A Virtuous Community Cycle (VCC) combines actions of Virtue, measured in a Virtual online environment to build Community in a continuous Cycle. A VCC fosters mutual benefit, where each of the community stakeholders (Nonprofits, Businesses, Individuals) are helping each other out.

Please describe your innovation?

Aloha United Way will implement a social media powered engagement system called the Virtuous Community Cycle (VCC). VCC is implemented as an online system with connected to mobile device applications to better connect nonprofits, individuals and businesses for mutual benefits, familiarity and trust building. Benefits: Nonprofits – recognize retail business donors/partners. Motivate more contributions at higher levels. Businesses – receive ongoing, tangible recognition through check ins for contributions they make to nonprofits. Individuals – more actively help nonprofits on a daily basis through actions like check ins at partner businesses. Individuals also receive recognition and build reputation by earning Kokua Bank points through participation.

What is the problem or situation that your innovation seeks to address?

Scarce resources (Time, Money, Effort, Trust) are limiting adequate participation by businesses and individuals with nonprofits. It is essential to transition to a model that engages all demographics, especially younger individuals, that will meet current and future participation goals. The Virtuous Community Cycle will engage younger demographics to make an immediate impact that sets a foundation of trust, participation and giving into the future. Participants will be exposed to the good work of AUW and other nonprofits. Exposure will set the foundation of trust.

What effort have you made to test out your new idea?

Members of our team has worked closely with a student group called LEAF (Leaving Earth A Future). Using a manual version of the Virtuous Community Cycle, they were able to go from 0 to 20 restaurants in their No Styrofoam program . The effort required showing ecological and commercial benefit to businesses in order to use more costlier alternatives to Styrofoam. To show tangible benefit they organized “Lollapalooza Days” where individuals were encouraged to patronize a participating business. http://tinyurl.com/hopa1. Lollapaloozas were a success, but are difficult to organize, measure results on just one day and are executed infrequently. A new social media based system would be more effective at bringing measured benefits (individual check ins) to the business on an ongoing basis. Businesses agree that a social media driven model of VCC would be even more attractive to them. Businesses would then more motivated to participate in nonprofit programs.

What is particularly noteworthy or novel about your innovation?

We are not aware of this type of system in place anywhere else. The VCC concept was born and tested before current Social Media technologies (such as check ins) were widely adopted. Now, with billions of check ins by individuals, we believe the time is right to use this technology for good . We are implementing Social Media technologies from a Do Good perspective as the base priority, while integrating commercial drivers to make it a self sustaining program. For example, Team Coupon is a fundraising method for nonprofits operated by People Bridge (a for profit company). It uses the VCC concept to enlist businesses and individuals in Team Coupon. People Bridge will continue development and support of the VCC system for nonprofit use. Over 40 nonprofits have signed on to participate in Team Coupon.

What impact do you expect your innovation will have on the problem or situation described in the previous question?

Using LEAF as an example, the 20 participating businesses could easily grow to 40 with the Virtuous Community Cycle in place. The number of individuals willing and able to participate would also easily double. In addition, the measurement of participation would be automatically built into the system. The VCC will be applied to a wide range of nonprofits starting with Aloha United Way. We expect a strong positive impact that will vary depending on the particular nonprofit configuration, with many projects experiencing double participation, similar to LEAF. Using AUW as an example, a retail business that participates in “Small Business Big Heart” would make their stores become check in locations that award Kokua Bank points to individuals who check in there.

What other community partners will you need if your innovation is to scale beyond your organization?

This community partnership has 3 main groups: Nonprofits, Businesses and Individuals. Aloha United Way presently works with many members of each of those groups and will leverage those existing relationships to grow this program. People Bridge has also established relationships with dozens of nonprofits and businesses and thousands of individuals which will also be tapped for VCC.

Why are your organization, partners, and key personnel suited to take on this project?

This community partnership has 3 main groups: Nonprofits, Businesses and Individuals. Aloha United Way presently works with many members of each of those groups and will leverage those existing relationships to grow this program. People Bridge has also established relationships with dozens of nonprofits and businesses and thousands of individuals which will also be tapped for VCC.