Stand with Cville
About, FAQ, and Privacy
Stand with Cville connects people who want to support grassroots work to the local community members and community organizers doing the work.
The site is a volunteer effort, facilitated by a long-time Charlottesville community member in consultation with other long-time community members. If this kind of work appeals to you, please let us know!
We expect the site to grow and change to fit shifting community needs. Let us know if we're missing an opportunity to connect volunteers/donors to grassroots efforts.
Purpose of the site
Stand With Cville exists to strengthen grassroots community care.
We amplify efforts led by local community members who are organizing to meet shared needs.
Our focus is on collective action - neighbors showing up for neighbors.
FAQs
We take your privacy seriously (see our Privacy Policy below).
Your contact information is stored securely in Airtable, which uses industry-standard encryption to store your
information. We will never sell or share your information with third parties.
If you choose to connect with volunteers or donors through our site, you control how much information you
share. Our platform includes an anonymization option, which means that volunteers can contact you via a button
that does not disclose your identity or contact information.
The only time we ask for your information is when you choose to submit a request for support or provide
feedback, and that information is used solely to support your work in the community.
You are always in control. If you have questions about your data or would like it removed, contact us at
Your Privacy at a Glance
We know privacy policies can be a lot to read. Here's the simple version:
Your information is as secure as we can make it. We store your data in Airtable, a platform with strong security
protections. We do not sell your information or share it with anyone (beyond what you have agreed to share
when submitting a request).
A small circle of trusted people may see your info. As our site grows, a small team of trusted Charlottesville
community members will help administer the site. They may have access to your information, but all of them
are vetted community partners who are committed to protecting your privacy.
Community workers:
You can stay anonymous (on the website) if you want. If you'd prefer not to share your contact details when
connecting with volunteers or donors, we have an anonymization option ("contact organizer" button) that
keeps your information private while still allowing volunteers to make contact with you.
When volunteers/donors click on the "contact organizer" button, an automated process generates an email
to you (sent via Gmail).
You are always in control. You can ask to update or delete your information at any time.
Just contact us at contact@standwithcville.org and we'll take care of it.
Volunteers/donors:
When you click on "contact organizer" button, you will be asked to complete a form that will ask for your
name, email address, and the message that you want to send to the community worker. This process is
managed by Airtable + Gmail.
Alert Sign-ups:
When you sign up for alerts, we collect your name and email address. We use this information only to send
you community need notifications from Stand with Cville. We will never share your information for any other
purpose. You can unsubscribe at any time from the unsubscribe link in any email you receive from us.
Our alert system is built on Airtable and Sender.net. Community needs are tracked in Airtable.
Email notifications are managed and delivered through Sender.net. Your subscriber information is stored
securely in Sender.net in accordance with their privacy policy.
We prioritize urgent community needs that are rooted in racial injustice and other forms of oppression.
Further, we prioritize requests that are:
Community-Oriented
The work serves a community (more than one person or family).
Examples:
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Organizing volunteers to shovel snow for several elderly neighbors on a street
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Maintaining a community fridge
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Collecting diapers for distribution to multiple families
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Coordinating meals for multiple families or communities
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Growing and sharing food through a community garden
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Raising funds for a specific community event
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Mobilizing volunteers for a defined neighborhood action
If it builds collective care, it likely fits.
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We exist to amplify local, on-the-ground action that is designed to meet the needs of a group or community.
Grassroots-Led
The effort is organized by:
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A community member
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A neighborhood organizer or leader
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A small mutual aid group
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Grassroots leaders, neighbors or small local groups
The organizers are:
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Transparent about who is asking and how funds/resources will be used
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In relationship with the community being served
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Clear about the specific need and timeline
You don’t need to be a nonprofit.
You do need to be accountable to your community.
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Guiding Principle:
If the request primarily benefits a single person or household, it is likely not the right fit for this platform
(see Resources page in the menu).
To remain focused and sustainable, we do not share:
Individual or family personal requests
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"I need help paying rent"
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"I need groceries this week"
While we care deeply about individual hardship, this platform is structured to support grassroots workers and
organizers (who may be supporting individuals and families within their work).
