Objectives

Google.org and the City of Seattle launched CiviForm for residents and community organizations to find and apply to multiple programs in one place, and for government teams to streamline services to communities in need. Thousands of Seattle residents have applied for public assistance with the average time to apply reducing from 30 minutes to 5 minutes. CiviForm is collectively developed and maintained by the governments that use it, with support from Google.org and Exygy.

CiviForm aims to:

• Create an accessible, effective, compassionate application process for applicants, program staff, and community-based organizations
• Reduce time to manage applications 
• Build a strong community of practice with many governments adopting and contributing to the open source software for public benefit

Strategy and Execution

During the pandemic, a pro bono team of 14 Googlers developed CiviForm alongside the City of Seattle to address the urgent need to access public assistance. Through a design sprint, direct community research, and technical expertise from Google.org Fellows, the team launched CiviForm for residents and community organizations to find and apply to multiple programs in one place, and for government teams to streamline services and reach communities in need. 

The tool has already enabled thousands of Seattle residents to apply for public assistance and reduced the average time to apply from 30 minutes to 5 minutes. 

State and local governments across the country face similar technical challenges in serving communities. Today, three additional governments are adopting CiviForm's open-source software to expand benefits access and build a community of practice around shared software for public benefit. CiviForm is collectively developed and maintained by the governments that use it, with additional support from Google.org and Exygy. 

Results

CiviForm delivered impact for residents and government administrators, cutting the average time to apply to services by 80% with up to $23k expected in savings for qualified families while bringing some paper forms online for the first time. This summer, Mayor Harrell of Seattle signed an Executive Order directing all City teams to adopt CiviForm as the primary tool for benefits programs by the end of 2024. 

CiviForm is actively expanding across the US. with adoption by cities and states including Bloomington, IN, the State of Arkansas, and Charlotte, NC.