When we set out to build a site that would 1) help our wonderful local organizations find the volunteers they need to stay wonderful and 2) help members of our community discover a meaningful outlet for their generosity, we started with a simple notion:

That friends and relatives know better than any computer algorithm what opportunity best suits us. Friends and relatives are more likely to get past the real and virtual spam folders that hobble us every day.

It's true, right? Your brother or tennis partner who cares about you is more likely to get you to finally lose those last 10 pounds than a factoid or fitness readout. Your girlfriend or wife is a way better bet to motivate you off of one career path and onto another than a well-argued article at Forbes.com. So why not encourage users to recognize great volunteer opportunities and make it easy to tell their friends or relatives about it?

We aimed to create a site that allows folks from organizations in the Gulf Coast to post their volunteer opportunities in the clearest, most concise and colorful way possible, allowing inquisitive visitors to browse each opening at their own natural pace — with the least interference from us. When the right one presents itself, the site trusts each user to recognize it — whether on behalf of a friend, relative or her- or himself, or any combination of the above.