FAQs

What is Nextdoor.com? Nextdoor is a free social networking platform for neighborhoods. It provides a way for individuals and their neighbors to talk online and make all of their lives better in the real world.

There are already 42 neighborhoods in Arvada using Nextdoor to build happier, safer places to call home. People use Nextdoor to:

Find a new home for an outgrown bike

Track down a trustworthy babysitter

Quickly get the word out about a break-in

Find out who does the best paint job in town

Organize a garage sale or neighborhood cleanup event

Ask for help keeping an eye out for a lost dog

Finally call that nice man down the street by his first name.

How do neighborhoods become active on the site? An individual needs to sign up as a neighborhood “leader” and commit to getting 10 more neighbors to register within 21 days. If they don’t get that many people, the neighborhood stays listed as a pilot, but is not active and nothing can be posted. Nextdoor.com will extend the 21 days as needed to get enough neighbors to register.

To join a neighborhood you have to prove you either live there or work there. People can also register in the neighborhoods they work in – so, for instance – a church or a business can register in the neighborhood where they are located. In that case, nextdoor.com will send a postcard to the business or church which has to be returned to activate their registration. Basically, you have to prove you have a physical presence in the neighborhood either through your home or through your business in order to be part of that group.

How are neighborhood boundaries set? The City has sent GIS shape files to Nextdoor.com to delineate neighborhood boundaries. The neighborhoods that are already active will be incorporated “as is” even if their self-defined boundaries don’t match exactly what the City provides.

Is there a cost to the City or to the individual users? No, the service is free.

Does anyone monitor the posts for glitches, inappropriate content, etc.? The neighborhood leaders monitor posts. Individual users can also report glitches and inappropriate content to the nextdoor.com web administrator. If an individual posts inappropriate content regularly, nextdoor.com will inactivate their account and prevent them from re-joining.

Can the City see what the neighborhoods are talking about with their neighbors? No, the City cannot see the conversations that occur within neighborhoods.

Can someone registered in a neighborhood on one side of the City see a request for assistance in a neighborhood on the other side of the City? No, not currently. Nextdoor is working on that capability. Once this function is in place, the City will be able to see communications between neighborhoods (but still not within neighborhoods). There is a “group” function on the site where neighborhoods can be grouped into larger entities that people can elect to join. So, for instance, we can group neighborhoods into sectors or by surrounding neighborhoods. Nextdoor.com recommends not making groups too large - we would not want a “Citywide” group as the number of posts by individuals could be overwhelming.

Can the City post information to all the neighborhoods? Yes, the City will likely have two administrative accounts set up for posting – a general City account and a Police Department account.

Can people who are registered on the site reply to City posts? Yes, they can reply either privately or publically to anything the City posts.

What kinds of things do most neighborhoods post? Most posts relate to things going on in the neighborhood. For example, crime, wind blowing trash cans or recycling around, a lost pet, babysitting resources, a neighbor who needs help shoveling, a neighborhood yard sale or block party, etc. We could use the site to post notice of public meetings, neighborhood meetings, other City events, public works activities, etc.

Can neighborhood businesses join Nextdoor? In some areas, local businesses have joined their neighborhood websites. There are no special designations for businesses on the website, but business owners are welcomed to join as involved neighbors.

Is there a smart phone app for the site? Yes, there is a smart phone apple available for Android and Apple.

Who created Nextdoor? The Nextdoor founding team is a group of experienced technology executives whose careers have been focused on building strong online communities.

When was the company founded? The company was founded in the fall of 2010 when the first neighborhood website was launched in Menlo Park, CA. Who invested in Nextdoor? Benchmark Capital and Shasta Ventures have both invested in Nextdoor. Benchmark’s Bill Gurley and Shasta Venture’s Jason Pressman serve on the board of directors, along with outside board members Rich Barton, Chairman and Co- founder of Zillow.

How does Nextdoor make money? Nextdoor is currently focused on delivering the best possible user experience so that neighbors everywhere can come together to build safer and stronger neighborhoods. They are committed to safeguarding users’ information, so that no one will be inundated with banner ads, pop-ups, or messages from advertisers that can impede or denigrate the neighborhood feeling of the website.

The revenue model instead will focus on working with local businesses to provide special offers to members. This will not only benefit members by giving them access to deals they would not find elsewhere, but it also helps generate support for local businesses, in turn strengthening their own neighborhoods.

Nextdoor is currently in a strong cash position, and appreciates the backing of prominent investors such as Benchmark Capital and Shasta Ventures, as well as select angel investors.