Update for the DonateNow Mashup Challenge:

We are building a networking tool that uses a recommender system (similar to netflix.com or amazon.com) to help individuals and organizations understand which opportunities they are most likely to find interesting.

Communicating and collaborating online is no longer as simple as connecting with more people; the Internet is far too large and information overload can be as uninspiring as silence. Our solution is targeted information. When nonprofits use Squarepeg to build relationships and ask for donations, our recommender system will help them focus on individuals that are most likely to be inspired by their work. Individuals who use Squarepeg to find opportunities and organize people will have a more enjoyable user experience because we will mashup recommender data and social data, and filter out information that individuals are unlikely to act upon.

Utility: Squarepeg’s social networking features facilitate many tasks that are of daily concern for engaged individuals and organizations: finding or disseminating relevant opportunities, maintaining or building new relationships, and organizing and promoting events in a decentralized environment. We are quite ambitious about integrating online communication with tasks that occur offline, but Squarepeg’s recommender system is our most unique utility. A critical characteristic of this recommender system is that it is seamlessly integrated with social communication tools that will aid individuals and organizations in their everyday tasks. As a result, users will benefit from the efficiency and precision of this recommender system without significantly increasing their workload.

User Experience: Squarepeg cares deeply about removing noise, so that attractive opportunities for social change (such as donating to a particular campaign or initiative) are easier to find and are more actionable. Our commitment to targeted information, rather than just MORE information, is central to our theory of change. It also will have a huge impact on user experience. In addition to developing a user interface that is as simple, sensible, and as engaging as possible, our social action recommender system will help users identify and accomplish their online goals without sorting through loads and loads of information that they do not find interesting. Check out our progress: www.squarepegged.org