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Andra's picture

iVolunteer@

Submitted by Andra on 3 February 2010 - 10:58am

What's this idea about?

In less than 100 words, what is your idea?: 
A one stop shop for non-profit organizations to create a ‘badge’ celebrating the achievements of their volunteers which then allows volunteers to ‘wear their badges’ on their blogs, websites, facebook pages, to tweet it and use it as an email signature. This one stop shop site can also provide a map (and iphone app) on an opt-in basis, showing the location of volunteer orgs currently recruiting and the number/type of volunteers nearby or in a given neighbourhood. This site could be supported by sponsorship.
What is the social need or challenge your idea could address?: 
The primary purpose of a non-profit is not creating social media, recruiting volunteers or rewarding them. The lack of funding for ngos and non-profit organizations stretches their ability to deliver on the ground services while searching for volunteers, coordinating and fundraising. Imagine your organization being able to visit a web page, answer a couple of short questions, upload an image, and then all of your volunteers would be able to receive the recognition of their hard work by accessing a badge like: MyAnimalOrg - In 2010, I helped raise 330 kittens, clean 50,000 litter trays, raise $15,000 and rehouse 150 adult cats. Volunteers are a great source of good will and publicity via social media IF the barriers are removed. Kiva and various facebook apps are great examples of this. New volunteers would be driven to your organization with a clearer understanding of your needs and location, freeing you to train, coordinate and deliver more of your core business.
What’s really new about your idea?: 
This idea harnesses the great good will of existing volunteers to spread the word in the simplest possible fashion, using social media techniques and crowd sourcing to promote volunteer roles in non-profit organizations and recognize the contributions volunteers make. Although several beta attempts to provide a similar service exist overseas, they place too much emphasis on central registers and waiting for volunteers to come to the central volunteer site. My idea focuses primarily on the creation of badges which provide direct click through to the parent organization and would be disseminated by willing volunteers while providing a succinct recognition of the valuable contributions made by the volunteer workforce. Improvements in locative technologies could enhance this idea but the key strength is in understanding the needs and pressures on small ngo/non profit organizations based on 30 years experience in the field.
4.5
Your rating: None Average: 4.5 (2 votes)
JoyS's picture

Refugee Buddy

Submitted by JoyS on 2 February 2010 - 9:38pm

What's this idea about?

In less than 100 words, what is your idea?: 
Community organisations and service providers can match newly arrived refugees with volunteer local individuals and families of similar ages or interests. The locals can become a source of "local information", advice and support about day to day issues, the kinds of things that we often take for granted, like where to get a set of keys cut, what makes a good packed lunch for a school child, how long homework should take a primary school student, how to swim safely in the surf etc. The locals are volunteers, and nominate themselves. Service providers can then make a "match" between buddies.
What is the social need or challenge your idea could address?: 
Social isolation and adjusting to life in Australia after time spent in refugee camps or immigration detention is a real issue for refugees. Refugees arriving in Australia are able to access job support services and are often supported by the earlier arrivals from their own community, but find it difficult to find family and social support from within the local community, and are often too shy or embarrassed to ask for help. Community service providers find it difficult to address the social isolation of their clients, while other community members are not sure how to offer their assistance at a personal level.
What’s really new about your idea?: 
It connects people at a personal level, rather than through programs and institutions, and promotes real engagement, learning, and relationships in the community. By asking for the established locals to volunteer, it encourages a grass roots community interaction, and creates a sense of genuine welcome for the refugees.
4.4
Your rating: None Average: 4.4 (5 votes)
Sharon Lee's picture

What's for dinner?

Submitted by Sharon Lee on 1 February 2010 - 9:16am

What's this idea about?

In less than 100 words, what is your idea?: 
What's for dinner? connects fresh food retailers like butchers, greengrocers, fishmongers and market farmers to local consumers. It's a direct marketing service that helps independents compete against major supermarket chains by promoting the best-freshest, tastiest, sustainable and good value-ingredients available for the day. For consumers, it streamlines the fresh food shopping and meal planning process. Available quality produce can inspire dinner ideas. It improves their chances of buying and preparing food to their satisfaction and eating healthy foods. For more info, see http://www.richapplefool.com/blog/real-world/fresh-eats-tweets
What is the social need or challenge your idea could address?: 
Australia has one of the highest market concentrations of grocery retailers in the world with Coles and Woolworths accounting for 80% of the total market. Combined, they own around half of the fresh food market, and both have announced plans to increase their market share. Supermarket dominance will weaken local economies, culture and character. With little or no competition, the quality, diversity and affordability of fresh food will decline. This will have a negative impact on (the already low) consumer engagement with—and intake of—fresh fruit and vegetables. Supermarket dominance is much more than an economic issue; it has far-reaching social and health implications for Australia.
What’s really new about your idea?: 
Now consumers will be able to start their meal decision at home or work with the question "What's best and fresh at the shops?" Information will assist with purchase, preparation and cooking to optimise the flavour. Hence, enjoyment is the "carrot" to engagement to fruit and vegetables instead of the usual health and nutrition. For fresh food retailers, it's food spruiking gone digital; the vast majority are not online. By aggregating their promotions with others in the area, they will collectively compete against major supermarket chains, cost-effectively and easily.
4.42857
Your rating: None Average: 4.4 (7 votes)
donmacca's picture

An Online Toolbox for Australian Social Innovation

Submitted by donmacca on 30 January 2010 - 5:06pm

What's this idea about?

