What is Mobilize?
Mobilize is an online communications platform offering Seattle Good Business Network communities and members the opportunity to share their knowledge, ask questions, participate in discussions, and stay updated on events and opportunities.
Why Mobilize?
Since 2010, Seattle Good Business Network has been connecting local communities to each other and the resources they need to thrive. Through Mobilize, Seattle Good Business Network and its members can share sales, networking, and educational opportunities. Members have also found Mobilize helpful in facilitating B2B partnerships and more.
Not just a mailing list!
Mobilize is a unique platform that allows businesses and community members to connect with each other, send direct messages to facilitate new partnerships or ask for support, and stay up to date with resources, events, and other information.
Some members may select to only engage with Mobilize through email but we highly encourage you to also check out the online platform.
The online platform allows for you to do a few unique things including:
Search past conversation threads
Let’s say you are looking to hire a new bookkeeper. The online platform allows you to search all the past conversations that include the keyword bookkeeper so you can review recommendations from members.
Connect directly with other members
The platform has a directory of other members and their affiliations. Let’s say you are looking to secure sales at a local store and you know other members are already vending at this store. You can reach out and ask for advice on how best to connect to the store buyer. You inclusion as a member offers you the opportunity to ask for support and insight from others who also have a strong desire to see local businesses and organizations thrive!
Any of your teammates can be added to your community group. Reach out to gro.doogelttaes@asil to request.
Mobilize Communities
Seattle Good Business Network is the umbrella nonprofit that houses six different programs – that work to our greater mission of connecting and inspiring people to buy, produce, and invest locally so that everyone has a meaningful stake in the local economy. Learn more about our programming here.
We operate one mobilize community for every program we have to make sure content shared is relevant to our respective program areas. Businesses – depending on eligibility – are able to be a part of more than one of our programming.
All members of Northwest Sewn, Seattle Made, and Seattle Good are additionally conjoined into a “Master” Mobilize community that allows our team to streamline our communications with members to help reduce duplication of posts across these communities.
With this new Seattle Good Business Directory, we’ve come full circle, reimagining Think Local Seattle and leveling up to recognize and celebrate all the GOOD local businesses and organizations do for our neighborhoods, our city, and our region. It’s part of a larger initiative to not only recognize stewardship of people and place, but to also help businesses and organizations with the resources they need to further their good practices. Stay tuned for updates as we build out our Good Business Center!
Seattle Made is a collaboration of over 600 urban producers and manufacturers working together to find and share the resources they need to ‘make it’ in Seattle! If you make a physical product in Seattle join us!
Mobilize is one of the ways we connect Seattle Made members to each other and to the resources they need to ‘make it’ in Seattle.
Good Food Forum is an online community aligned with the mission of King County’s Local Food Initiative to build a stronger farm/sea-to-plate pipeline by connecting stakeholders across our regional food system in order to build a more sustainable, resilient, and just local food economy.
Northwest Sewn (previously Seattle Sewn) is an initiative to grow and support a vibrant sewn-trades economy, creating the conditions for job creation and meaningful employment, increased local manufacturing capacity, and industry collaboration.
The CCLIA Forum expands and supports quality, emergent career and experiential learning pathways (internships, mentorships, and career-exposure opportunities) for underfunded and under-resourced youth by convening stakeholders dedicated to interagency collaboration, and knowledge and resource sharing.
Youth United is part of Seattle Good’s Youth Program and is a state-wide communications hub for local youth and young adults looking to connect with each other to find career and learning opportunities, ask career-related questions, share resources and events, and more!
Quick Links for Using Mobilize
Login Here
Can’t remember which email you used to sign up? Email gro.doogelttaes@asil to get your invitation resent to you so you can reset your password!
Update your notification settings
You can set how you would like to receive email notifications.
Instantly: Get notified each time a member posts & comments in the group
Daily: Receive a daily digest with all member posts & comments
Never: Mute all email notifications (please only select this option if you intend to regularly access the online platform.)
Member FAQs
A member’s guide to Mobilize
How to access your groups
How to update your profile
And more!
Mobile Help Center – enable Mobilize on your phone!
How to optimize your time in the “lounge” (aka, the feed online where you can post discussions, questions, and materials to the entire community!
Member Expectations
While each community will have slightly varying engagement expectations, to help maintain the community and be up to date with member benefits, current program offerings, and more, we ask that members of all communities:
- Login and update your password so you can easily access the web platform
- Update your profile information so other community members know who you are
- Respect each community’s guidelines (similar to the below)
- Refrain from unsubscribing form community notifications – while you can update your notifications frequency from any community by logging in, we ask that each member refrain from completely unsubscribing from emails.
These platforms are the primary medium our teams use to communicate important updates, notifications, events, and more. By unsubscribing, you are ultimately removing yourself from prospective partnerships, opportunities, and more. (One example that comes to mind when we see members lose the advantages of being ‘in the know’, is when we reopened our Seattle Made Airport store applications and folks who had been waiting for so long to get their products in the store missed the announcement! If you have questions on notification frequency, please reach out!
Community Guidelines
While each community has slightly different community guidelines, Seattle Good Business Network holds a few of the fundamental community guidelines across all groups:
No requests for donations or fundraising. We understand that everyone has a cause close to their heart; however, our Mobilize platform is a place for collaborations and support, not solicitations.
No advertisements or solicitations for paid services not related to your business. If you have an offer or side gig that you believe is genuinely of value to our members, check with us before posting.
Sales or discount offers for your business. These are allowed ONLY if they’re part of an event (e.g., “Join us on Saturday to celebrate the launch of our new production facility! Receive 20% off any purchase at the event.”)
No broad requests for wholesale accounts. If you are interested in submitting to a member’s brick and mortar venue, please request information regarding their submission process directly from the member and follow their guidelines.
No requests for protected copyright materials.
No requests to complete surveys. As an organization, we regularly send out surveys to gauge member needs, etc., so we can always roll questions into a survey and share the feedback. Just reach out, and we can discuss it!
Information from Mobilize posts should not be shared with the press! (A recent example, we shared on Mobilize that a retail space on Capitol Hill was coming available – and shortly after that, two local publications quoted ‘an email from Seattle Made’ as their source for announcing that a well-established business was looking to let go of their space. We received some negative feedback from our source. We hope it’s evident that this sort of thing will not engender trust with our community and civic partners who choose to share information with us.)
Use of profane or defamatory language, bullying, harassment or communication discriminatory in nature. In the interest of fostering an open, welcoming, and encouraging environment, help us provide an environment free from discrimination and harassment for everyone, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, nationality, sexual identity and orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, body size, age, level of experience, veteran status, or personal appearance. Please refrain from using profane or defamatory language, including negative posts or comments about other people, businesses, or organizations. Be careful in the words that you choose. Be kind to others.
If you feel that a post is not appropriate or needs review, please report it to a Group Manager. The Group Manager reserves the right to delete any post in violation of these guidelines, and violators may be subject to removal from the community.
Questions
Reach out we’re here to help! Contact Lisa at gro.doogelttaes@asil.
Lisa may redirect you to the appropriate program manager but rest assured we want to support you in making this platform work for you!
