OurTownhall Collaborative
OurTownHall Collaborative partners with CBOs and DBEs to build capacity, provide equitable training, and ensure underserved voices shape the tools and processes for equitable funding and advocacy.
Empowering Community Ecosystems
The OurTownHall ecosystem relies on community organizations' participation, centering impacted communities and the CBOs and DBEs that serve them. These BIPOC-serving organizations guide our design, engagement, data sharing, and revenue-sharing processes at every stage.
Addressing Barriers to Funding
Community based organizations struggle to sustain funding over time due to gaps in capacity and marketing, often leading to failure, with more than 30% of small non-profits failing. CBOs and DBEs are often unprepared to respond to RFPs and the agencies are not aware of their readiness, services, or focus areas. Organizations serving disadvantaged communities often do not have experience with complex government contracts, and may not have subject matter expertise in the areas desired.
Goals of the Collaborative
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Our training helps CBOs and the communities they serve better advocate for environmental and social change in their communities. In 2023 we launched the Community Technology Fellows program, funded by the National Science Foundation. Our training supports shared knowledge in engaging CBOs and DBEs throughout the design and implementation process of our technology to ensure the information we are sharing is accurate and fair, and provide opportunities for CBOs DBEs to understand and utilize AI and related tools in their own work.
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Collaborations with non-profits are at the core of our mission, enabling organizations to access critical funding opportunities, build operational capacity, and expand their networks. The OurTownHall ecosystem is dependent on the willingness of community organizations to participate. OurTownHall centers on the ecosystem of impacted communities and the CBOs and DBEs that serve them. At every stage of the process, BIPOC serving CBOs and DBEs will advise on the appropriate design, engagement, data sharing, and revenue sharing approach the OurTownHall utilizes.
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We partner with CBOs to leverage open-source development to create accessible and inclusive solutions. We serve as the bridge between stakeholders and communities to accelerate project planning and implementation that meets the needs of communities. Our collaborative approach invites input from those we aim to serve, fostering innovation that reflects the realities of underserved populations.