse, immigrant and low-income communities online

Knight Foundation funded, 625K 3 year grant (through end of 2014)

Applied Ford lessons

Summer Outreach Team 2012

The PlanUtilize grassroots community

organizing techniques to bring a diversity of neighbors onto the forums.

Bring in around 3000 new members over the summer and begin building relationships in Saint Paul communities.

Hire ~10 multi-lingual outreach team members working 15 hours a week

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What’s the Big Picture?

1.Create online spaces for neighbors to connect with each other in the ways that they want to.

2. Make sure that these spaces are as representative as possible of the neighborhoods themselves.

3. Create opportunities for people who do not usually have a voice in their neighborhoods, to have a voice.

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What we did...

1. Research and set goals.

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Courtesy of University of Minnesota: Center for Urban and Regional Affairs

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What we did...

1. Research and set goals.2. Intensive recruitment and

training

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What we did...1. Research and set goals.2. Intensive recruitment and training3. Utilized shared access tools to

manage logistics increasing mobility and capacity of team (Google Docs, etc.)

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What we did...

1. Research and set goals.2. Intensive recruitment and training3. Utilized open access tools to

manage logistics increasing mobility and capacity of team

4. Lots of on the ground outreach!

On-the-ground Outreach

1-7 people at 39 different community events yielding 692 new members.

15 people attended 12 community meetings yielding 76 new members.

Staff went to 28 community locations, oftentimes libraries and recreation centers, yielding 340 new members.

We covered 10 Neighborhood Night Out locations yielding 182 new members in a single night.

And 10 staff members attended four ethnic soccer tournaments yielding 89 new members.

In the field:

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73

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What we did...

1. Research and set goals.2. Intensive recruitment and training3. Utilized open access tools to

manage logistics increasing mobility and capacity of team

4. Lots of on the ground outreach!5. Remembering to think long term

about empowerment and voice.

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Some results (so far)…

1. Surname analysis shows 30%+ of targeted forums appear to be from racial/ ethnic communites.

2. We launched neighbors forums in 16 of 17 Saint Paul neighborhoods.

3. Saint Paul neighbors forums virtually doubled from 2,863 on June 4 to 5,609 on September 11, resulting in 48.96% of the the total Stp membership being new!

Twin Cities Growth 200% increase in St. Paul

(blue) memberships since Jan 1.

Mpls (red) all volunteer “organic” word of mouth growth

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So, what’s next?

1. Build up local volunteer capacity in forum engagement developing deep relationships in community - goal:

Forums that better reflect the diversity of

neighbors in the “virtual room.”

2. Ensure partnerships to be mutually beneficial

3. Execute an intense forum engagement plan

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How does this apply to your work?

Do you work with minority/low income/ immigrant populations?

Are you interested in building up a network that allows more neighbors to connect with each other?

Get Connected

Public outreachhttp://beneighbors.org

Webinars, training:http://e-democracy.org/learn

http://e-democracy.org/locals

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Thank you!

We’d love to connect with you more! Corrine.bruning@e-democracy.org612-229-4471

OR~ Steven Clift -

clift@e-democracy.org

On Twitter @edemo More: e-democracy.org/contact

QuestionsDiscussionConnections

END

Additional SlidesGo in-depth if you like

Digital Inclusion Digital inclusion for community engagement

leverages other key efforts

Technology and Broadband Access

Online and Computer Skills

Engagement

Digital Literacy

Ford EvaluationAll kinds of neighbors can be connected online

60 Pages: e-democracy.org/eval

uation

Free in-depth webinar

StorySomeone needed help.

The Wheel of Cheese Frantic online forum request:

“Is anyone flying to Seattle in next 12 hours? I am stuck out of town. Can you take a wheel of cheese to the national competition? Ours went missing. Homeland Security won’t let us overnight replacement.”

Neighbor replies, “I am a former airline employee and I’ve been looking for a reason to go to Seattle. “ Cheese makes it in time.

Read more – on Powderhorn Neighbors Forum – Photo CC jojomelons via Flickr

Examples - Discussion“Community life” exchange

builds audience for inclusive civic discussions “Little Mekong” branding for Asian

business promotion on University Ave

Triple homicide - Who can we trust to keep us safe after a tragedy in East African grocery? Police? More guns? Led to off-line discussions with local teens. Vigil proposed, hundreds gather.

Also: Cats indoors or outdoors?, Airplane noise, etc.

Who participates? Everyone welcome

Residents, local workers, business owners

People who “serve” the community Local governments, non-profits, etc.

