Social Innovation Forum
Susan Musinsky, Executive Director of Social Innovation Forum, and Vilas Dhar, Founder of Next Mile Project, at SIF's 2017 Winter Reception event.
Dear SIF community,
We are thrilled to share with you exciting news: The Social Innovation Forum (SIF) has acquired the Next Mile Project, combining our strengths and expertise to create one of the nation’s largest social change ecosystems -- and solidifying Boston’s role as a hub for social innovation.
Our new partnership will administer our newly updated 5,000+ square-foot facility in downtown Boston designed to support sector-wide social good collaboration, education, and administration, continue integration of programming between the two organizations, and deliver an expanded range of services to the nonprofits and social businesses supported by each organization. Together, SIF and the Next Mile Project support a growing network of over 150 organizations.
This acquisition follows months of thoughtful discussion between the leadership of both organizations, focused on identifying the opportunities for collaboration presented by complementary missions, values, and programming. Since its inception in 2010, the Next Mile Project has helped found and scale nearly 50 high-impact organizations and operated one of the largest coworking spaces in the country focused exclusively on nonprofit growth, coupling capacity building and collaboration with donor supported office space. Since 2003, SIF has provided exceptional training and networks to social impact organizations, funders, and skilled volunteers and has directed more than $24 million in cash and in-kind services to 106 portfolio organizations, helping them to accelerate their impact.
SIF recently moved its headquarters to the Next Mile Project facilities at One Congress Street, continuing a plan to integrate programs and services for both organizations. Next Mile Project Founder Vilas Dhar and COO, Margery Blume, will continue to serve our shared and growing community, and Vilas will assume the role of Senior Advisor at SIF. Going forward, SIF will continue to deliver its core programming, while managing our community space as a center of collaboration and learning around social impact in greater Boston.
We are thrilled to announce this partnership to our communities and look forward to continuing to work together to support organizations and to build lasting social change. We end this note with an expression of our shared gratitude to each of you as members of our community for social change.
Warmly,
To learn more: Check out our press release about the acquisition and sign-up for our mailing list to stay up-to-date on news and events from the SIF and Next Mile Project community. For more information on coworking membership at Next Mile Project, visit the Next Mile Project website.