GivingMarket/StrategicGivingQuestions

Maybe it's enough to bring the questions, and invite individuals to begin to answer them for themselves and share them together. The following is an expansion of "What do you have?" and "What do you need?" ...and also "What do you see?" and "How should/could it be?" The idea is that would-be organizers and also funders could include brief answers to these in weblogs that could be gathered into a /WeblogDirectory approach to the GivingMarket. These questions will eventually be answered for the GivingMarket itself and included in the /GivingMarketBlog as a sort of prototype/leadership model.

Several drafts of these questions posted here now, latest version first...

Project Title ...what do you call this crazy idea or interest you have in making some small change in the world?

Contact Info ...including name, location, email address, weblog and/or website addresses so others can find you.

Keywords ...to help identify/search for projects

Project Summary ...a simple template for reflecting, planning and posting someplace -- wherever you are -- to invite others to help!

What do you want? What is happening in your neighborhood, your school, and the larger world? What do you see and hear? ...or smell? What are you bumping into and how do you feel about it? What should be happening? How could the most important issues be addressed or resolved? What do you want the solution to look and sound and feel like? What is your own dream project?

What do you have? Who are you and what do you already have going for you? Who do you know? Where are you connected? What's already working, and why? How did you come to care about this issue? What gifts, talents, passions, skills and experiences do you bring to this? Are you spending your own time and money on making something happen? Do you have the funding and need people to work with? Who's already supporting this project? Who can we contact, as references, to find out more about the good work you've already been doing?

What do you need? What would it take for you to make a difference? Are you looking for partners? Connections? Some funding? A place to meet? Some special sort of expertise? What kind of connections and contributions do you need to give your own gifts, and make your own contribution, more fully? What kind of support do you need for this project?

What will you do? What will you do if you get the help you need? What are your immediate next steps? What results will you produce? Where will you report your progress and success stories? How will all of this benefit you, your contributors and the situation and people you are wanting to serve? What can you promise to this project and anyone else who will join you in it?

Where is this posted? ...weblog, website, discussion forum, email list, bulletin board, church bulletin, local newspaper, school cafeteria, etc...

What's happened? ...as a result of you posting your project....

• who are you? contact info, relevant experience, how did you get here?
• what's your passion? your dream? your legacy?
• what's the most important issue where you live/work?
• what do you see, hear, smell, feel about this issue?
• how did you get attracted to this issue?
• who else do you know who is connected to this issue?
• what's already working? and/or who's doing the best work in this area?
• what makes it work?
• what else should be working that isn't yet?
• who could benefit if it did? yourself, otehr people, groups, orgs, nature...
• what are some immediate next steps?
• what gifts, skills, or resources do you have that might be useful?
• what else do you need in order to act?
• what can be done while those resources are found?

HERE ARE THE ORIGINAL MUSINGS ON WHAT MIGHT BELONG ON A /ProjectPage or Project Weblog

• what is the situation now... what is seen, heard, smelled...?
• how do project organizer and others feel about the situation?
• what would successful resolution, creation, or other deliverables look like?
• what experience to they have with resolving, creating, or delivering in these sorts of situations?
• what research have they done to identify possible solutions or responses?
• what gifts and skills have they already identified and gathered?
• what investments have already been made? what progress?
• who are the people who've offered gifts, skills, investments? (are they members here)
• what is being proposed as actions?
• how were these plans created, and by whom?
• what is the timeline, who are the actors?
• what resources are needed in order for this to happen?
• who can be contacted or visited for more information?
• website or other information that further explains or supports the plan?
• /ReputationSystem info about people involved and this project
• what and how often do you pledge to report back on this project?
• how are you or will you share what you are learning with other organizers?
• personal and professional references?
• who will benefit from this project? ...and how will the benefits be leveraged? ...become self-sustaining?
• what is the project budget? ...what things and skills are needed and what are they expected to cost?
• more...