IBX Game Changers Challenge

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Business Name

Philadelphia Information Advocates

Business Abstract

A network of dedicated, trusted, community-based listeners intelligently connecting resources to requests.

An Information Advocate is a person who helps their neighbors, community members, or any other group of people learn about the resources, skills and needs of other members of the community and the world. They provide access to social supports and help the community to build social capital by listening to their constituents and converting what they learn into information that can be shared in ways that are appropriate to each person's needs. They help people to conduct research and teach people how to use information and communication tools. Their importance lies in the fact that they are a person who is available to be helpful in using modern technology and knowing who does what in the community. Information Advocates help their community with COMMUNICATIONS, INFORMATION and TRUST.

1. Read and agree to the official rules and conditions

Yes

2. Team leader name and email address:

Stanley Pokras <pokras@ntronline.org>

Application and Organizational Information

5. Team or Company name:

The startup of this project is being sponsored by Nonprofit Technology Resources (NTR), a charitable 501 (c) 3 organization.

NTR's Mission:

NTR is committed to helping the people of Philadelphia, and the organizations that serve them, have access to and use of information and communication technology.

NTR's Vision:

NTR envisions Philadelphia as a city where all people, regardless of financial resources, have the skills, knowledge, and access to the informaiton and communication technology they need to achieve their goals.

6. List all founders/board members/advisors:

Board of Directors, Nonprofit Technology Resources

Ken Kramer, President (2012) - Trainer, Comcast Corporation

Ed Cummings, Vice-President (2014) - President, Electronic Design Systems

William M. Finn, Treasurer (2014) - Certified Public Accountant

Patricia G. Coyne, Secretary (2012) - Human Relations Rep, Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations

Stanley R. Pokras, Executive Director (2012) - Nonprofit Technology Resources

Virginia Booker (2014) - Director, W.E. Martin Production Company

Vanja Buvac (2014) - CEO, The Cadence Watch Company

Nathan Cottrell (2012) - Account Manager, SHI International

Myra Cousins (2013) - Retired university professor

Ronald E. Cropper, Jr. (2012) - Network Administrator, DOT/DHS, City of Philadelphia

David Rifkin (2014)

Simmone R. Roberts (2013) - Retired business administrator

Jonathan R. Verlin (2012) - Teacher, South Philadelphia High School

Narissa Wallace (2012) - President, Multi-Media Concepts, Inc.

Tim Wisniewski (2014) - Assistant Managing Director for the City of Philadelphia

7. Organization website:

Nonprofit Technology Resources: http://NTRweb.org

Philadelphia Information Advocacy: http://ntrweb.org/information-advocacy/

8. Organization address (if not located in Philadelphia, Chester, Montgomery, Delaware, or Bucks counties, what are your plans to establish a location in the region?

Nonprofit Technology Resources, 1524 Brandywine Street, Philadelphia PA 19130

9. Business model:

Non-profit

The founding organization is Nonprofit Technology Resources, a charitable 501 (c) 3 organization. The project may grow into a coalition of organizations with a new corporate name and a new IRS filing.

10. Date established/years in business:

Nonprofit Technology Resources was founded as "Public Interest Media Project" in 1974. We took the current name in 1993. 

Information Advocacy became a project concept in the Spring of 2011 and is an extension of work done as "Everything for Everybody" in 1970.

11. How will you measure your impact on health and wellness? What metrics will you use?

There will be two levels of evaluation for this project. The first will evaluate the development of the project and will be measured, in part, by the number of organizations and individuals who have agreed to participate and by the numbers of people taking advantage of the training and technology resources offered as they become available.

The second level of evaluation will compare Philadelphia today with Philadelphia's health statistics as they change going forward.

Our associates at Temple University have agreed to conduct the evaluation process. A letter of support from Michele Masucci is expected to affirm the commitment of the University. Stan

Your Solution, Innovation and Social Impact

12. Describe your proposed solution, product, or service and how it will help improve health and wellness in the region.

This project will establish a network of helpful people whom we are calling "Information Advocates" in communities throughout Philadelphia. The term "network" is used to emphasize that the Information Advocates will communicate with each other in providing services for their community members. The term community is used broadly to mean any group of affiliated people. A community may be geographical or conceptual.

