Leaders from six Rhode Island nonprofits are competing for seed funding from the Nonprofit Innovation Lab and asking for your vote.
The innovation lab — a program of United Way of Rhode Island and Social Enterprise Greenhouse — aims to accelerate the ability of nonprofit organizations to bring unique and socially transformative ideas to life.
For months, six innovation lab fellows have been honing their ideas and producing videos as part of their pitch. Now members of the public are being asked to watch those videos and vote for their favorite concept. Voting is open through 5 p.m. Monday for the lab’s “Public Choice Award.” The winner will secure $5,000 in funding and coaching to help bring their vision to life.
The Public Choice Award is just the appetizer. One lucky competitor will win the grand prize during a live event to be broadcast on Rhode Island PBS on February 7 at 9 p.m. “Sparked – The Nonprofit Innovation Lab” will feature a make-or-break showdown where the fellows present their ideas to a panel of judges and compete for $90,000 in seed funding.
In a nutshell, here are the ideas:
- Spectrum Theatre Ensemble aims to develop a certification program for the entertainment industry to better serve and welcome neurodiverse audiences.
- Providence Preservation Society seeks to create a training lab and shared workspace for Rhode Islanders to learn the preservation trades.
- The Women’s Fund of Rhode Island proposes to create a non-partisan program to empower women who are newly elected or appointed to local government.
- Community Care Alliance aims to provide small business training to individuals by helping them launch and run an environmentally friendly cleaning service.
- Children’s Friend seeks to “build systems that empower social service staff to create innovative solutions to the challenges they experience and those facing the families they serve.”
- What Cheer Flower Farm aims to help children in stressful situations by letting them create and design with fresh flowers.
Kelly Ramirez, co-founder and CEO of Social Enterprise Greenhouse, said the lab “provides some of the state’s top social impact leaders the time, space, networks, and resources needed to better innovate within their organizations.”
“Nonprofits are not just charities or service organizations; they are problem-solvers and do so in extremely innovative ways – as we’ve especially seen throughout this pandemic,” said United Way president and CEO Cortney Nicolato.
Sign up for the Providence Business Journal's free daily newsletter here
