ioby

ioby removes barriers to local neighborhood action, helping people to make positive change. ioby supports resident leaders in every step, from idea through implementation. We focus on local residents because we know that they have great ideas to improve the neighborhoods where they live, work, and play. But there are many barriers to leading positive change, such as: lack of funding, lack of confidence, lack of knowledge about permitting processes, lack of 501(c)3 status, lack of teammates, and fear that no one will help.

ioby’s model—including a crowdfunding platform, coaching, fiscal sponsorship, resources, and project implementation support—removes these barriers, so that great ideas from residents can be implemented locally, quickly, and with neighbor support. Making it easier for residents to take neighborhood action is important because neighborhoods are the most tangible, relatable, accessible places for us to practice civic participation and flex the civic muscle we need for a healthy democracy.

Our strategy is to facilitate the interaction of neighborhood leaders, donors, and volunteers on ioby.org to crowd-resource capital—financial, human and social—and provide training, and capacity-building services to leaders working to implement neighborhood projects that improve the places we live, work, and play. We help leaders recruit volunteers, grow and strengthen support networks, connect with local decision makers, and start conversations around key issues in our communities that lead to long-term, system-wide change. We believe local actions—starting something, building something, or donating to something—have a real impact on places and on people’s lives.

As a civic tech nonprofit organization, ioby plays a key role in building a nationwide community of neighbors who are mobilized to lead positive, lasting change in their own neighborhoods. Our work increases civic participation and provides support and resources to residents to make positive improvements to their neighborhoods in the intersecting areas of environmental sustainability, public health, livability, and economic development. ioby shares data and lessons learned through reports, presentations, and case studies to inform the field. In addition, by increasing citizen philanthropy, ioby increases the overall pool of philanthropy directed at solving key challenges.

So far, ioby has supported residents to raise over $16.8 million for more than 3,254 local positive change projects.

ioby was recognized by the Obama Foundation for contributions to civic innovation and was awarded an American Civic Collaboration Award for increasing civic participation.