A Treasure Trove of Mobile Apps Awaits the Tech-Savvy Nonprofit

Nonprofit organizations that harness the power and potential of smartphones can create new community networks, spark interest in the arts and sciences, mobilize volunteers, and inspire ordinary citizens to take action like never before. Plenty of powerful apps exist that can significantly aid the work of nonprofit organizations.  No need to create your own.  Just see what’s out there, consider the possibilities for how the app can activate and energize supporters, and promote it to your members.

Examples? Check out these 5 mobile apps:

1. SeeClickFix tops the list. Community organizers and neighborhood watch groups should download this one–fast. Developed in New Haven, Connecticut, this terrific tool allows anyone to report emergency or non-emergency neighborhood issues directly to government officials with the power to fix them.

Craigslist founder Craig Newmark explains: “Suppose you need a special garbage pick-up, or you noticed a dangerous pothole that needs to be fixed in your neighborhood.   [With]  SeeClickFix, you can use a smartphone to take a picture of a problem, geo-tag it, add a comment, and send it to the civic authorities who can fix it. You can also define search areas — when something happens, you can get a notification. That’s good for potholes, as well as more serious neighborhood issues.”

From Atlanta to Philadelphia to Dunwoody, Georgia, this app is taking off as a way for concerned citizens to report everything from overgrown lots to graffiti to dangerous intersections. Does it work? Sure does. The NY Times reported on it here.

2. Human Rights Campaign Buying for Equality Guide:

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) leaders might do well to get this app onto the smart phones of their supporters. HRC carefully surveyed and ranked businesses from apparel to gas stations (590 in 2010), and determined their fairness to LGBT people according to their employee benefits and policies, respectful advertising and marketing, diversity training, and “responsible behavior towards the LGBT community.”

The Buying for Equality Guide organizes rankings beginning with the top-scoring businesses–a “100″ is the perfect Equality Score. Users can quickly determine which businesses to support and which to avoid. Thus…the buying guide helps folks put their money where the equality is–and leverages the significant power of the gay dollar.  Look no further than Target’s run-in with HRC last month, and you’ll see why more businesses are opting for LGBT-inclusive practices (and how this little app can make a difference.)

3. MEanderthal: Educators take note: The Smithsonian Museum of Natural History came up with this app, and personal experience tells me it’s a winner (my 9 nieces and nephews can’t get enough of this thing.) Take a picture of a face, then MEanderthal will morph the image back to a prehistoric time. It’s a mini-lesson in human evolution, and a big hit.

4. Catalista

Every community has a stake in promoting volunteerism, and Catalista is an easy way for folks to find a slew of local volunteer opportunities based on interests, time availability, and location. It even allows one to track volunteer hours and rate the volunteer experience.  A 5-second Catalista search on my iPhone yielded 19 volunteer opportunities within 20 miles of my house.  Not bad. The Founder, Catalina Ruiz-Healy, says she conceptualized the app during a bad Match.com date. Hmmm.

5. Trees Near You
Neighborhood groups, historical societies, and environmental and science orgs might love to spread this app around. Trees Near You helps you learn about nearly 500,000 trees that live on New York City sidewalks, and the environmental and monetary benefit of every species of any tree in any borough.  (You can’t fully access this app unless you’re in NYC, so just take my word on this one. It’ll make you notice every tree on your morning dog walk.)

Tagged as: Activism, Apps, Arts & Sciences, Awareness, Community organizing, Mobile, Technology