To volunteer or learn more about the SIFP Seattle 2012 program, please sign up here.

We are working with professionals in our community that are interested in volunteering to be mentors to (or coaches or experts for) the social innovators in our Social Innovation Fast Pitch competition.  In last year's program, the 75+ volunteers we connected with innovators were incredibly gratified by the experience of supporting such excellent organizations and passionate people.  We're looking to do an even better job of matching expertise with need this year, and doing that in ways that are efficient and effective for all involved.

Volunteer Roles

Mentors, coaches, and voluneteer experts will spend time directly supporting our social innovation applicants. 

This work with the applicants may include everything from helping to screen and score applications to providing suggestions to contestants on refining their business approach, clarifying their mission and goals, reality checking financial projections, and polishing presentation materials as well as pitching skills. Mentors will also advocate for and encourage the social innovators as they move through the program, acting as generalists who bring in others where needed.  

There are a variety of specific roles you could help with, each having a different overall time commitment and specific dates of availability.  They are listed here.  

Philosophy

Our philosophy for engaging with our social innovation candidates is simple: focus on the vision of the innovator and supply your advice where it is beneficial to the clarity and success of the candidate's plan.  To ensure an exciting and rewarding experience for both the candidate and the volunteer, the following principles should be held in mind:

Open:  Be open to vision of the innovator.  Listen carefuly to their passion and approach.  

Guiding and Learning:  Help guide the applicant’s process of forming his or her concept.  Make an equal effort to share your advice while learning from the applicant's perspective.

Constructive:  Engage in efforts that collaboratively build up an ever improving process, focusing on the positive rather than simply pointing out potential pitfalls.

Creative:  Allow the discussions to wander into uncharted territory: test the untested, try the unproven, and view the box from the outside.

Affirming:  An innovator is only as strong as the passion he holds for his idea.  Participate in that passion with them.

Expectations:

It is expected that the combination of mentors, coaches and judges will spend quite a few hours in aggregate volunteering to support social innovation through the SIFP program. Please see the expected time commitments on the Roles page.

Since not every candidate will make it to the final pitch preparation process, some mentors may finish early or ask to hop onto other teams that are moving forward.  In any case, mentors should anticipate being involved at some level over the month of September.

Qualifications / Requirements:

Most of our qualifications run toward having been or worked closely with entrepreneurs, or at least intra-preneurs, in the past.   Having done this in a socially-missoned context is a big plus. Experience could include having had a significant role in an entrepreneurial undertaking such as startup company, early stage group, new non-profit, or innovative or new project in large established org.  Other valuable experiences include having taught entrepreneurship or innovation, having spent a meaningful part of one’s career providing professional or financial services to startups, early stage companies, or non-profits. 

A reasonable number of years in CEO, President/COO, ED roles in traditional companies also qualifies. Prior experience with having been a coach or mentor to a entrepreneur, innovator, project team leader, or involvement in other business plan competitions would also be helpful, but not necessary.