On Thursday, Nov. 7, venture philanthropy fund A Better Chicago hosted its second annual Project Impact competition.
One of four nonprofit finalists, this year’s winner wasEMBARC (Empowering Minds, Building Achievement and Reconnecting Communities). Each finalist produced a dramatic TED Talk-style presentation (watch EMBARC’s video below) and fielded questions from high-profile judges in front of an audience of 250 people.
By winning Project Impact, EMBARC earned a $100,000 grant and 12 months of management support from A Better Chicago (ABC) volunteers to help expand its program beyond the 200 Harper High School students it currently serves. The other nonprofit finalists—Intrinsic Schools, New Classrooms and Project SYNCERE—each received $20,000.
All of Chicagoland is the real winner, though, because the event affirms and raises awareness of social entrepreneurship efforts. Our community abounds with innovative, committed individuals determined to improve education and empowerment opportunities for urban youth. Project Impact highlights this and provides rocket-fuel support for early-stage nonprofits already demonstrating effective practices. Furthermore, this support mirrors that given annually by ABC to other nonprofits selected for its investment portfolio.
“We launched Project Impact to build a movement around social innovation in Chicago,” explains ABC Founder Liam Krehbiel. “Over the past couple years, we’ve engaged a broad cross section of funders, business leaders and the general public to help select and support some really high-potential organizations. We’re only getting started, but we’re excited about the momentum we’ve built so far.”
The Project Impact panel of judges included Gillian Darlow, Chief Executive Officer of the Polk Bros. Foundation, Thomas Elden, Chief Executive Officer of Origami Capital Partners, Matt Ferguson, Chief Executive Officer of CareerBuilder, David Jacobson, Vice Chairman of BMO Financial Group, Timothy Knowles, John Dewey Director of the University of Chicago Urban Education Institute, and Desiree Rogers, Chief Executive Officer of Johnson Publishing Company. These business stars, as well as ABC’s committed board and the impressive Project Impact audience, showcase greater potential impact.
“We want to continue building energy around social innovation in Chicago. We are off to a good start, but there is a lot more work to do,” says ABC Managing Director Kate Attea. “We also hope to build a track record which demonstrates that Project Impact truly accelerates the growth of our region’s most promising nonprofits.”
As for this year’s Project Impact winner, EMBARC immerses students in social and cultural enrichment experiences and provides career development, life skills and academic support services to the Harper High School participants in order to improve their academic achievement. The prizes from winning Project Impact should allow EMBARC to quickly grow elsewhere in Chicago.
https://youtu.be/lG_JoYGIq40
In the first half of 2014, ABC will announce additional nonprofits selected for its investment portfolio and will hold an annual gala, which is projected to raise upward of $1 million. Make It Better is proud to be a media sponsor of not only Project Impact, but also these additional ABC venture philanthropy activities.
Photo: Student at work at LEARN Charter School, one of A Better Chicago’s grantees
