Social Innovation Forum
Dear Friends,
It is with great excitement that we share with you the Social Innovation Forum’s 2017 Annual Report: Building a Marketplace for Social Change.
The word “marketplace” may evoke images of people bartering over bread, fish, and fruit, but for the Social Innovation Forum (SIF), the marketplace represents something different—an innovative approach to engaging a broad community in the work of social change.
In this marketplace, market-goers exchange resources (time, money, expertise, and social capital) in order to collaborate on creating social impact. For volunteers, philanthropists, and social impact investors, this marketplace creates opportunities to engage in meaningful ways: to “give back,” to have a deeper impact than they could on their own, and to become part of innovations beyond their own imaginations. For mission-based organizations, it’s a way to connect with people eager to support their work with time, talent, and financial resources that would otherwise be hard to obtain.
The Social Innovation Forum is the heart and soul of the marketplace described above, nurturing its growth and driving it toward greater social impact. In this annual report, we share highlights of the past year: building capacity through our Accelerator program; making connections among funders, mentors, and practitioners; acquiring the Next Mile Project; and moving to our new space at One Congress Street.
Over the years, we have seen the impact of the marketplace, which to date has directed more than $31 million in cash and in-kind resources to 106 social impact organizations. We are excited about the possibilities as the marketplace continues to grow.
Many thanks for your participation in this work and for your past and continued support.
Sincerely,
Susan Musinsky & Ryan Dings
Executive Director Chair, SIF Board of Directors