The Birmingham Community Health Exchange
News Release | Birmingham News

What is it?
The Birmingham Community Health Exchange is a web community where people interested in offering small donations to help others meet basic health needs can find postings that tell the stories of people in need, and donate directly, in real time, to make a positive difference.

How does it work?
People in need tell their stories to Community Health Exchange agents in local churches, health centers, and community nonprofit organizations, who in turn post needs to the Community Health Exchange web site. Local donors review the postings online, and donate in real time by credit card or with in-kind donations of products and services, to help those in need in their community.

Needs Posters and Funds Trackers support the community-organization partners.

Who is providing this community service?
The Birmingham Community Health Exchange is a joint community service project supported by UAB School of Public Health, the I L O Institute, a Fairfield, CT company that helps large corporations, not-for-profits and government agencies share information about innovation in large organizations, and Cyberpartners.com.   Initial participating nonprofit agencies include Birmingham Aids Outreach, Cahaba Valley Health Care, Congregation for Public Health, Greater Birmingham Ministries, and M-POWER Ministries.

What does this service cost?
There is no cost for nonprofit organizations (NPOs) to register and post needs. NPOs may also utilize the Seeneeds widget on their own websites at no cost. All posted needs are displayed on the individual Seeneeds NPO Cause listing pages and priority needs are also displayed on the Community Health Exchange.

Each NPO has an option to be listed as a Featured Cause for an annual fee of $100.00. Featured Causes are listed at the top of each Cause category. Featured Causes may also submit Featured Stories that are displayed on the Community Health Exchange.

What are the long-term goals of the Community Health Exchange?
The long-term goals of the Community Health Exchange are to make a meaningful positive difference in the lives of people with basic health needs, emphasizing prevention rather than treatment after the fact; helping people with the means to help make meaningful connections to their neighbors who need help, through uncomplicated and direct action online; and proving out a model that can be replicated in many communities.