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How adiuto works

adiuto is a needs-first platform for local aid. Initiatives publish what they need, where they need it, how much is still open, and—when time matters—when help is required. People can then make a concrete commitment.

Everyday aid and crisis preparedness​

adiuto was originally built in response to practical needs in crisis and disaster management. Its use in the Berlin aid response in 2022 shows the coordination problem it addresses: needs change quickly, many people want to help, and teams need a current picture of what has been promised and what has arrived.

The collection and distribution of goods, donations, and volunteer work are also lasting everyday purposes of adiuto. People can find concrete needs, see quantities and drop-off locations, and commit directly. Initiatives gain a way to attract useful support, plan goods distribution and shifts, and track what has been promised and what has arrived throughout the year.

More reach, more donations​

Adiuto can develop a strong network effect. Each additional initiative brings more needs and opportunities to help. These can attract more donors and volunteers, whose participation makes the platform more valuable to further initiatives. Small organisations can benefit from reach that would be difficult to build on their own.

Someone looking for a place to donate clothing can discover an initiative they did not know before. A volunteer can find another suitable task nearby. Current quantities, locations and a direct way to commit make it easier to turn interest into actual help. Greater reach and easier matching can substantially increase donation volume and get more needed goods to the people who need them.

An active network for crisis response​

Regular use also creates a basis for crisis response. Teams, locations, supporters, and current needs are already connected through a working process. In a rapidly changing emergency, there is often little time to introduce new software, establish responsibilities, or build a network from scratch. An initiative already using adiuto can adapt its ongoing work to more urgent needs. Familiarity with the tool is one benefit; active relationships and maintained information are just as important.

Needs, not an offer board​

adiuto does not start with a general list of things people want to get rid of. It starts with verified demand from an initiative. That distinction helps:

  • donors bring useful goods in realistic quantities;
  • volunteers see specific activities and available times;
  • initiatives avoid unnecessary deliveries and can plan capacity;
  • everyone can see whether a need is still open.

If nothing currently matches what you could give, save the search to your Givelist. adiuto can notify you when a matching need appears.

The four core concepts​

Initiative​

A local aid organisation or group with a public profile, team, locations, and needs. New initiatives can require review before their public tasks become visible.

Task​

A concrete need published by an initiative. A task can ask for goods, an activity, or people for scheduled shifts. It states the remaining demand and can include a priority, deadline, location, recurrence, and note.

Mission​

A confirmed commitment by one supporter. It can contain goods, an activity, or selected shift times. Tasks at different drop-off locations become separate missions so each handover has one clear destination.

Handover or check-in​

The confirmation that closes the loop. Goods are confirmed at drop-off, usually by scanning the mission QR code. A booked shift is checked in on site and completes after the scheduled work.

What remains under human control​

Initiatives decide what they need and are responsible for their published information. Supporters decide what they can genuinely commit to. The assistant can search and propose changes, but consequential changes are shown for confirmation before they are applied.

Public and members-only needs​

Most active tasks are public. An initiative can also publish a members-only task. Only active members of that initiative can see and commit to it; it does not appear in public search.

Free to use​

Using adiuto is free. The platform connects supporters and initiatives; it does not sell donated goods or take payment for commitments made through missions.