An Information Advocate is a person who helps their neighbors, community members, or any other group of people learn about the resources, skills and needs of other members of the community and the world. They provide access to social supports and help the community to build social capital by listening to their constituents and converting what they learn into information that can be shared in ways that are appropriate to each person's needs.

Information Advocates help people to conduct research and teach people how to use information and communication tools. Their importance lies in the fact that they are a person who is available to be helpful in using modern technology and they are someone who knows just about everyone in the community. Information Advocates help their community with INFORMATION, COMMUNICATION, and TRUST.

Information Advocacy is an extension of an idea developed by John Scully in the late 1960's. Scully had a store front shop from which he ran an organization he called Everything for Everybody. 

13. What root health issues will be impacted by your solution?

Health issues that are complicated by poor connections to other people will be addressed by this project.

Many issues that relate to lack of income may be overcome because of this project. Issues as simple as a shower that doesn't work because a person can't afford a regular plumber can be harmful and can be corrected by knowing who in the community can help at an affordable price.

Having someone to check in on an elderly person during hot weather can be handled by a community Information Advocate who knows the elderly person and a young person willing to visit the older person each day.

This project can help put many of the well known preventatives of good health into play. It will help spread useful information about healthy practices. It will help put someone who has been trained to observe other people in contact with people who may not even know they need help.

This project will encourage collaboration and information exhanges among groups already concerned for the safety and health of their community members.

Declining Social Capital
"Social Media" technology is producing revolutions in societies across the world. At the same time, for many people, technology is not sufficient. The connections among people known as social capital has been declining for years, perhaps for generations. The most widely known review of this problem is the book by Robert Putnam - "Bowling Alone." In his book, Mr. Putnam describes the decline in social capital happening in our society and offers several reasons for this decline, including the time that people spend watching TV.
For a useful summary of Mr. Putnam's book, see the article by Brett Reeder of the Conflict Research Consortium.
http://www.beyondintractability.org/bksum/putnam-bowling

Social Isolation
Social isolation can be defined structurally as the absence of social interactions, contacts, and relationships with family and friends, with neighbors on an individual level, and with society at large" on a broader level.
Social isolation is considered a risk factor in the development of disease and in the disability that can occur in the course of existing disease.
http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=1578&page=243

14. Why do you consider your solution innovative? Discuss how it is different from existing solutions.

At this time in history there are very few, if any, places where a person can speak with another person and have their needs, skills, ideas, resources and interests noted, recorded and disseminated. The idea that we should have a network of dedicated listeners in every community adds to the powers that the Internet currently offers to tech savvy individuals. With such a network in place, people who do not have Internet access, or the skills (and time) to communicate their needs effectively, will be able to take advantage of the full power of the Internet to make information about themselves accessible to the people who match and compliment their needs.

All existing solutions leave out the listener. This project makes real, caring people available to help their neighbors. The Information Advocates will be people who can help a client prioritize their needs and find the best solution(s) while maintaining the client's privacy and security.

Lots of Helping Hands

Neighbor Hire

15. What do you hope to achieve in the next 12 months towards implementing your solution? What major tasks do you need to complete to achieve these milestones?

Hiring and training of a network coordinator

Identification of about 12 early adopter communities

Design of a curriculum and training program

Design of a model Web-based communication database

Establishment of a set of guidelines for network members

Increasing the number of participating communities from the dozen early adopters to 30 or more communities

Produce a formative evaluation of the initial one year period

Produce a strategic plan and evaluation plan covering projections for the next 5 years.

Scalability and Practicality

17. What are your plans for scaling your solution throughout the region and beyond? What resources will you need to accomplish this?

The web communication tools will allow for regional and linguistic variety. The listing tools will offer geographical and conceptual focus. For example a listing may be directed at a particular zip code. Alternatively, a listing may specify a particular focus such as HIV or spinal cord injury. Once the Philadelphia Information Advocacy Network is functioning, we expect that there will be a need for the translation of listings into multiple languages.

19. What is your business model? For a for-profit venture, how will you make money? For a non-profit, what revenue streams will you develop to sustain your venture?

Non-profit

Charitable donations, corporate sponsorships, training fees, network membership fees, web marketing and ad revenues

Other

29. Where did you hear about the Challenge?

A: Jeff Friedman posted a message in the Open Access Philly email list: IBX Game Changers Challenge