About Us
HOPE+ is a global action center…with connections. You can use your social network to volunteer with your friends, support organizations and projects around the world, or start your own – all on HOPE+.
Hope + Action = Change
HOPE+ is about action. We want you to get involved with a project, start a project, volunteer, develop new ideas and do something. Some other sites focus on giving money; we focus on action.
We are independent – a non-profit organization supported by many, but independent of any government, business, religion, political party or other organization. The idea for HOPE+ was born among a group of global and grassroots leaders in media, technology and government at the Aspen Institute’s August 2008 Forum on Communications and Society conference. The Aspen Institute offered to incubate the project and PoliticsOnline agreed to lead the day-to-day development. It took off from there. See the Partners and Friends section for more details.
We are new – launched at the end of 2009, HOPE+ is now in 'beta' stage that we expect to last at least a year. HOPE+ is a big idea and there is a lot figure out. During this beta stage, we will be operating at a low traffic level as we experiment with different ideas, projects, and strategies. Once we have answered some of the many questions and have proven some models, then we will be ready to ramp up with global-scale traffic and users.
Like countless others in the US and around the world, the founders of HOPE+ were inspired by Barack Obama and his call to service and to engage the problems of the wider world. His campaign showed the enormous new potential to use the internet and new technologies to engage people and empower them to take action and make change happen.
Thus, HOPE+ is its Founders and Friends response to Obama’s call to global service.
About YOU
The most important part of HOPE+ is YOU.
HOPE+ is all about giving YOU and millions of others like YOU a way to change the world. We want your ideas and suggestions. We want to know what inspires YOU. Ultimately, we want to use HOPE+ to help turn your hopes and dreams into real change on the ground. We need your help to build it and make it happen. Everyone has a role to play. While we will always be independent, we need everyone’s ideas and help – individuals, non-profit groups, businesses, community organizations and governments. So join us, and ask your friends to get involved too.
Over the next few months, we will be developing and expanding HOPE+. We’ll be adding new features and showing you specific new projects and ways that you can help make life better for millions of people around the world.
We want your ideas and suggestions.
Tell us what inspires you. How can we use HOPE+ to help turn your hopes and dreams into a reality on the ground?
We know that to succeed, HOPE+ must be about what you want it to be. We need your help to build it and make it happen. Take our Survey, join Discussions and Blog – what do you think?
HOPE+ can be something very special. Being part of HOPE+ makes you very special too. And, this is just the beginning...
Join us – and let’s go change the world.
Jody Powell was an early, enthusiastic supporter of HOPE+ who tragically died before the site was officially launched. His insights, commitment, and sharp wit will be greatly missed. Jody was a founder of Powell Tate, and a former Press Secretary for President Jimmy Carter.