Accessing public assistance programs is complicated. Residents must navigate siloed application sites and re-enter sensitive personal information, which can be burdensome and demoralizing. Local program staff and community-based organizations lack the tools necessary to help quickly connect residents to the resources they need most. These problems are only made worse in times of crisis.
CiviForm was built to simplify the way residents find and apply for public assistance programs. When there is no wrong door, government teams can better reach communities in need.
CiviForm is an, open source software solution for governments that was developed by the City of Seattle with pro bono support from the Google.org Fellowship program. The project is now stewarded by Exygy and is collectively developed and maintained by the governments that use it.
Read more about CiviForm’s key features below and in our documentation, and reach out to learn more about bringing CiviForm to your community:
Residents seeking assistance.
CiviForm empowers those you serve by simplifying their access to essential resources and ensuring they receive the help they deserve. It streamlines the process of finding and applying for public assistance programs, all in one user-friendly platform.
Available on any device, CiviForm offers a convenient and efficient solution for individuals seeking support.
Third-party orgs that help residents find and apply to public assistance programs.
With CiviForm’s Trusted Intermediary features, you gain a comprehensive overview of each client’s case, allowing you to track application statuses and provide timely support. This streamlined approach empowers you to maximize your impact and ensure your clients receive the assistance they deserve.
CiviForm equips you with the tools to efficiently assist those in need. It helps you:
Staff that review submitted applications and make determinations.
CiviForm empowers those you serve by simplifying their access to essential resources and ensuring they receive the help they deserve. It streamlines the process of finding and applying for public assistance programs, all in one user-friendly platform.
Available on any device, CiviForm offers a convenient and efficient solution for individuals seeking support.
Staff who create and manage program questions and forms.
CiviForm gives you complete control over your assistance programs and how residents interact with them.
With powerful reporting tools and granular control over user permissions, CiviForm empowers you to manage your programs efficiently and provide the best possible support to those you serve.
Governments own all their own data (CiviForm’s underlying infrastructure is self-hosted by each government) so all applicant information is stored and managed by each government in accordance with their security and privacy policies. Additionally, CiviForm employs recognized security best practices, including encrypting data at rest and in transit, fixing any known vulnerabilities quickly, and following rigorous coding standards to prevent malicious exploits.
Open source software is widely used across critical web infrastructure including by secure government services such as Login.gov. Over 95% of the top million web servers – the computers that send web content to your laptop or browser – run Linux, an open source operating system (instead of Windows or iOS). Open source software tools like CiviForm are more transparent and CiviForm’s maintainers regularly update software dependencies and publish a new release each week. CiviForm’s approach to open source software development is inspired by best practices from technical government organizations such as 18F.
Read more about security and privacy considerations in CiviForm.
CiviForm has been named one of the “50 Most Transformative Projects of 2023” by Smart Cities Connect, won an Anthem Award, and was a finalist for the Smart Cities North America Awards. CiviForm has been featured at numerous conferences including Code For America, FormFest, TOP Census, Good Tech Fest, and the National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA).
Winner: 2023 Anthem Award
Winner: Best of Indiana Award – City of Bloomington – 2023 Best Application Serving the Public
Winner: City of Seattle – 2023 Smart 50 Awards
Finalist: City of Bloomington – 2023 IDC Smart Cities North America Award
Finalist: 2023 The Shorty Awards for Social Impact
CiviForm is an open source project that is collectively developed and maintained by the governments that use it, with additional support from Google.org and Exygy. Read about CiviForm’s governance structure to learn more about how governments work together to make decisions and shape the project.
Residents across the State of Arkansas, in the City of Seattle, Washington as well as the City of Bloomington, Indiana are already benefiting from easier access to government services. Charlotte, North Carolina is conducting a pilot and Miami-Dade County, Florida is starting development. We look forward to more governments joining the software collaborative later this year.
Adopting CiviForm requires working closely with program administrators, IT teams, and other stakeholders to successfully understand and meet the needs of programs and residents. See “Get Started” for an overview. If you want more detail, visit the “Implementation Guide” for a detailed look at the process.
Direct interested colleagues to this website (civiform.us), our documentation (docs.civiform.us), our Product Overview, or our one-page flyer (PDF). You can also get in touch to meet with the team and learn more.
CiviForm is open source software that can be deployed and self-hosted on each government’s own cloud or on-premises infrastructure. Existing IT staff with knowledge of cloud or on-premises systems can set up and manage CiviForm with minimal effort. Once CiviForm is deployed, non-technical users can manage programs and questions through a user-friendly interface. Read more about infrastructure requirements and staffing needs.
Because CiviForm’s underlying infrastructure is self-hosted by each government, all applicant information is stored and managed by each government in accordance with their security and privacy policies. Read more about security and privacy considerations in CiviForm.
CiviForm is built as a government software collaborative, which provides a way of co-developing and maintaining shared government software that reduces long-term maintenance costs and makes it easier to adapt to the changing needs of programs and communities. CiviForm’s open source approach is grounded in principles of transparency, community ownership, and community-driven development. Member organizations contribute to CiviForm’s shared codebase through collective planning and decision-making processes (read about CiviForm’s governance processes here).
Yes. Open source software is widely used across critical web infrastructure, including by secure government services such as Login.gov. CiviForm’s maintainers regularly update software dependencies and publish a new release each week. CiviForm’s approach to open source software development is inspired by best practices from technical government organizations such as 18F.
