Civi.Me makes Hawaii’s public decision-making accessible to every resident — not just to those with time, resources, or connections. We believe participation in community decisions shouldn’t require a law degree, a flexible schedule, or knowing the right people.
This is a free, nonpartisan, community-driven project. We are not affiliated with any political party, advocacy organization, or government agency.
The problem we’re solving
Hawaii’s public information isn’t secret — it’s just practically impossible to navigate. As Kenneth Peck wrote in Civil Beat in January 2026: “Influence becomes difficult to trace not because documents are hidden, but because they are inaccessible in practice.”
The information is out there, but finding and using it is another story:
- Meeting agendas are buried in PDFs across dozens of disconnected websites
- There are no alerts when something that affects your neighborhood is scheduled
- The language in official documents is written for attorneys, not residents
- Most people — especially young people — have no practical way to know who represents them or when decisions are being made
Civi.Me is built to close that gap.
What we’re building
We are developing tools that aggregate, simplify, and activate public information in Hawaii. Starting with:
- A unified calendar of public meetings — all four counties and state-level boards — with plain-language summaries of what’s on each agenda
- Email and text alerts so residents find out about relevant meetings before they happen, not after
- Step-by-step guides on how to participate: how to testify, how to write a letter, how to find who represents you
- Tools for community events — letter-writing parties, town halls, and ambassador-led civic engagement
- Plain-language explanations of the laws that protect your right to access public information — the Sunshine Law and UIPA
Everything on Civi.Me is free. No paywalls. No premium features. No data sold. Ever.
What we believe
Information access is a community right
Every resident deserves to know what decisions are being made that affect their community — in language they can understand, at a time when they can still participate.
We are strictly nonpartisan
Civi.Me does not endorse candidates, parties, or positions on any issue. We present facts: what a bill does, who submitted it, when the hearing is. We provide tools and templates — never talking points. We empower people to form their own opinions and take their own actions.
We accept sponsorships and partnerships only from nonpartisan organizations. We will not accept funding that comes with editorial influence.
Everyone is included — no exceptions
Hawaii is home to people from many different backgrounds, legal statuses, and relationships with the structures of governance here. We use “residents” — not “citizens.” We support all 15 languages recognized by Hawaii’s Office of Language Access.
We build for mobile because that’s how most people access the internet in Hawaii. And we include a phone line for people who don’t have a smartphone at all.
Cultural respect is not optional
We recognize that not everyone identifies with or feels represented by the State of Hawaii. Native Hawaiian sovereignty is a living issue, not history. We are mindful of the language we use, and we frame civic participation as community engagement — not blind deference to government structures.
Open source, transparent, and community-built
Civi.Me’s code is public on GitHub from day one. We believe civic infrastructure should be open to inspection, contribution, and community ownership. If we ever make a decision you disagree with, you can see exactly why — and you can help us do better.
Get involved
Civi.Me is open source and community-driven. Whether you write code, love community organizing, or just want to help spread the word — there’s a role for you.