Quadratic Funding is a wonderful tool, but in these early days of web3 adoption it presents a problem (otherwise known as a protopian design horizon), especially for local-oriented DAOs. How useful is this tool for irl community projects - the kind of local projects that support basic needs provisions we at PDXDAO consider key to the thriving of decentralized protocols, crypto or otherwise - if the community is only participating on a one-sided basis?

In other words, the task of onboarding non crypto-native organizations with the promise of funding is far easier than the task of large scale onboarding of those who may have a stake in their work. Crypto people using QF to gain participatory input in crypto-native projects works beautifully. Crypto natives effecting the flow of resources to local initiatives in a specific community makes far less sense in the democratic frame QF was built for. We can call this design horizon the problem of participatory design in QF.

Luckily, we've been inspired to a pilot solution.

QFIRL is an in real life event where community organizations and community members can gather to meet and learn about orgs, learn about the QF process and how it can be used to bring mulitscale participatory economy to public goods, and donate their cash and weight to the organization of their choice.

We expect this to bring a diverse community together to think critically about public goods, what organizations are bringing value to their community and why that value should be funded, what new models might exist for organizing and supplying resources in ways that reflect community values, and what web3 might have to do with bridging those gaps.

We have cheap access to a large community space to throw this event, and a large ecosystem of community organizations that are in need of funding and are enthusiastic about the intersection of technology and local community empowerment, so we see this as a very viable project, and one that will provide a great research opportunity.

Consider this a call for resources (QF infographics, anyone?) and input as well as funding.

fyi: funds will be used for the facilitation and promotion of this project, NOT the matching pool.

Shout out to Alex Marx for pulling this concept out of pocket 🙌