Deadline: 14-Oct-20
The Innovation Fund is The Workers Lab’s signature program. They invest in leaders who are ready to move their ideas forward, to learn, and share their learnings so that others can build on them.
This cycle comes at a time when lots of people are trying to come back – to school or work, or from taking some time off, if they’re lucky. For many workers, the notion of coming back was never a notion at all. They had no choice but to keep going to work to support their families and their communities. This cycle is aimed at supporting them.
They will be accepting applications from every community in the country, and they’re especially interested in seeding innovation from under-resourced areas, rural areas, and California’s Inland Empire and Central Valley regions.
Open to a range of ideas focused on the various kinds of that support workers, their families, and communities need to come back stronger. They are particularly interested in new ideas that promote quality jobs and shared prosperity.
As always, they especially want to uncover new ideas for and from workers in communities of color. This means workers and worker leaders, local and community leaders, pastors and priests, teachers and lawyers, social entrepreneurs and small business owners.
They seek submissions from social entrepreneurs who:
- Rebuild businesses by Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC);
- Stimulate quality jobs everywhere, especially in rural communities;
- Rethink or expand the social contract with workers, including public benefits, and more.
Funding Information
- The Innovation Fund award winners receive $150,000 and 12 months of support to test their ideas.
Eligibility Criteria
- Non-profit organizations or fiscally sponsored projects;
- Public sector entities;
- For-profit and/or social enterprises.
Selection Process
- Open Call
- This project addresses a critical problem facing workers today.
- This project proposes an innovative solution that directly addresses the outlined problem.
- This project has a clear approach to helping workers come back stronger.
- This project outlines clear S.M.A.R.T. goals.
- This team has the skills and experience needed to successfully execute this project.
- Semi-Finals
- This project has thoughtfully considered how to maximize The Innovation Fund dollars and raise new funding sources to advance this project.
- This project has a strong process for continuous learning and generating real-time insights.
- The project leader can convey a clear and compelling pitch by video. We’re looking for compelling content, not video quality
- Finals
- Showcase pitch.
- Q&A with TWL Board of Directors
For more information, visit https://www.theworkerslab.com/innovationfund
