A workshop for the voluntary sector.
Friverk is a nonprofit and independent association that brings together knowledge, capacity for development and practical solutions to make voluntary and nonprofit activity easier to run.
The aim is for more time, money and expertise to be available for the social mission.
Why Friverk?
Voluntary and nonprofit organisations have limited resources, but many of the same administrative and practical support needs. People need to be organised, information and finances managed, requirements met and work documented.
When needs are resolved, purchased or managed separately, time, money and expertise are spent on problems that others already have — or soon will have. That capacity should instead reach the work the organisations exist to do.
This is the problem Friverk will help to solve.
The means follow the need.
A workshop does not exist for the sake of its tools. Sometimes something must be built. At other times, the solution already exists and should be improved, adapted or made available to more people.
Sometimes the right answer is expertise, method, documentation or collaboration. Technology matters to Friverk, but it is a means — not an end in itself.
The voluntary sector is the starting point.
Many good solutions can be used by voluntary and nonprofit organisations. When a tool meets the need well, is easy to use and is priced at a level an organisation is comfortable with, that is a good outcome.
When Friverk develops something itself, it starts with the everyday needs of the voluntary sector. When good solutions exist, they should be used. Where there are gaps, Friverk can help fill them — by building, improving, integrating or collaborating. Friverk does not aim to own the solution; the aim is for the problem to be solved.
When Friverk's solutions are also useful to paying businesses, they may be offered to them at a reasonable price. The income can contribute to continued development, operations and keeping the solutions available to the voluntary sector. Friverk has no private owners or shareholders to receive dividends; the value returns to the purpose.