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faqs – quick answers

Q: What's the maximum time for a volunteering action?
A: 5 minutes maximum and 2-3 minutes is ideal. Imagine waiting at a bus stop. What could you do before the bus arrives?
Q: What are examples of mobile volunteering actions?
A: You could save charities thousands of pounds every year by giving them free access to millions of people's opinions, make it easy for people in your community to become more engaged citizens by mapping local community amenities and services. You could participate in wildlife protection by taking pictures of endangered species or give disabled people access and insight to places in a new way.
Q: What happens with ideas shared here?
A: The winning ideas for volunteering actions will get incorporated into a new Orange mobile volunteering app.
Q: What if I submit a winning mobile volunteering app idea or existing app? What do I get?
A: Winning ideas will will get incorporated into a new Orange mobile volunteering app and quickly start to make a difference. The winning existing apps will get publicised on a new high profile Orange web site.
Q: Do mobile volunteering apps need to work on iPhone or on any mobile?
A: Finished apps need to be built for the iPhone, Symbian or Android platforms. Mobile volunteering actions will be realised for the iPhone.
Q: Is my app idea safe from being stolen in the community?
A: The community is a professional one. It is impossible to 'steal' ideas because once they're published they're clearly yours. Ideas submitted here can and should be improved on if possible. It's best to do this in partnership.
Q: I'm not in the UK, can I submit my app or idea?
A: No, this is a UK only initiative.
Q: Do I need to be 18 to participate?
A: Yes.
Q: Who owns the ideas or apps that I submit?
A: You submit ideas on the basis that you want them to be part of the Orange mobile volunteering app. You will get credited with the idea. If you're submitting an app you've developed, it stays yours.
Q. If I submit an app or idea will I make any money?
A: No. The overall idea is that Orange and you collaborate to make a real difference to a good cause. As such the apps will be free to download.
Q. If I submit a winning idea or app do I get a credit?
A: Yes, either personal or company - just let us know when you've won!
Q: Can I contact Orange directly with my idea or app?
A: No, the idea behind this initiative is that the community helps rank and prioritise entries.
Q. Can I invite someone to the community who isn't a developer, social entrepreneur or a charity worker?
A: Anyone can join, however, it is a specialist community designed to innovate quickly.
Q. If my idea or app wins how long will it stay with Orange?
A: A minimum of 3 months after which Orange will review how it's doing with you.
Q. Whilst my idea or app is with Orange can I publish it elsewhere too?
A: Absolutely. It's yours and we want it to do as much good as possible.
Q. How many ideas or apps will win?
A: We're looking for 10 ideas for the Orange app and 10 new apps as well.
Q. How will you judge whether an idea or app will have impact?
A: You must be able to show a target quantified effect of the app to users or the beneficiaries of the volunteering action. Winners will be required to report effectiveness measures every month.
Q. How will the 10 winning ideas and 10 winning apps be chosen?
A: Every community member gets to vote on all submissions - both rating and submitting existing apps and new ideas for mobile volunteering actions. At least the community's top 3 ideas will be developed and top 3 apps will be published. The judging panel will, if necessary, choose the other 7 of each.
Q. What if I have a brilliant idea or app that really does good but isn't strictly speaking volunteering?
A: If it's that good, we will consider it and we hope the crowd agrees with you!
Q. I have a good idea for fund-raising. Is this applicable?
A: The focus of this community is volunteering rather than fund-raising, so it's mainly about time, not money. We won't be including any fund-raising actions in the Orange app we are producing. If you are making an app for fund-raising though you can submit this to the topic 'Apps doing good on the go'.
Q. Who will judge the ideas and apps?
A: The mobile volunteering community will rank and rate ideas using the built-in voting mechanisms. Orange, 100%Open and Chaordix will form a panel to ensure there is a good spread of ideas across the various categories.
Q. What is an app that does good?
A: This is an app that has a clear social, community and/or environmental benefit. The app may help you directly or enable you to help society or the environment. It's focus as an app must be on doing good such as mobile volunteering, fund-raising, sustainable living decision making or driving cause awareness.
Q. What is an 'action'?
A: This refers to a mobile volunteering action which is an activity that takes less than 5 minutes, then and there, through the app, and that has a clear and direct social, community or environmental benefit.