Outreach essential: Diverse communities:

http://e-democracy.org/inclusion

100 members for strong opening 1050 members on largest forum today, ~25%

households

You

How different? ApproachVolunteer-driven, Non-

profit (Pictures of some of our awesome volunteer Forum Managers

and contractors )

Local scope key

“Public life” openness not “virtual gated communities”

Government can access us Unlike Facebook which is blocked by many

organizations

Open source technology, sharing We use GroupServer.org tech out of New

Zealand

Tips for organizations Post announcements and events –

reach hundreds for free

Monitor the community agenda, advocate and organize locally

Answer questions, share info

Connect people to your programs

Encourage your members/clients/etc. to join us

What results?Neighbors Forums promote: Community building Neighbors helping neighbors Sharing/reusing things very locally

Engagement with government and accountability

And much more

How different? RulesCivility matters

Real names build trust No name calling Post just 2 times a day (on most forums) spreads participation, retains audience

Facilitated by local volunteer “Forum Manager,” rules are enforced

Major contrast with often anonymous, nasty online news comments

How different? OnlineOnline advantages

24 x 7 – Anytime, anywhere convenience

Engage people unable to attend meetings, with limited mobility, two jobs, children

Less intimidating for some – open and accessible “ice breaker” into public life

Local approach coupled with in-person activities increases value and trust – Online only would be a major disadvantage

Join Us, Join Your Neighbors

Join your local Neighbors Forum today!

Every community needs a vibrant local online place that makes your part of the world a better .

The lowest cost model for effectively building real community and civic participation available today(?)

Start a forum. You can make this happen in your neighborhood. If you don’t who will?

Contact us: http://e-democracy.org/contact team@e-democracy.org @edemo - Twitter Tel/Text: +1-651-400-0880

Mostly text

Pictures too

Across 50+ forums

Follow on Facebook?Yes, we reach people “where

they are” via many channels and technologies

Our “unified” integrated public forums Facebook Page – Forum excerpts

Twitter – Topic headlines

“Blog” style Web Feed – Full-text

E-mail and web options – Most accessible, required to post

E-mail key to active “bridge building” and mobile use – old-fashioned but EFFECTIVE

Future PresentationsStat tuned for more

knowledge sharing Inclusive Social Media Lessons,

Evaluation How to Start a Forum - Detailed Forum Manager How-to Webinar

Follow our blog for updates: http://blog.e-democracy.org

Key existing resources http://e-democracy.org/if - Guidebook and

more http://e-democracy.org/webinars

Where are they?Our neighborhood-level

“Issues Forum”: 24 forums across St. Paul and Minneapolis ▪ Many new forums - join our funded start-up

campaign now 25 start-up forums in Christchurch, New

Zealand ▪ Created for post-quake recovery by two

volunteers 5 in the United Kingdom▪ Where our “neighbourhood” level work started

11 “city-wide” online town hall “Issues Forums” ▪ Extensive details: http://e-democracy.org/if ▪ City-level forums provide place for city-wide

issues and politics▪ Includes five Greater Minnesota towns

Start a new forum?Request one:

http://e-democracy.org

http://tcneighbors.org

We technically set it up

Outreach essential

10+ forums in start-up mode

Lessons/training from: http://e-democracy

.org/if

Recipe 100 start-up

members 1 local volunteer

“Forum Manager” – You?

Paper sign-ups at community events

E-mail outreach, e-letter signed by initial members

Friendly round of virtual introductions with real people using real names to build trust

Hosting a Healthy Forum Strong “critical mass” launch is key to

success Need mix of local institutions – parks,

officials, places of worship, community groups AND everyday residents

Forum Manager plays crucial role – needed to “seed” forum with announcements until community groups begin to do it themselves

~10% of households across forum area is a magic threshold for “self-generative” community life

Forum facilitation prevents difficult topics from turning into “flame wars” – one blow out can kill a forum

How to post?Post via web

Login at http://e-democracy.org

Click on desired forum New Topic :▪ “post a new topic” -

“Topics” tab ▪ Fill in text box, press “Start”▪ Add files (PDF, Word, etc.)

Existing Topic:▪ Login, read topics▪ Text box at bottom

Do you want to … Connect your neighbors and

neighborhood?

Make your community better? Improve civic engagement?

Raise diverse voices? Share local information?

Do all this cost-effectively leveraging volunteers?

If yes, here is an introduction on Neighbors Issues Forums from E-Democracy.org

How to read?Read via e-mail or web Daily e-digest option - topics with direct links

Text, files, photos, YouTube videos

How to post?Post via e-mail

“place”@forums.e-democracy.org e.g. mpls-phillips@forums.e-democracy.org

Post via web Login at http://e-democracy.org Visit desired forum and post

Post/attach files easily (Photos, PDF, Word, etc.)

More Options, Start-upsDozens of companies are getting

into the neighbor connecting business

Visit the local social media directory

Join the Locals Online community of practice to join people from .org, .coms, and many independent free spirits