The City of Seattle’s CiviForm, a unified application tool, was named one of the 50 most transformative smart projects of 2023 by Smart Cities Connect. CiviForm is an open-source tool that makes it easier for residents and their trusted community-based organizations to find and apply to discount and benefit programs.
Accessing benefit programs can be complicated and demoralizing, especially in times of crisis. Computer literacy, language, and simply not knowing about existing programs are all barriers that keep residents from receiving help. CiviForm was co-designed by Seattle residents and community-based organizations and built by Seattle IT in collaboration with pro bono Google.org fellows to simplify this process. CiviForm is an in-language tool that allows residents to enter their information once and apply to multiple City programs.
Since the initial pilot in June 2021, over 12,000 applications were submitted through the CiviForm platform, each taking an average of under 5 minutes to complete. Residents applying to programs on CiviForm can save up to $23,000 per year on basic living expenses, including childcare, preschool, and recreation programs.
On May 15, Matthew Sprenke and Miguel Jimenez received the award at the Smart Cities Connect Award Ceremony in Denver, Colorado on behalf of the Affordable Seattle/CiviForm Team. The Affordable Seattle/CiviForm Team members include Gwen Goetz, Elise Kalstad, Swathi Murthi, and Matthew Sprenke of Seattle IT; Long Dinh and Miguel Jimenez of the Innovation and Performance Team; and collaborators in the open-source project including pro bono Google.org fellows, Exygy, State of Arkansas, and Bloomington, Indiana.
Interested in seeing if you qualify for any Seattle city benefits? Visit Affordableseattle.org and find out!