To support individuals who need emergency personal assistance, please visit the Resources page.
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Ongoing organizational fundraising
We generally do not list requests from established organizations (e.g., relatively large nonprofits, churches).
We expect that non-profits typically have their own fundraising and networking platforms.
Exceptions:
A new non-profit - engaged in justice-related work - that does not yet have an established fundraising network.
In these cases, requests may be made for support that clearly benefits a community within Charlottesville:
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tabling fees at a community event (goal: to share resources with the community)
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supplies to meet a community need (e.g., booklets, medical supplies, etc.)
An organization is lifting a specific, time-bound effort to meet a defined need in the broader community:
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a church is fundraising to buy groceries for refugee families
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an organization with very limited income stream is fundraising for a community-focused event
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an organization is emerging, has very limited resources, and/or the work is not part of its core funding
Send us an email and we'll chat about what makes sense.
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If you’re unsure whether your request qualifies, reach out.
We’re happy to help you figure out whether it aligns with the purpose of Stand With Cville.
We are building this together.
When a need for support is time-bound (needed within 24-72 hours), consider posting in the Rapid Response section.
Example situations:
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volunteers needed to clear snow for elderly and/or disabled folks on a street or neighborhood
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a community fridge is empty and needs refilling
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a community worker requests preparation of hot food for an unhoused community
The organizers are:
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Transparent about who is asking and how funds/resources will be used
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In relationship with the community being served
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Clear about the specific need and timeline
You don’t need to be a nonprofit.
You do need to be accountable to your community.
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If the action/need is needed within 24-72 hours:
Community workers may use this form to quickly add the call for help to the Rapid Actions listing.
We understand that you may not feel comfortable disclosing sensitive information (locations, etc.) publicly.
In those cases, provide as much information as you can to explain your request and how to get in touch with you.
Don't see a community effort or need listed? There may be several reasons, including:
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The community worker/organizer doesn't know about the site (feel free to share the link!)
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The organizer has decided not to list their work/need here
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Our focus is sharing grassroots community work rather than ongoing work being done by established organizations
We intend to be respectful of peoples' privacy and evaluation of safety.
If you are aware of a grassroots action that could be on the site, please send them to us. We're happy to talk with them.
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The choice to give or not to give is always yours.
A few thoughts:
We believe community is built on care, not suspicion. The people and groups listed here are part of our shared ecosystem.
We invite you to give, not because someone has proven their worth, but because we are connected.
We are a community. We give because we belong to one another.
When we respond to requests with care rather than scrutiny, we become the kind of community that we want to live in.
We use Airtable to organize and update community requests on this site so information stays current and
easy to manage. Airtable allows us to limit what information is publicly shown to help protect people’s privacy.
Airtable is a widely used online tool that protects data with strong encryption and modern security practices.
As with everything on the internet, there are risks. We are attempting to balance a need for connection with
risk. We respect your personal evaluation of risk vs. benefit.
If you have not used Airtable before, you may be asked to create a (free) account.
Events are added to the calendar when a community-focused event is publicly posted (and we see it).
For example, a group posts an event on social media or shares it via other public forums.
If you have organized an event and want to add it to the calendar, send an email to standwithcville@gmail.com
If you see your event posted and want us to remove it; send us an email.
A small group of volunteers serve as editors on the Google calendar. We welcome help!
If you'd like to volunteer, please let us know (contact@standwithcville.org)
What goes on the calendar? At the moment, events that are community-focused and justice-driven.
Examples include:
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Training for community action
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Fundraisers to support a community/communities
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Activities that build community by bringing people together for a common purpose
Note that the Calendar has limitations: the editors may not catch that an event has been cancelled or postponed.
We welcome the engagement of the community to let us know!
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Stand With Cville is a free volunteer service for the Charlottesville community, operated and supported by Curam LLC.
Questions and suggestions can be sent to Lyndele von Schill or Enya von Schill at contact@standwithcville.org.