As the EPCON 2010: Engaged Philanthropy Conference ticked away excitement began to fill the air. The winner for the 2010 Social Entrepreneurs Cup — an award celebrating Minnesota’s most innovative and effective social entrepreneurs — was about to be announced. Hundreds of social ventures applied and now only four remained: Acara Institute, a sustainable business thinktank; Mind Body Solutions, an innovative yoga provider for the disabled; developing-world solar lamp provider Bright New Ideas; and Springboard for the Arts, an artist-focused economic community development organization.
And the runner-up is… Bright New Ideas! The second place award is a $5,000 general operating grant and 20 hours of consulting services from Social Venture Partners Minnesota.
And now for the winner of the Social Entrepreneurs Cup, a $20,000 general operating grant and 40 hours of pro bono consulting… Springboard for the Arts!
Laura Zabel, Executive Director of Springboard for the Arts, couldn’t contain her excitement, “It was such an exciting day!” She exclaimed. “It was like winning an Oscar.”
The Social Entrepreneurs Cup is a state-wide competition sponsored by Social Venture Partners Minnesota — one of 26 Social Venture Partner chapters in Japan and North America — and the Minneapolis Foundation to seek out and invest in Minnesota’s most promising social ventures. Every Social Venture Partners is a network of civic philanthropists who are driven to positively impact their communities by using innovative strategies to address complex social issues. However, the award means more than just a monetary prize and hours of business expertise. “It was an endorsement of our work,” says Zabel. “It showed us that developing a healthy creative community is important to a lot of different people.”
After the award
Springboard for the Arts has been indefatigable since winning the award last June. Their efforts in artist healthcare — the key to initially grabbing the attention of Social Venture Partners Minnesota — are particularly notable:
- Two new health clinic partnerships with People’s Center Health Services and Everspring Health (in addition to the Neighborhood Involvement Project, their inaugural healthcare partner) providing free and affordable healthcare for artists.
- 2010 artist health fair attracting over 200 artists and offering free workshops and screenings.
- Initial replication strategy for scaling the artist healthcare program nationwide.
- Plans for a dental health fair this Spring
On June 16 at EPCON 2011: The Engaged Philanthropy Conference, Springboard for the Arts will return to the conference with an unabridged update of their work and the Social Entrepreneurs Cup will be awarded to yet another worthy social venture.
Applications for the Social Entrepreneurs Cup are still being accepted through April 15.
Community question: What can for-profits learn from social entrepreneurs and vice versa?
