Provider and Academic Leaders in Innovation Share Experiences and Lessons Learned

(Pictured L-R: Michael Weekes, Lyndia Downie, James Gomes, David Jordan, Kristen McCormack)

A panel of Pine Street Inn's Lyndia Downie, Boston University's Kristen McCormack and Seven Hills Foundation's David Jordan joined keynote speaker James Gomes and moderator Michael Weekes to share their experiences in innovation.

Downie, President & CEO of the Pine Street Inn discussed two examples in particular that helped her agency save and even generate revenue, while building collaborative partnerships with other agencies.  The first example Downie shared was her agency's decision to use the infrastructure the Inn's kitchen already had in place to prepare meals that could be sold to smaller agencies.  Because the Inn already had the equipment, staff, and talent for  preparing 2,000 meals for their guests, this revenue generator was a natural existing of their exiting mission and operations.

The second innovative change Downie implemented required tough decisions following an honest assessment of their strengths and where their resources were being spent.  The Inn had been using internal resources to provide clothing for their guests, but found the amount of resources, time, and labor required was a significant drain on their agency.  However, by looking at this as an opportunity for innovation they were able to partner Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries, who collect and distribute vast amounts of clothing as a function of their mission.  For more details on Pine Street Inn's innovative transformations, see their case study and others on The Boston Foundation's Nonprofit Forum: Building Resilient Nonprofit Organizations.

Jordan, President & CEO of the Seven Hills Foundation and Entrepreneur-In-Residence at Clark University, and McCormack, faculty director of Boston University's Public & Nonprofit Management Program both shared anecodes of continuously increasing student interest in social entrepreneurship.  McCormack stressed the importance of current leaders looking to Gen Y graduates for ideas on innovation, stressing that they are energized, creative, and eager to make an impact.

Jordan also stressed that his entrepreneurial interests are very specifically tied to his desire to bring funds back to their mission-driven programming.  Rather than create new ventures his agency has made deliberate, researched equity investments in businesses, including a 37% share of Sequest Technologies, a Providers' Council Business Member that provides electronic medical records solutions to behavioral health, correctional health, substance abuse, and other providers.

The panelists all provided useful examples of how they have generated revenue for their organizations that lead to many exciting discussions in our breakout sessions.  The results of those breakout sessions will be summarized shortly. 

Until then, here are some of the major reoccurring themes that any nonprofit considering entreprenuership, collaboration, or other innovative solutions:

• be honest with yourselves as a staff and board about where your strengths and weaknesses are, as this assessment is a crucial first step before new endeavors should be considered
• innovation often requires tough choices
• it's more important than ever to educate your board and your staff about trends in the sector and start talking about what your agency can do differently
• innovation can come in the form of new projects, as well as stopping or finding new partners to provide functions you once handled internally
• organizations should look within their mission and operations when considering opportunities to generate revenue

Has your agency undertaken or considered a social enterprise, collaborative project, or other innovative solution for generating revenue?  Please use the comments to share your experiences, ask questions, or provide feedback on our recap of the discussion.