1. Nextdoor
Nextdoor is one of the best known apps for connecting with your neighbors and your local community at large. The Nextdoor app allows you to meet the people that live around you and potentially make new friends in the process. However, it also acts as a kind of online neighborhood hub. Nextdoor can be used by members of your local community to post a wide variety of things. Neighbors can share crime and safety tips and buy and sell household goods. They can also share recommend restaurants, local event information, and recommendations for professional services, such as plumbers, CPAs and babysitters. Users of the Nextdoor app use their real names and have their address verified. This allows residents to communicate with each other in a secure environment. As such, only verified residents of a community can access each hub. Users know they are always communicating with a legitimate member of their local community. In addition, virtually all members of the community can access the service. Nextdoor can be used via the web and also on apps for Android and iOS.
2. Mycoop
Mycoop is designed for people who live in multi-unit buildings, such as apartment complexes. The main goal of Mycoop is to easily connect residents with building management. Mycoop acts as a communication hub for building managers and their residents. It enables managers to quickly notify residents about upcoming maintenance or other issues. Conversely, it allows residents to easily contact building supervisors to ensure things such as repairs and other maintenance issues are done in a timely manner. Users of Mycoop have the ability to submit tickets and track their progress, eliminating the need for endless rounds of phone tag. In addition to providing a solution for seamless communication between residents and management, Mycoop can also be used to keep important documents a button-click away. These include things like rental agreements, contracts, meeting notes, and legal documents. Furthermore, Mycoop can be used to build a community among residents. Anyone can use Mycoop to create and publicize events, get-togethers, parties and more to foster a more welcoming environment for residents. Mycoop is free to use in one building with some limitations. If you’re a building manager and own multiple properties, the unlimited plan will run you $40 per month, per building.
3. OLIO
The founders of Olio consider food waste to be one of the biggest problems facing mankind. It is estimated that the value of wasted food worldwide every year is somewhere around the $1 trillion mark. Food waste is a big failure of market inefficiency. Olio hopes to change that. It helps connect neighbors and businesses with one another so that food surplus can be shared as opposed to thrown out. Local stores can post food near it’s sell-by-date. Individuals can post home-grown veggies or even the contents of their fridge if they’re going on a vacation. The Olio app is available for both Android and iOS. Using the app is simple. To post an item, simply open the app, take a picture and provide a description along with pickup information. To access available items, simply send a private message to arrange a pickup time. Furthermore, because Olio simply acts as a hub for people in different localities, it can be used anywhere in the world. Olio has been used in over 32 different countries to date. Unfortunately, Olio’s app navigation is currently only available in English and Spanish. That being said, messaging can be done in native languages.
4. IOBY
Many people have great ideas of how to improve their neighborhoods, but they don’t know how to get their ideas off the ground. This is where IOBY comes in. IOBY stands for “in our backyards.” It is a crowdfunding site that is geared toward civic participation within local communities. IOBY can be used to create a plan to get ideas off the ground, from raising money to finding volunteers. The IOBY website can be used to create a page dedicated to your project. This makes it easy for donors to learn about your cause, give tax deductible donations and sign up to volunteer. That being said, IOBY isn’t just another crowdfunding site. Instead, IOBY’s team works with organizers and provides them with support. They help create step-by-step plans to maximize community engagement and funding. Furthermore, the folks at IOBY can connect organizers with experts in infrastructure, communications, community organizing and more to help implement those plans. IOBY is a great way to help local communities plan projects and raise the resources necessary to enact change. If you have a bunch of stuff you want to sell locally, try these apps. What tools do you use to connect with your neighborhood? Have you tried any of the apps above? Let us know what you think in the comments!
