People Helper.org

People Helper is a technology nonprofit that serves the community through PeopleHelper.org. The site is a mix between a social network (ie. MySpace, Facebook) and a project management tool dedicated to community service initially targeted at the high school/college demographic, which is composed of potential college applicants facing admission hurdles and undergraduate students who are seeking ways to improve their résumés for grad school/job market (see elevator pitch on PeopleHelper.org).

Mission: To create an online environment for institutions and individuals to organize, offer, and receive donations, services, and any other volunteer-based benefits on the premises of community improvement and social infrastructure.

Description:
Why Do We Exist?
There is a push for community service now with a new administration and an economically challenging environment, as evidenced by the recent spike in volunteer numbers as a result of the current economy and the bipartisan passing of the Kennedy Service Act in Congress. However, there’s not a dedicated online platform to support it. So, we will initially work at the high school and college stages to provide a valuable tool for educators to introduce what they call “service-based learning” in their schools in order to serve their communities. Our goal is to eventually open up the platform for non-students as soon as possible in order to reach volunteers of all ages and skills.

Who do we serve?
Volunteers can create their own service causes with friends and family or access service opportunities from which they can choose to contribute at any given time. This approach allows the concept of user-generated data to create tangible impact in the real world. All data related to causes gets recorded on the Helper Portfolio, which volunteers can use to showcase themselves in the college admissions process.

Colleges can finally skip the bias from reference letters written by applicants’ teachers and get to the real Helper Portfolio service data by comparing individuals against their peers on a dedicated interface.

Schools are given a full service-based learning software solution right from the moment they sign up. Administrative tools are in place to ensure student safety and teacher oversight over all operations.

Nonprofits can be easily setup within minutes to have an online presence at PeopleHelper.org and start conducting awareness campaigns and connect with users who created causes that are aligned with their missions.

Businesses have a chance to provide true social responsibility through sponsorships of service causes being executed in their neighborhoods by working with People Partners, our marketing agency focused on delivering profitable returns to customers from Corporate Social Responsibility marketing campaigns.

Parents are given a proper interface to monitor their children’s activities on PeopleHelper.org while maintaining a sense of privacy for our users.



Our Vision

• Humans are cool! – Besides what the media would have us think, there are actually good people in the planet doing great things in all aspects of society. Can you quickly think of a central place on the web where their accomplishments are showcased for the world to support and jump in to help? Nope. That’s why we’re in business: to become a household name for society to look up great work, to serve in the benefit of others, to take ownership of its challenges and accomplishments. Human beings are cool; PeopleHelper.org will be their voice for optimism and collaboration on building a better world.
  
  
• Boredom here we come – We have a special heart for education, so we imagine a system that considers personal growth, motivation and curiosity the true measures of success. Does this mean that academic achievement is secondary? Absolutely not, but we do think that education goes far beyond the quantifiable markers we have in place today. We believe that boredom is as serious a threat to a student’s confidence, curiosity and self-reliance as an “F” on a test. Individuals have different interests, so flexibility and customization are the true foundations of effective learning. We work with our member schools to provide students with a full range of service-based learning opportunities that they can create or choose from independently at anytime.
  
  
• Power to the people – Why do people ignore the call from those in need? Answer: Context. We’re handing the decision-making power right down to the edge of our network: the user. People disconnect from a message because they figure “some talking head up in headquarters is calling all the shots from the get go, so why should I bother?” We combat this indifference by bringing the power to create, organize and execute change right to your home. In partnership with local nonprofits, individuals can independently improve their communities through PeopleHelper.org.
  
  
• Profit is King – Volunteers are expected to simply give without receiving anything in return except for a good feeling in their hearts. Why? Sure, volunteers are not paid to work, but why aren’t they credited for the success of the nonprofits they serve? “Profit” isn’t just strictly capital gain; resumes, recommendations, networking, etc. count too. In the same spirit that we give away power of change to the users, we also credit them for all activities in our network through the Helper Portfolio. This interactive record of service contributions allows our users to use their volunteer experience as a tool to market themselves in the admissions process and out in the job market. A personal commitment to one’s self-promotion runs parallel to a devotion to service in this model and all sides win!
  
  

Conclusion
The concept of “charity” needs to be revisited from the perspective of the volunteer. Pity and focus on our shortcomings only extends the existence of our problems. It is time for society, starting with the youth, to see that individuals do have the ability to cause drastic change in unison. It is obvious that institutions are realizing this change from warm-hearted giving to social investment, but the same process of taking responsibility for our own problems as citizens is essential to the success of this new paradigm. We must shift our perception of charity work as a trivial task to the idea that there is immense potential economic growth in the process. It is by giving enough credit, power and rewards to the individuals who are performing this type of work that we can insert momentum in this movement.
The field of community service is long due for a dramatic revolution; People Helper is the company that can bring about that kind of change to institutions and individuals alike by harnessing the power of the social Web for good.

Learn More

Our goal is to create a culture of service through technology, relevance and economic participation. Visit www.PeopleHelper.org to find out more about our services and get signed up for e-mail updates.

History:
People Helper is a young organization originated in September of 2008. Its founders come from staff and student positions at Harvard University IT, Suffolk University and the Mass Dept of Education.

Our Board and advisors come from the ranks of Harvard University, Salem Five Bank, Boston University, City Year, Mass Innovation and Technology Exchange, etc.

Contact people:

Marco Moreira, Chief Executive Officer, (phone), (email) Aun Em, Chief Operating Officer, (phone), (email) Patrick Coelho, Chief Financial Officer, (phone), (email)

Address:

1410 Columbia Rd Suite 6E Boston, MA 02127 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.peoplehelper.org

Directions:

6. Take I-93 to exit 14 and merge onto MA-3A/Morrissey Blvd/William T Morrissey Blvd - 1.6 mi 7. At Columbia Circle/Kosciuszko Circle, take the 2nd exit onto Columbia Rd/MA-3A - 0.5 mi 8. At Columbia Rd Rotary/Old Colony Ave, take the 1st exit onto Columbia Rd -. . . (more)   Nearest Metro/Subway Stop: Andrew - Red Line,   Walk distance (in minutes): 10 For maps or information, please see http://www.mbta.com/schedmaps/index.cfm

Last updated on April 15, 2009