A Collaborative Online Platform for Public Benefit Groups
Every day people are making our world better.
These Are Their Stories.
Vision: To build a better world on the foundation of strong communities and demonstrate we are meant for more.
Mission: To increase support for and participation in our local community public benefit groups.
Strategy: Tell, behind the scenes, human interest stories. Tell the stories that highlight the benefit people gain from their participation. Contrary to much of current news and social media we will disavow attention seeking stories. The best description of the type of stories we propose is by example. Those examples are being developed and a first few can be found here.
Tactics:
- Create an online platform hosting community stories with interfaces to social media platforms.
- Solicit stories from formal non-profits, informal groups, businesses, churches, government, schools, and individuals.
- Drive Traffic to the Community Stories Web Site and its Social Media links.
- Notify group members when a story is submitted from someone in their group.
- Distribute business size cards at events of participating groups. Try different types of content to see what works best.
- Enable easy interaction with stories through likes, dislikes, comments, and follow buttons.
- Make a pin of each story and push to Pinterest.
- Push videos to the Star Bright Community channels for TikTok and YouTube.
- Create a weekly top ten list of the most read and most liked stories. Make a podcast of this. Make a video of this and push to YouTube and LinkedIn.
- Incorporate sharing buttons for users to share their favorite stories on social media.
Notes Regarding Posting of a Story:
- Accept stories in various formats, including text, PDF, images, audio, video, and group discussions.
- Initially story postings will go through a manual moderation process. Future releases may provide for direct user postings.
Notes Regarding User-Generated Material: Users can respond to stories with likes, dislikes, ratings, and comments in the first release of the Platform. Following individuals or organizations will be considered for future releases.
Building Community Through Stories: For 60,000 years our ancestors gathered around the campfire at night for protection, for heat, to cook their food, and to tell stories. We have been hooked on stories ever since. Drawing inspiration from this 60,000-year-old tradition, Star Bright Community Stories aims to be a digital campfire, where storytelling unite people. It’s a space to share, learn, and celebrate positive contributions shaping our communities.
A List of Story Types: Explore various story types, including human interest stories, testimonials, collaboration, innovation, help wanted, seeking collaboration, call to action, success stories, volunteer experiences, global impact, and more, creating a rich tapestry of community experiences.
Next Steps:
- Continue to collect opinions, suggestions, and recommendations.
- Write a demonstration prototype.
- Seek out a small set of sample stories and place them on the prototype.
- Ask individuals to review the prototype.
- Implement changes per review.
- Develop plans to insure sustainability.
- Seek out additional stories for a first release set of stories.
- Go live.
About the Name “Star Bright Community Stories“: The name is meant to convey positivity, hope, and a sense of community illumination. “Star Bright” suggests vibrant, shining communities that stand out, emphasizing inclusivity and a shared sense of belonging. The name is memorable, versatile, and aligns with the initiative’s goal of creating something collectively beautiful. A URL with this name is available. The name is, however, open to suggestions.
Acknowledgments: This proposal is enriched by the suggestions and recommendations of individuals who have contributed to its substance. Their insights and support are invaluable in shaping the vision of Star Bright Community Stories. I am remiss in not tracking who suggested what.
Contact: Wayne Angel, wayne@complexs.com, 530 521 5006