Neighbors, 

A couple weeks ago, we announced we'd be consolidating our network into one city wide network. So far I've accomplished the following:

1. Made the JP network the base network and changed the website address to NeighborsForNeighbors.org
2. Made it really easy for you to find what you are looking for on the front page with our new "Craigslist" style navigation. Thanks you to David K for the support and Guidance. 
3. Created forum categories for each neighborhood to facilitate neighborhood focused communication.
4. Renamed the Blog Post feature on the main to "Featured NFN, Partner, and Member Citywide Blog Posts"
5. Added the Crime Reports page so you can quickly and easy see what crime has been reported in your neighborhood.

Here is what we have left to do and need your help to accomplish:

• Audit and purge groups with no activity. Any group that is not a core Neighbors for Neighbors organizing group or group with recent comments or discussions in the past three months will be deleted. Any group that is dormant for three months following with be deleted. Use it or lose it (we mean this nicely of couse).
• Create how-to documents to explain how to use features and effectively communication and engageCreate a guide and support those of you wishing to organize events to bring your neighbors together in person to facilitate connection

• We need help greeting new members
• We need seasoned graphic designers to help us create the design for the new main page
• We need technical writers to help us create the how-to documentation
• We need to you participate by contributing, commenting, liking content and inviting everyone you know 
• We need a volunteer coordinator - will the awesomest neighbor ever please stand up....

Adjusted Timeline:

• Build new navigation and create new neighborhood forum categories by Sunday April 3 - DONE
• Recruit, build, test, and launch new main page design and navigation by Sunday April 18 - DONE
• Recruit, oriente, and begin working with new greeters and writers by Sunday April 18 - IN PROGRESS
• Notify, shut down, and invite all members from other networks to join by Sunday April 18 - IN PROGRESS
• Enrole and register citywide agencies non-profits, and groups, to beging participating through 2011

If you missed my orignal post about the why we are consolidating networks, please see below:

Dear neighbors, we've been working on this plan for the last 8 months and I'm pumped and relieved to finally be sharing it with you. Here goes...

Why we are consolidating our 18 neighborhood social networks:

• We can't afford to continue operating all our networks 
• We don't have the capacity to manage them
• Patch is doing a great job fulfilling the need we once served. Go Patch!
• Our partners, like BPD, CityHall, SoJust.org, SoChange.com, and other citywide non-profits and groups don't want to have to post to 18 networks to get the word out
• We are spread thin and want to focus our energy
• There is no citywide network connecting and making collaboration possibile between we the neighbors and those who serve us. This is the need we are choosing to meet next. Imagine what can achieve and contribute as city and not just a neighborhood. Note, everything you can do now will still be possible, but with different features -> the main focus will be on Neighborhood Forums.