In less than 100 words, what is your idea?: 
Create an accessible, user-generated repository of tools to support social innovation in Australia. This 'toolbox' would be a searchable database of things such as links to free software, handy websites, relevant service providers and useful processes.
What is the social need or challenge your idea could address?: 
It’s a pretty tough gig trying to be a social innovator in Australia - there are a fair few barriers to gaining credibility, volunteers, advice or financial support to get an idea ‘off the ground’. Whilst, for many of us, the world’s information is now just a click away, a whole lot of time gets wasted searching for the right tools to improve our productivity. Although sites like http://ourcommunity.com.au do a good job of centralising basic information for community groups, social innovation thrives upon up-to-date content that has been generated and recommended by users themselves. A lot of the tools we use as social innovators, community developers and activists in Australia are actually cross-cutting and can be shared amongst us but they aren’t. There are so many free or inexpensive resources out there that could be really appropriate to our work if only we knew where to find them!
What’s really new about your idea?: 
This idea is meant to be really simple, easy-to-use and highly efficient in terms of its output in relation to a user’s time. It would also seem inexpensive to set-up and maintain. In relation to similar projects, this idea is really new by offering: Relevant, Australian-specific content in addition to relevant global content; A broad suite of tools that, in addition to web-based technologies, includes things like useful information on social innovation processes; A participatory website with built-in quality assurance based on user-generated content and evaluation; Accessible information that does not requiring a user sign-up to access resources; High usability through a simple user-interface and immediate search functionality (i.e. front-page service delivery); and Exciting potential such as the grounds for an Application Programming Interface or exportable database that could be shared with organizations Australia-wide.
4.64
Your rating: None Average: 4.6 (25 votes)
No-holds Bard's picture

A new social inclusion framework for developing community group networks

Submitted by No-holds Bard on 29 January 2010 - 9:08am

What's this idea about?

In less than 100 words, what is your idea?: 
Community groups are enabling people to share resources, cars, gardens. But most are doing their own thing, often concentrating on different facets of social inclusion. I want to design a framework that groups may adopt to help them address the whole gamut of basic needs: food security, safety, housing, health care, transport, friendship, fun … and then explore best practice for each. Each group would have the same centrally-moderated website/framework to work with, populating it with local info, sharing ideas through a consistent template. The structure itself would serve to inform policy and decision making.
What is the social need or challenge your idea could address?: 
People need to be able to find help when they need it, and also to contribute to their community when they want to. If a local community is able to provide timely info and help through its members’ efforts, it will become stronger and more resilient.
What’s really new about your idea?: 
Absolutely nothing – McDonald’s has already done it. When you go somewhere new, you immediately recognise the brand, know what’s on the menu, and can rely on what you get. The owners can easily open a new outlet as soon as there is a need for it, and when something better comes along for the menu it’s easy to roll it out to every restaurant.
4.666665
Your rating: None Average: 4.7 (3 votes)
whymandesign's picture

WEBiversity.org

Submitted by whymandesign on 29 January 2010 - 12:35am

What's this idea about?

In less than 100 words, what is your idea?: 
Can you help us (or we work with you) collate the best educational video's from the web together to create a volunteer based free open source video library of educational video. http://www.WEBiversity.org is the showcase example of how easily this can be done using the great MIRO social software but the next stage is to build on this open source software to create peer 2 peer and collaboration features so that creative commons video can be shared and edited together. Could this be of use to your organisation or the university you went to?
What is the social need or challenge your idea could address?: 
Collating the BEST FREE education video's in one not for profit site and creating a FREE online University for all.
What’s really new about your idea?: 
Collating the BEST FREE education video's in one not for profit site and creating a FREE online University for all.
3.333335
Your rating: None Average: 3.3 (6 votes)
Roger Fryer's picture

Housing network

Submitted by Roger Fryer on 28 January 2010 - 6:20pm

What's this idea about?

In less than 100 words, what is your idea?: 
Networking for people approaching retirement and others concerned about the high cost of housing. Self-funding, flexible way of having equity in quality housing by teaming up in small groups. Perhaps designing a new type of housing never seen before. Tsunami of baby-boomers approaching retirement who may have resources but don't want to blow it all on housing.
What is the social need or challenge your idea could address?: 
Baby boomer retirement housing. Challenge the high cost of owning quality property. Many retiring baby boomers won't have enough super or equity in their own homes.
What’s really new about your idea?: 
Most types of housing are designed to maximise profits for peripherals like builders, property developers, real estate agents, architects, local government, etc, or achieve economies of scale for government service providers without achieving value for the owner(s). Let's crack this. Five people with $200,000 can buy a property worth $1 million.
4.555555
Your rating: None Average: 4.6 (9 votes)
Ozziemedes's picture

Local Business Directory and Effort Exchange using Rich Media Technologies

Submitted by Ozziemedes on 27 January 2010 - 7:11pm

What's this idea about?

