Social Innovation Forum
Social Innovation Forum Coworking Space at One Congress Street in Boston
With generous sponsorship from the Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation, the Social Innovation Forum (SIF) is offering up to six months of subsidized coworking membership to individuals/nonprofit organizations in greater Boston that provide support and promote successful integration and advancement for immigrants, refugees, and asylum-seekers.
Selected organizations will have full access to SIF’s collaborative, community space dedicated to helping nonprofits work productively, build their capacity, and broaden their networks to achieve social impact. In addition to basic office amenities, members have access to workshops, trainings, peer-to-peer network building, and other events and activities to connect more deeply with Boston’s philanthropic and social sector leaders. SIF’s office and coworking space is conveniently located at One Congress Street in downtown Boston, right next to the Haymarket MBTA station and a short walk from Boston City Hall and the State House.
“We believe that the most effective solutions to social issues come from leaders doing on-the-ground work in local communities,” said SIF Executive Director Susan Musinsky. “By offering sponsored office space and access to a range of networking and learning opportunities, we seek to support these leaders as they continue and accelerate their work to support and advance immigrants in our communities.”
We are interested in a range of applicants, including but not limited to those providing workforce development, economic opportunity, education and tutoring, advocacy, legal services, civic engagement, and/or promoting physical and mental health. Organizations with immigrant leadership are strongly encouraged to apply. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until all sponsored coworking spaces are filled. To apply, please complete this short online application and you will be contacted by a member of the SIF team. More information on coworking at SIF is available here.
This program is funded by a Targeted Grant from the Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation. Each year, the Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation provides more than $1.5 million in grants to community-based organizations working for progress on a specific issue or set of issues facing our communities in the Eastern Bank footprint. Grants to these organizations are referred to as Targeted Grants. They are intended to support programming that strengthens our communities and enhances the lives of our neighbors in specific and meaningful ways. In 2017, Eastern bank is focusing its Targeted Grants on the Category of “Supporting Immigrants in our Communities.”
The Social Innovation Forum is also highlighting the issue in its 2017-2018 portfolio. In response to policy changes that are enhancing threats on the rights of immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers across the United States, last spring SIF recruited a group of eight funders who were interested in coming together to sponsor a “social issue track” for our Social Innovator Accelerator. Not only did the members provide enough support to sponsor an accelerator track, but they also decided to fund SIF’s “Capacity Camp” next spring, which will allow SIF to offer a condensed version of the accelerator for six to eight organizations selected from the applicant pool. The selection process for the 2017-2018 nonprofit accelerator is currently underway.
