Organizations building movements for democracy, justice, equality, and peace are made stronger by the communities of people who join and support them.
Protecting those communities is a vital part of an organizational commitment.
Many of the platforms and tools progressive organizations and groups use to build and execute civic action campaigns were built thoughtfully.
Nevertheless, the leading platforms have since been acquired by private equity, and private equity answers to investor returns, not data privacy.
https://theintercept.com/2022/05/10/democrats-campaign-tech-ngp-van-apax/
The non-profit I’ve founded, Civic Works is designed to stay in civic hands, so the mission, technology, and data cannot be acquired and subverted by bad actors.
We’ve built Action Engine from civ.works so organizers execute their events and action campaigns while protecting their constituents and registration data at the same time.
I’m personally grateful for all of my subscribers, followers, and advocates of Civic Works. With your donations you continue to help us develop long-term civic infrastructure to rebuild and strengthen the pillars of a meaningful democracy: An informed, educated, and engaged society.
You can learn more about our core projects at: https://civ.works/projects
I’m incredibly grateful for all who contribute to the civ.works effort through our secure payment processor, Stripe, and all who help us gain visibility by sharing the project with journalists, academics, and others to move the effort forward.
If you find this article of value, please do share with friends, associates, & others who have an interest in the content.
Please note that my articles and subscriptions are not paywalled. This stems from a guiding principle -that any meaningful democracy requires an informed, educated, and engaged society. It is also to honor the life of Aaron Swartz.
Aaron held firmly to the belief that research and knowledge intended for the betterment of humanity should be freely shared.
If the problem is extraction, then the response must be construction.
I am building Civic Works and its core platform, civ.works, as a direct alternative to the systems that have captured our data, our attention, and our civic life. This is a 501(c)(3) effort to create infrastructure that serves the public, not exploits it.
The goal is simple and necessary. A subscriber-supported, ad-free civic network where people can access trusted information, engage constructively, and take meaningful action without being tracked, manipulated, or sold.
No ads. No data harvesting. No hidden incentives.
Just people, information, and the tools to participate in a functioning democracy.
This kind of infrastructure will not be built by the same forces that benefit from the current system. It has to be built by us.
That is why we are asking for direct public support.
If this work resonates with you, I am asking you to make a simple commitment. Visit the pledge page and commit to supporting civ.works at launch. A small monthly contribution, combined across thousands of people, creates the independence required to build this platform without compromise.
https://civ.works/pledge/pledge.html
This is not just about funding a project. It is about proving that a different model is possible. One where civic infrastructure is accountable to the people who use it, not the interests that seek to exploit it.
If you believe the current system is failing, this is one way to begin rebuilding it.
And if you cannot contribute financially, sharing this effort with others is just as important.
The system we have was built deliberately.
What comes next can be built the same way.
Aside from writing, mentoring others, and projects related to democracy, economics, and social innovation, I’m dedicated to Civic Works, a 501c3 non-profit organization building and managing technology that blends social networking and civic engagement. Our core effort is around civ.works. When complete, it will be a subscriber-supported, ad-free social network that does not betray subscriber trust by selling or sharing data with marketers or sinister political operatives.
I’m incredibly grateful for all who contribute to the civ.works effort through our secure payment processor, Stripe, and all who help us gain visibility by sharing the project with journalists and others to move the effort forward.
Special appreciation for all who continue to recommend my rants and musings, restack articles that are found to be worthy, and share with friends and family. And the following are some special recommendations for stacks I value -
Liz Oyer, Former DOJ Pardon Attorney
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