In less than 100 words, what is your idea?: 
Build a site that facilitates the discovery of small businesses (particularly professional/trade services) and management of a "virtual currency" which allows business operators within a local district to trade their services for services provided by others. The listings would be in the form of a video profile outlining each business's capabilities and qualifications. The virtual currency concept is similar to Barter Card, but instead of trading goods, participants trade their time in time (offset by a multiple of a base hourly rate). People who provide services without consuming them initially build up a pool of "time credit" that they can cash in with any business listed on the directory, or if pending for a certain amount of time, cash out the hours for an equivalent monetary value.
What is the social need or challenge your idea could address?: 
Small businesses tend to be run by specialists who have deep knowledge in a specific field. However, not all small business operators have all the skills required to run their business effectively. Additionally, business to business relationships are often plagued by the need for prospecting and sales preparing sales pitches. With a visceral directory of video business profiles, businesses in a given area can "shop around", decide which provider they want to work with and engage them directly.
What’s really new about your idea?: 
This is really an extension of the concepts currently running successfully on freelancing sites, but with more focus on building self-sustaining local business clusters than on lowest price. The video listings allow businesses to get a sense of having met their counterparts in other businesses, building additional trust out of the gate, and opening the door to a solid business relationship that doesn't require a heavy sales pitch to get started.
4
Your rating: None Average: 4 (5 votes)
Humanise's picture

Humanise.org

Submitted by Humanise on 23 January 2010 - 5:21am

What's this idea about?

In less than 100 words, what is your idea?: 
An Open Source project to create a software oriented metal detector suitable for Humanitarian Demining and related research. The current specification for the initial set of modules makes the initial design usable as a research and education tool for researching methods to help in Humanitarian Demining and similar. There are many other uses that this can be used for and while these are generally supported and encouraged the main focus is design towards Humanitarian Demining. Full details on the project can be found at http://humanise.org
What is the social need or challenge your idea could address?: 
The first and primary goal is to help get rid of land mines in many poor countries such as Cambodia. There is also a big range of other Unexploded ordinances such as the left over bombs in Laos that it may be useful for finding. While the primary purpose of the designs is humanitarian demining, some designs or modules from the design are likely to find use elsewhere. Examples include: * Anti terrorist and other security screening. * Gold detectors and other geological exploration instruments. * Archaeology exploration. * Hobby coin detectors. * Underground pipe/cable/leak detectors. * Manufacturing uses such as detectors to help ensure contaminants don't enter our food supply. * Detectors used for separation and recovery of different types of recyclable material in waste management. * Medical uses. * A teaching tool. * Research uses. These other uses are allowed, encouraged and supported.
What’s really new about your idea?: 
Use of already created new technology for creating music in the home, that is use of the new 24 and 32 bit sound cards to create a top end metal detector suitable for humanitarian demining. Also use of some recent new Open Source projects, particularly GStreamer which effectively allows the majority of the project to use software that is already created rather than having to design just for the application.
4.833335
Your rating: None Average: 4.8 (6 votes)
LaurenA's picture

Do you speak my language?

Submitted by LaurenA on 19 January 2010 - 9:39am

What's this idea about?

In less than 100 words, what is your idea?: 
A Google Maps interface or similar application which takes data on where different languages are spoken around the world and visualises this on layers of a map interface. An extension of the idea is that the site also provides 10 or so key phrases with audio in the language you are looking at. For example, if you click the Italian layer, both Italy and Italian communities around the world (New York, Melbourne etc) would be highlighted so the spread of this community could be measured. People could then listen to audio bytes sounding out key phrases like Hello, Goodbye, Yes, No, Thankyou etc.
What is the social need or challenge your idea could address?: 
This idea aims to strengthen ties to language and culture, as well as creating an awareness of the number of languages and their spread around the world. Has particular application in visually capturing the endangered dialects of the world and improving/promoting multi-lingualism. Language is an important part of any culture and identity, but has certainly been sacrificed by the proliferation of just one or two languages around the world. Non-English speaking countries are almost forced by default to be conversant in English, and cater to English-speaking people in their country (through signage, menus etc all visible in English). While this may be a necessary development in a global world, it shouldn't be at the expense of language or culture. I also think that this project has huge application in Australia alone by fostering a greater national understanding of the vast numbers of indigenous dialects and which communities speak which languages throughout Australia.
What’s really new about your idea?: 
There are many ways to learn second languages, but popular (Romantic - Spanish, French, Italian or Business - Chinese, Japanese) languages will always prevail. This project aims to bring lesser-known languages into the spotlight through an educative but simple application. It also taps into the larger research projects on living and endangered languages and has future possibilities to track historical data about the spread of languages.
3.625
Your rating: None Average: 3.6 (8 votes)