I have facilitated Gifting Conversations (based on Lewis Hyde's work) for two years in online and in-person settings and now want to explore if and how this model might be replicated in ways that enable more individuals and groups to use this practice.

This proposal seeks $5,000 to assess the potential of Gifting Conversations as a community enrichment activity.

This is a research project to ask these questions:

• Should Gifting Conversations be developed as a for-purpose business offering
• If so, what form should this take now and over time? (some ideas listed below)
• What are the short term and longer term considerations, including costs, timing and scope, that would encourage broader development of Gifting Conversations

I would explore the elements listed below to see what, if any, opportunities and barriers seem relevant. This survey exploration would consider:

1. Detail the steps of conducting a conversation in terms of its required time, participant identification and recruitment, meeting site logistics, communications before/after the event, and other aspects of the meeting process to identify potential efficiencies (elements of a future business plan’s essential operations and cost areas).

2. Develop a standardized suite of simple generic conversation tools and services that can be adapted to each gathering’s particular interests, such as: meeting agendas (by conversation type), management tools (boilerplate invitations, follow up communications, procedures and checklist), orientation materials, perhaps networking with others, and such ideas (elements of a future business plan’s potential offers, costs and revenues].

3. Identify market growth relationships: a) perhaps potential partners (time banks, NGOs, community service and development groups), b) target audiences (demographics of those most interested in this concept - age, income, etc), c) interest influences (community service, particular issue like disaster recovery). This looks at why people and groups would or would not be interested in a Gifting Conversation. (elements of a market and target participant understanding)

4. Identify and evaluate various ways to scale this concept through old school print media and new tech-supported online systems.

This research can be complete in about eight weeks and its findings will be shared with Kernel cohort members to inform possible user experiences and Web3 services.