For the 2027 Accelerator Program, the Social Innovation Forum (SIF) is seeking nonprofit organizations working in the following issue areas. Please review the specific track criteria to find the track(s) most applicable for your organization. Organizations may apply for up to two tracks.

Advancing Economic Mobility for Women & Girls

Track Partner: Women’s Foundation of Massachusetts

What We Are Looking For

On this track, strong applicants will be able to demonstrate some or all of these key characteristics:

• Required: Operate programs with at least 85% women and girl participants in terms of the number of participants AND dollars spent (for the organization as a whole).
• Provide career exploration, workforce and/or college readiness, financial literacy, and education/training programming that leads to economic empowerment that supports long-term stability and advancement. 
• Create opportunities for leadership development, mentorship, and professional networking that foster confidence, skill-building, and career growth.
• Offer supportive or wraparound services or referrals, in addition to programming, that help reduce barriers to participation and economic mobility, including ESOL, adult education/HiSET, housing navigation, transportation assistance, employment support, childcare resources, and healthcare access support.
• Provide digital literacy training and technology education, particularly for aging women and other women and girls disproportionately impacted by the digital divide. (Some of the examples include device access, connectivity, online navigation/safety, and technology needed for employment, education, healthcare, and financial access).
• Programs designed to address the unique needs, experiences, or barriers faced by specific populations of women and girls are encouraged to apply.
• Required: Applicants must be nonsectarian and serve all individuals who identify as women and girls without discrimination. Sectarian organizations are eligible to apply, provided that participation is open to all and programs do not require engagement in sectarian instruction or religious activities.
• Required: Meet the Social Innovator Accelerator Criteria.
• Fiscally sponsored nonprofits are not eligible.

An Arts Path to Creativity, Problem-solving and Self-realization for Youth K-12

Track Partner: Anonymous

What We Are Looking For

On this track, strong applicants will be able to demonstrate some or all of these key characteristics:

• Engage Eastern Massachusetts K–12 students with high-quality arts programming in both in-school and out-of-school settings
• Use the arts, especially visual arts, to increase cultural-heritage awareness, civic engagement, and community-building through age-appropriate, curriculum-aligned activities and public-facing projects (exhibits, murals, portfolios). 
• Advance access for populations with limited resources by prioritizing equitable materials, transportation support, and sliding-scale or free participation for K–12 learners.
• Empower K–12 participants (children and teens) to express emotions, ideas, and identities through scaffolded arts experiences, with a focus on visual-arts techniques (mark-making, mixed media, printmaking, digital art, and portfolio development).
• Organizations working in Gateway cities are strongly encouraged to apply.
• Required: Meet the Social Innovator Accelerator criteria.

Building Financial Resilience

Track Partner:  MassMutual Foundation

What We Are Looking For

On this track, strong applicants will be able to demonstrate at least two of the following characteristics: 

1. Target at least one aspect of financial resilience: 
   • Help meet basic financial needs such as housing or food security 
   • Help reduce debt, build savings, improve credit, increase access to affordable capital, or otherwise strengthen financial well-being 
   • Increase employment with strategies such as improving job readiness and income opportunity, building skills, and creating jobs or businesses 
2. Advance financial resilience across communities, not just for individual households, through approaches such as: 
   • Relationship building and mutual aid 
   • Collaborative, community-led decision-making 
   • Collective ownership and shared resources 
   • Development of essential services, organizations, gathering spaces, or other community infrastructure
   •  Leadership and social capital development   
3. Intentionally collaborate with fellow nonprofit organizations and other institutions committed to eliminating barriers to basic financial needs to increase collective impact 
4. Demonstrate a commitment to an equitable economy; prioritize systemically and socially under-resourced communities.

Required: Meet the Social Innovator Accelerator criteria.

Expanding Educational and Career Pathways for Youth and Young Adults 

Track Partner: Liberty Mutual Insurance

What We Are Looking For

On this track, strong applicants will be able to demonstrate some or all of these key characteristics:

• Improve educational achievement and expand educational opportunities for underresourced youth through solutions that are informed by the experiences, needs, and perspectives of young people, families, and communities.
• Help young people explore and navigate educational, career, and workforce pathways, building on academic success and providing clear pathways to postsecondary education, career training, credential attainment, and long-term success.
• Prepare disconnected, unemployed, or underemployed youth and young adults for postsecondary and career success through workforce development, career readiness, and skills-building opportunities that support economic mobility.
• Connect youth and young adults to intentionally designed work-based learning experiences, including paid internships, apprenticeships, mentorship, and exposure to sustainable, high-growth, and emerging career sectors.
• Provide innovative, trauma-informed, culturally affirming, and community-responsive programming, including leadership development, self-advocacy, and holistic supports that help participants overcome barriers to success.
• Advance equitable outcomes for historically underserved youth and young adults by engaging families, caregivers, employers, educators, and community partners. 
• Organizations must be operating in Boston, Brockton, Cambridge, Chelsea, Quincy, Randolph, and/or Somerville to apply.
• Meet the Social Innovator Accelerator criteria.