Grant-seeker Benefits

No More Dependence On Grants and Subsidies
With the Dream Machine in a community, anything and everything becomes possible- for anyone. It's up to the individual. Once upon a time in the USA, any enterprising person could obtain a mule and a parcel of land; what he/she made of it depended on effort and determination. Today access to information empowers.

People of any age will be able to find an opportunity to fit their schedule: An opportunity to learn a new skill in the most time-efficient way-by doing; an opportunity to acquire a traditional education via a scholarship; an opportunity to earn any product or service for any purpose. The Dream Machine is an equalizer.

Wish Lists
An individual or grant-seeking organization may propose a reward that is not currently listed in the community Dream Machine and Matchmakers will search for a donor. Individuals and organizations may pool hours for a large community project. Before Another Way, organizations with a mission and individuals with a dream would have spent hours searching for a grant. Alternately they might have arranged a loan and worked at uninteresting meaningless tasks in order to pay the money back. The Dream Machine allows that time to be spent in tasks that further the goals of the individual and the community.

Community Currency
Hours are assigned to rewards posted on the Dream Machine's database. All hours are verified by the volunteers chosen non-profit organization. Matchmakers negotiate large items, such as scholarships and buildings with the donating individual, business, public agency or grant-making institution.

Orientation
Nonprofit organizations would be overwhelmed if they were flooded with volunteers. Another Way will establish a screening and training facility in every participating community. Each time a volunteer chooses to contribute energy to an organization for the first time, he/she must go through an orientation. The hours spent in orientation depend on the volunteer opportunity and are not counted towards oportunity rewards. This encourages volunteers to choose carefully and instills loyalty. It takes a lot of training time to flit from one organization to another.

Examples make it easier to understand:
Take Joe, age 15. He wants a washer and dryer for his mom. He goes to the Dream Machine at the public library where he has the option of looking in the index of the printed volume or using the computer. He decides to use the computer because he knows he will be searching for volunteer opportunities also---besides it's fun.

He connects by clicking on a portion of the rainbow featured on the top level of his Town's Dream Machine. His choices are NONPROFITS, VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES and OPPORTUNITY REWARDS. Joe clicks on OPPORTUNITY REWARDS, finds APPLIANCES, then WASHING MACHINES and finds selections which include photos and links to evaluations by Consumer Reports for each machine listed. Each machine has its price listed as volunteer hours. The prices range from 10 hours for some used machines, to 60 hours for top-of-the-line new machines. Joe settles on a 20-hour washer and by repeating the search, he comes up with a bargain 15-hour dryer. While he's at it, he decides to check out motorcycles. He locates a rad used one for 125 hours and just as he is about to quit, a smaller beat-up cycle, offered for only 15 hours, catches his eye. This one includes a mentor who is offering to work with someone who would like to learn how to repair and maintain cycles. What had been window shopping becomes a real possibility-in fact Joe finds that he is excited. Of course his mom comes first, but now he has something else to look forward to. He is energized!

He closes the OPPORTUNITY REWARDS and opens VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES. He's already decided he would like to help coach a soccer team or do something recreational outdoors. He searches first for RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES. He then chooses working with PEOPLE over THINGS and chooses from a menu offering OVER 50, 25-50, ALL AGES, JUST TEENS, ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, PRE-SCHOOL. After deciding on young children he chooses OUTDOORS rather than INSIDE and TRAIN rather than SUPERVISE. From a long list of sports he chooses SOCCER. He decides on LONG TERM when given TIME LINE options. He is hoping to find a position in the neighborhood, but decides to search for opportunities with and without TRANSPORTATION, just in case. He ends up with the names of ten organizations without transportation and two with. Joe purposely didn't go out for sports this semester so he would be available to volunteer most days. He was hoping Saturday games would be played in the afternoon because he helps his married sister every other Saturday morning. Unfortunately, nine opportunities are void because they require Saturday morning practices. Joe can meet the time and skills requirements for the three remaining options, so he decides to check out these organizations.

He closes the VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES and opens NONPROFITS. He searches by the name of the organization and quickly eliminates one option when he finds that SCOUTS, means Girl Scouts! He decides to pursue the Eagles over Lewis Elementary School when he finds that the Eagles are blind. He surprises himself with his quick decision. He knew right away that he would really feel good about helping blind kids. Besides, it would be a new and interesting experience. There was no transportation with this opportunity, but the location was close enough so he could ride his bike. The Eagles needed a coach apprentice for two hours Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons and three hours Saturday afternoons. It is a long term commitment covering four months. The opportunity could be filled by one person putting in nine hours a week or two or three people with a minimum commitment of time one day, amounting to two hours a week and an additional Saturday afternoon a month. Joe wants it all. By volunteering nine hours a week for four months he will accumulate 144 hours with the Eagles, a qualified nonprofit. He would have his mom's washer and dryer after the first month. He would have almost enough hours for his dream motorcycle, although he had just about decided in favor of the 15-hour cycle because of the learning opportunity that goes with it. He looks ahead to a rotation repairing cycles at the volunteer center. His older cousin had become a certified repairman during his rotation. That enabled him to find his current job. He intended to open his own shop in the future.

Joe didn't know what he would do with the extra hours he would accumulate-maybe give it to the Eagles for equipment or… He was looking forward to orientation. Possibilities were infinite! He knew he was somebody special.