London based MySociety.org is a charitable project dedicated to improving civic life through simple and efficient websites.  Guidelines for the organization are streamlined to the core triad of cheap scalability, tangible outputs, and high usability.  Three full-time staff members guide MySociety projects, but a volunteer community of marketing, design, programming and fund-raising professionals help make quick iteration a reality.  Below are some descriptions of current and past MySociety.org projects:

FixMyStreet is a portal allowing UK residents to report graffiti, potholes, litter, etc through a mapping/messaging platform.  After submitting, FixMyStreet redirects the report to the proper officials.

PledgeBank is a collective action platform similar to (but less Robust) than ThePoint.   The site allows users to promote altruistic campaigns reliant on group participation.

NotApathetic encourages citizens to voice reasons for not voting on a public forum.  The project launched for the 2005 UK General Elections but a reincarnation might be beneficial for the upcoming 2008 U.S. Presidential Election.

Anyone interested in championing either FixMyStreet or NotApathetic with me in the U.S.?  If so, please express your interest in the comment section.

Link to [MySociety.org]