Social Innovation Fund

New solutions to accelerate positive change

A Fresh Approach

The Social Innovation Fund presents an exciting opportunity to invest in new solutions to accelerate positive change in our community. Join a network of passionate, forward-thinking individuals and organizations committed to incubating new ideas, enhancing technology and expanding small-scale programs to improve lives right here in Central Indiana.

Make a Gift

The top 20 occupations in Indiana in terms of total employment are primarily “maintainer jobs,” jobs that don’t pay enough to support a family of four (defined as a minimum of $26.42/hour).

Up to one-third of the national workforce is working in the “gig economy,” without health insurance, retirement plans, etc. and struggle to pay ongoing monthly expenses or qualify for loans or other financial products that require a regular income.

Social Innovation Fund Details

  • Why Your Gift
    Matters

Why Your Gift
Matters

The Situation

Central Indiana’s community-based organizations work tirelessly to support our most vulnerable neighbors. With the day-to-day intensity of serving those in poverty, little time and resources are left to test innovative approaches that could expand services to more people in need. Barriers to employment such as lack of job skills, family care responsibilities and lack of reliable transportation need to be addressed in innovative ways in order to achieve long-term, successful outcomes.

The Plan

The human services sector is ripe for innovation. While great work is being done on the ground to serve families and individuals in need, poverty is a systemic problem that will not be solved with one magic bullet—policymakers, academics, businesses and social service agencies need to work together to address long-term systemic change and do it with innovative ideas and solutions.

The Support

Today’s millennial generation of donors are more interested in approaches to solving problems to which they have a personal connection and in using technology to have a direct effect. Specifically, in the tech sector, there is growing interest in connecting these natural innovators to the problems that plague our community so that new, innovative solutions can be revealed—and scaled for the greater good of the community.

Donations to the Social Innovation Fund will spark new ideas and fund initiatives that lead to community-wide solutions to the complex problem of poverty.

The Journey Continues

After months of research, analysis and conversations with community partners, donors and volunteers, we are pleased to unveil three new Impact Funds at United Way: the Basic Needs Fund, the Family Opportunity Fund, and the Social Innovation Fund.

These three funds are designed to improve outcomes at a community level, link the interests and passions of our donors to opportunities to improve the lives of tens of thousands of families in Central Indiana who are struggling to make ends meet.

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