Press Releases

For Immediate Release:

ROOT CAUSE ANNOUNCES FINAL ORGANIZATIONS FOR 2012-2013 SOCIAL INNOVATION FORUM

CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS—Root Cause’s Social Innovation Forum selected nine innovative, results-oriented organizations in Greater Boston to receive both cash and capacity-building services from Root Cause and its partners. Evaluation and interview committees made up of more than 70 social issue experts from the business, government, nonprofit, and philanthropic sectors reviewed upwards of 100 applications to select the winners. The “Social Innovators” were announced on Thursday, December 6, 2012 at the Social Innovation Forum’s “Celebrating Innovation” winter reception at the Microsoft New England Research & Development Center.

Root Cause’s Social Innovation Forum believes that spreading social innovation takes a vast community of stakeholders to spread ideas that work. Our goal is to create a social impact market that brings nonprofits, philanthropy, government, and business together to advance social innovations through the early stages of development to widespread social impact. Each year, the Social Innovation Forum partners with leading foundations, corporations, and individual donors that support our Social Innovators with financial contributions, in-kind resources, volunteer time, and personal referrals or connections.

The selected Social Innovators will receive access to:

  • A package of consulting, executive coaching, and other in-kind services valued at more than $115,000
  • Long-term support from Social Innovation Forum staff on performance tracking and relationship building
  • Opportunities to participate in various networking events and become part of the Social Innovation Forum’s growing circle of nonprofit, business, government, and foundation leaders

The Social Innovators will also present their work to leaders from Greater Boston’s public, private, and nonprofit sectors at Root Cause’s Social Innovator Showcase event on Thursday, May 9, 2013.

For the 2012-2013 program year, the Social Innovation Forum has selected the following Social Innovators for the designated social issue tracks:

AgeWell West Roxbury, a program of Ethos
Healthy Aging: Vibrant Lifestyles for Adults Ages 60+

Sponsoring Partner: Tufts Health Plan Foundation

GRLZradio

Women and Girls: Promoting Education, Economic Opportunity, and Self-Sufficiency

Sponsoring Partners: Anna B. Stearns Charitable Foundation & Vesta Vanguards

Groundwork Lawrence
Healthy Lifestyles: Promoting Healthy Behaviors in Our Community

Sponsoring Partner: Highland Street Foundation

Safe City Academy, a program of Dorchester Youth Collaborative

Youth Violence Prevention through Workforce Development

Sponsoring Partner: State Street Foundation

Shelter Music Boston

Expanding Access to Classical Music in Greater Boston

Sponsoring Partner: Free for All Concert Fund

In addition, the Social Innovation Forum has selected a cohort of four “Impact Entrepreneurs” for a social issue track called “Impact Investing: Connecting Social Enterprises to Capital,” sponsored by the Devonshire Foundation. The selected Impact Entrepreneurs are as follows:

City Feed & Supply

Green City Growers

Global Research Innovation and Technology (GRIT)

Project Repat

These Impact Entrepreneurs will receive a distinct package of consulting, coaching, and in-kind support, as well as access to the Social Innovation Forum’s investor community. One member of the Impact Entrepreneur cohort will be selected to present his or her work at Root Cause’s Social Innovator Showcase on Thursday, May 9, 2013.

Root Cause is a nonprofit research and consulting firm that partners with nonprofits, philanthropy, government, and business to advance solutions to today’s toughest social issues. For more information, please visit the Root Cause website (www.rootcause.org).

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Press Contact:

Tania Green, Marketing and Communications Manager
617.649.1534
tgreen@rootcause.org

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