In late March, as governments responded to the spread of COVID with strict quarantine & isolation orders, a surge in need happened. People all over the world realized that they would need to rely on friends, families, and neighbours to see them through. Inevitably, many people were forced to turn to strangers for help.

It was heartwarming to see the outpouring of offers to help here in Canada. Volunteers reached out and offered to pickup and deliver essentials to people who couldn't leave their homes.

Most people have a Facebook account, and most of them were familiar with how Facebook groups work. So, it made sense that groups quickly formed to help fill the void in support for those experiencing urgent need.

The problem is that Facebook is a very public space. Our highly personal accounts are linked to our friends, family, and acquaintances. And Facebook's engagement-promoting algorithms advertise our activities to our 'friends'. Furthermore, asking for help is a vulnerable activity. A person has to admit that they're alone with nobody else to help them.

That's why Purposely quickly worked in partnership with local nonprofits to re-tool our site into a mutual aid network that allows for anonymity, secure chats, and ease of matching. Yet, we sometimes get asked, why? When Facebook groups exist, why bother offering a mutual aid platform?

So, here you go: the simple yet very important reasons why Purposely is much better than Facebook for mutual aid.

Purposely has a whack of features that Facebook doesn't

A map view!

Purposely's map view lets you quickly find the closest volunteers or folks in need near you. It's anonymized (we generalize the area) for safety, but it let's you narrow your focus.

Having a map view totally streamlines your experience. Instead of waiting for an admin to manually match you, or sifting through posts to find nearby volunteers or people in need, the power is in your hands. Getting help from neighbours or offering your help to someone local is much easier on Purposely!

Filters and Sorting

A filterable list that's sorted by location and date posted. See the stuff that's relevant! Facebook groups only have simple search functions, forcing group admins to create hashtag codes which don't work if people don't use them, or misspell a word.

Mostly, Facebook groups are a long list of posts sorted by date posted, which is rarely the most relevant detail, and it buries older posts, which means a person in need who has been waiting for a few days might get forgotten and ignored.

Auto-matching notifications

In-app notifications and automated emails alert you when a nearby person posts who matches your criteria. For example, if you posted an offer to pickup & deliver groceries, we'll tell you when someone nearby posts because they need someone to pickup & delivery groceries to them. No need to keep coming back and checking.

For those in-need, this feature is important because no matter how well-intentioned, volunteers get busy and forget to check. By notifying relevant potential volunteers near you, we set you up for success!

You can use Purposely without a Facebook account

Using Facebook to get help is actually a pretty high barrier if you don't already have an account. And well-intentioned Facebook Group admins may even block you if your account looks new & unused. Purposely's account creation is super frictionless and non-invasive.

Organizations can use Purposely, too

Facebook groups are very minimal. Purposely isn't. We have feature-rich tools for organizations to intake, vet, and manage volunteers & recipients, so they can run their operations right in Purposely. That gives recipients more opportunities to get the help they need, and gives volunteers more outlets to show their love and generosity for their neighbours.

Organizations bring a number of great benefits to volunteers and those in need:

Organizations can use Purposely on your behalf

Organizations can use Purposely to act on behalf of folks in need. Facebook is tough for people who don't have, or struggle to use, the requisite technology. For seniors and others in need, an organization that's signed up on Purposely can create and manage posts on their behalf.

Vetted Volunteers

Trust is important. Sometimes during desperate times, we reach out to our neighbours. And most neighbours are wonderful people who you can trust. But, there are a few problematic folks out there.

As mentioned above, organizations are on Purposely and vetting volunteers. That means most "offerers" on Purposely are vetted, trustworthy volunteers! You can clearly see when a volunteer has been vetted by an organization because they'll have that organization's banner on their 'offer' post.

Vetted Recipients

As above, you want to know that the person asking for help really needs it, and isn't trying to take advantage of your generosity. I know that the number of people 'scamming' during COVID is microscopic, even on Facebook, but it's nice to build trust, and that's what recipient vetting does.

Many people in need on Purposely have been vetted by an organization, and that proportion is rapidly growing as more organizations sign up.

What Facebook does have, Purposely does better

It helps to be purpose-made for mutual aid, and that's what Purposely is.

It's free!

Facebook is free to use, but there's a cost - you give your data away (more on that below). Purposely is free, and there's no cost. We're just trying to do our part to help out during this crisis.

Built-in Messenger

Purposely has a built-in chat feature that allows people using the site to easily and securely communicate. They can discuss their needs and offers, and ensure they feel comfortable before exchanging any personal information. Try doing that on Facebook, where your profile is on display, and the Messenger app is installed on your phone.

Privacy

Purposely is a local Canadian social enterprise with rigorous data privacy standards, so you're not sharing sensitive information about your grocery needs or travel habits with a US multi-national conglomerate that will sell it to the highest bidder.

Advertiser-Free

No prying eyes, no tracked activity, no selling of data. Purposely is made for COVID relief; Facebook is made for advertisers. Nobody is looking to make a buck off you on Purposely, whereas making a buck off you by selling your data to advertisers is Facebook's raison d'etre. We believe that community spaces should be designed for community, not advertisers.

So there you have it! A bunch of simple, yet very important, reasons why we believe Purposely is hands-down a better place for people to offer and receive help during COVID.

You can sign up to post an ask or offer on Purposely at purposely.ca. If you work for a non-profit organization and you're interested in plugging into our network, you can reach out to Alex McGowan.