Application submission is now open! Applications will be accepted until June 29th, 2012.  Note that all early-stage innovators are *required* to participate in one of the workshops as part of the application process.  Learn about workshops here.

Reserve time on your calendar for the final competition, on the afternoon/evening of October 18th 2012 at the Seattle Center!

Applying to participate in SIFP is easy - it should take under two hours for most applicants. Before applying, please review:

  1. "Who Can Apply" section lower on this page;
  2. "Selection Criteria" section lower on this page;
  3. Our Gust application requirements lower on this page; 
  4. The scoring rubric that our application screeners will use to score applications and determine which teams advance to the quarterfinals;
  5. Our FAQ.

After that, you're ready for our online application process, which is managed using a separate web service called Gust. We have customized the application to meet the requirements for SIFP as much as possible. However, not-for-profit groups and early stage social entrepreneurs may find some questions that are not applicable. That's OK! (You can simply enter 0 in a field that does not apply to you).

Click here to transfer to the Gust site and enter your application. It will take around 2 hours, depending on the state of your materials.

 Final Application Deadline: Friday, June 29th, 2012 at 11:59pm PDT.

NOTE: If you have questions or comments on the application process or eligibility criteria, please take a look at our FAQ for answers, and if you don't see one, take a look at our blog, and if still not answered, please post your question to the blog. We will endeavor to post answers there within two business days.

 

For examples of who has applied to SIFP in the past and been accepted into the program, please check out our SIFP Seattle 2011 quarterfinalists.

 

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Who Can Apply for These Social Innovation Workshops and Funds?

From very early ideas to established organizations, SIFP is here to help. Over a five-month incubation period (Mid-May through mid-October), our workshops, mentors and volunteer consultants will coach Puget Sound area nonprofits and for-profit social enterprises to assess strengths and weaknesses, refine their business models, support their team, and articulate their innovation.

Yes, it's true: organizations best poised to win the October 18th SIFP Finale at Seattle Center will have to have their act together. But no matter what stage an organization is in when they apply, we'll help forty innovative social impact entrepreneurs or nonprofit leaders get on the path to winning for their organization and for our community. 

SIFP programs are relevant for nonprofit, hybrid and for-profit business models that address critical social issues with business rigor and the promise of sustainability. The business models should provide donors and investors with attractive social and/or financial returns. For-profit entities which apply for SIFP should ensure that the social mission is deeply embedded in, and a central component of, the business model.

Any applicant must be operating in -- and have substantial impact in -- the Puget Sound area. Social innovation of all forms will be competitive for SIFP 2012. Example areas we expect to see significant innovation in include:

Protect our environmentProtecting and sustaining our environment.

EducateEducating everyone, from cradle to career.

StrengthenStrengthening individuals' health, and that of the entire community.

EmpowerEmpowering our youth as social entrepreneurs.

  

Newness and Politics

For existing organizations, 501c(3) or for-profit entities, we are looking for new innovations that are clearly differentiated from mainstream programs which have the ability to find funding in many other ways. Specifically, an organization must have been formed (or restarted) within the past three years, or a program in an established organization must have been created in the same timeframe. For programs within established organizations, the program must have largely dedicated leadership and an independent budget (as shown on internal budgeting reports, audit statements or another convincing manner).

Non-profits that have not yet received their 501c3 designation from the IRS may still apply. However, before you compete in the semifinal competition and/or receive a grant, you will need to either have secured the designation, or secured a fiscal sponsor who has an appropriate IRS designation. Youth teams participating via Ashoka are exempt from this requirement.

Grants cannot be provided to organizations which conduct any kind of lobbying as defined by a 501c(4) status.

 

Established and Early-Stage Organizations

While SIFP is looking for new innovation in all cases (as defined above), we are equally interested in finding and supporting innovation within established organizations as we are in seeing new organizations created. To be considered an Established Organization (and eligible to compete for the $25,000 grant targeted only to such nonprofit organizations), you must meet the following criteria:

  • IRS nonprofit designation letter attached to your application (or letter from fiscal sponsor along with their IRS letter);
  • At least one full year of program operation in the Puget Sound area;
  • Annual budget of over $100,000 in the last year.

Any nonprofit organization or program not meeting the above criteria will be considered an Early-Stage organization for the purposes of the SIFP competition.

*These awards are not applicable to for-profit organizations. For for-profit investment prizes, please see our Investments page. 

 

Selection Criteria for Social Innovation

The SIFP program encourages social innovation within both established organizations as well as new organizations. Social innovation comes in all shapes and sizes, using both for-profit and non-profit models. The SIFP team will not prescribe different forms of innovation. We're interested in seeing applications that address all forms of social needs in the Puget Sound area (and more broadly as well). Key critera are:

      • Innovation – Is this approach or idea novel and unique? Does it stand out in its approach? Is the innovation new to Puget Sound (< 3 years)? For more on measuring innovation, please see the rubric.  
      • Demonstrated tangible societal impact – Does your organization address an important social issue? Is it already having or likely to have a significant impact?
      • Sustainability – Has the organization determined how to create longevity and scalability for the mission? Is the business model clear?

 

Other important concepts that will give applicants an edge in the competition:

      • Understanding of Market. Does the leadership of the organization understand market dynamics, challenges, opportunities, and competition? 
      • Technology for Social Gain. Innovative applications of technology, including hardware, software and/or web services, to drive sustainable low-cost social impact. 
      • Collective Impact & Collaboration. New collaborations that increase impact and decrease cost in servicing missions of multiple organizations, or proposals for extending "collective action" models of system change. 
      • Local Impact, Global Relevance. Local operations that also have national and/or international replicability.

 

Understanding the Gust Application 

Before starting this application process, please make sure you have reviewed application criteria on this website.

1. The application should be filled out by (or in the name of) the person who will be presenting at SIFP. If different names/emails are used, those people will have to forward mails to the SIFP program participant.

2. Translation of Gust terms for Nonprofits:
product = program
founded-date = date of a program founded
revenue = budget

3. A for-profit application must provide a one minute video statement by the founder talking about her/his organization's social impact in (at least) the Puget Sound. For non-profits, such a video is optional.

4. In 2011, many applicants did not advance because they did not effectively demonstrate their innovation. Your articulation and implementation of an innovation strategy is critical to application acceptance and success.

5. Unless you include the word STEALTH (in uppercase) as part of your organization name in your application, we will share on our website your company name, area(s) of your operation, one-liner description, and the one-pager that you attach.

6. Keep the four key criteria on which your application will be judged in mind: Social Impact, New Innovation, Team, and Sustainability.