Social Innovations Lab provides unique opportunity to create, test and execute innovative ideas for the social sector.
The Woods Services Foundation announced $100,000 in seed funding for six projects resulting from the Social Innovations Lab recently held at Woods Services. The 2nd annual Social Innovations Lab ran from June 2018 through late September for 30 staff from Woods and its affiliate organizations during which they could propose a solution to a social problem, improve the delivery of services, develop a new line of business, or create a social enterprise.
Woods partnered with the Social Innovations Institute to offer lab experiences that were designed to cultivate, test and execute creative ideas and strengthen entrepreneurship and innovative thinking. During the Lab, staff generated ideas about how Woods and its affiliates may enhance services or develop new ones, improve upon policies or systems, have a greater social impact, and/or enhance the employee experience. Staff participated either as individuals or as teams.
The six proposals receiving funding include:
- The Artist out of the Woods proposal was awarded $10,000 to produce and sell artwork created by Woods’ residents as income for residents as well as support for the art therapy
program. - The Heartfelt Adventures proposal was awarded $5,000 to develop a competitively priced social recreational program for Woods Community at Brian’s House.
- The Leadership Development proposal was awarded $37,800 to pilot a training and coaching program designed around the principles of emotional intelligence that will develop leaders for the Woods organization who will support and drive Woods transformation initiative into the next 100+ years.
- The Sanctuary Room 2.0 proposal was awarded $15,000 to create a room and resources that address secondary traumatic stress and staff burnout for Tabor Services.
- The Social Market Garden proposal was awarded $5,000 to pilot the production and sale of organic vegetables grown by Woods residents as an employment opportunity.
- The Flower and Gift Shop proposal was awarded $24,200 to develop a retail social enterprise run by Archway Programs in similar style to Woods’ Yellow Daffodil Flower and Gift Shop.
Woods Services is a 501(c)(3) non-profit multi-service population health management and advocacy organization that provides innovative, comprehensive and integrated health, education, housing, workforce, behavioral health and case management services to more than 4,000 children and adults in the intellectual and developmental disability, child welfare, behavioral and brain trauma public health sectors who have complex and intensive medical and behavioral healthcare needs.
