The Alaska Community Foundation has embarked on a project to help people find out how they can strengthen our community through philanthropy. Through our partnership with Alaska Public Telecommunications Inc. (APTI), we are combining the best news and information service with the best philanthropic organization to form Town Square 49. Using social media, hyper local bloggers and a virtual community think tank, our partnership will expand the way our community members think about and support local non-profits.
The project is called Town Square 49 and is funded by a challenge grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation with significant support from the Rasmuson Foundation.
TS49 (for short) will function as a virtual town square with content designed to encourage broad participation by Alaska residents. More than that, the website will be the portal by which people in Alaska’s non-profit community will report on their work, the needs they see and the Alaskans they serve.
The project will pull together currently silo-bound information streams so that Alaskans will be able to easily discover what’s going on in the community. The ACF/APTI partnership will work with Alaskan institutions in the sciences, arts, culture, Alaska Native organizations, and other fields of interest to create thematic online think tanks. Along with current events and community-generated content, these themed areas will provide richer dialogue, information, social media, and event information. The website will add to the existing suite of media offerings by APTI and will include Alaska-specific public affairs content about current events in Anchorage and the rest of the state.
Through TS49, the public will more easily participate in our shared community conversation around a variety of topics and issues. This on-line think tank will bring a diverse news ecosystem together and engage citizen-generated information and fact checked news. The public will have a better understanding of the issues with which the state is grappling, resulting in more thoughtful voters and more watchful citizenry.
If you would like to have a hand in developing our community conversation, click on our link and request to become a community content partner. We will ask you to make a commitment for whatever length of time you wish.
Join us in creating an innovative, immediate, and ground-breaking method of community involvement.
The Alaska Community Foundation partners with donors and communities to improve the quality of life for all.
Their website is www.alaskacf.org
