Woven, an Oklahoma City-based organization that provides legal and financial education and services to the national gay and lesbian community, is looking to expand its reach. Right now, it is currently running a Kickstarter campaign to fund the creation of a smartphone app that accesses a national directory of LGBT-friendly businesses across several industries, including health and wellness, real estate, event planning, retail and more.
Woven’s newly appointed president, Allison Cofer, believes that this app will fill a market need in the LGBT community.
“I know that there’s a great word-of-mouth in the community for business services and professionals,” she said. “I think that something like this nationwide, there’s a definite need for it, and it’s something that’s affordable.”
Woven’s goal through this Kickstarter campaign is to raise $15,000 for the development and release of the app by next spring. According to the campaign, “[the app] will utilize the user’s GPS information and provide a map showing the nearest businesses or service providers of a selected category. Then the user will be able to contact his or her selected business or service provider.”
Cofer said that user feedback will also be a major component of the app.
“We talked about that, and we absolutely will have an area for feedback,” she said. “We have a group of people right now that are on the Woven board who will go through some sort of judgment on what qualifies as ‘Woven appropriate’ and who we want to represent us and who we want to be a Woven provider or business. So if [a business] does continuously get negative feedback, then we’ll not be continuing to work with them.”
Cover said the perks of donating to the Kickstarter range from a listing on the app’s credits to a chance to meet the Woven development team next spring.
“For one dollar or more, you have our sincerest gratitude,” Cofer said. “For $5 or more, you’ll be listed on the credits for the app. [For] $10 or more, you get listed on the credits for the app and you receive a set of Woven stickers.”
For those who donate $50 and higher, the rewards get sweeter: a package of Woven “swag,” including a T-shirt and a thank-you note; $500 gets you personal updates on the app’s development; and for two donors, $1,000 will get them a “backstage pass” to the launch party at Woven’s office in OKC.
But the app is not all that Woven is focused on.
“Our goal is to have a network that reaches all 50 states, with a growing collection of LGBT-friendly services and businesses that cater to that community,” Cofer said. “So I think it will take a little time to establish that and get our word out there.”
Donors have until Nov. 19 to contribute to Woven’s $15,000 goal. Find out more at kickstarter.com.
Print headline: Network of friends, An OKC organization needs donations to create an app mapping a nationwide network of LGBT-friendly businesses.
