Community Wealth Collaborative

New Orleans Community Wealth Workshop Series

Program Overview

Information Session

Application for the New Orleans Community Wealth Workshop Series

Selection Criteria

Program Overview

To assist New Orleans nonprofits develop or grow earned-income business ventures to achieve greater mission impact, the Greater New Orleans Foundation, the Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations and the Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation have partnered with Community Wealth Ventures to launch the New Orleans Community Wealth Workshop Series.

The New Orleans Community Wealth Workshop Series is a 6-month business planning process that helps a select number of high-performing nonprofit organizations with the development or expansion of a social enterprise business. Nonprofits selected to participate are engaged in a rigorous business planning process and gain access to tools, frameworks and business experts to help them launch a new business or expand an existing business. Workshop Series participants build social enterprises while honing business skills, empowering them to have a lasting impact on their nonprofit organizations.

The goal of the Workshop Series is for all participants to complete a business plan and launch or grow a viable business. The revenue generated from the business provides the nonprofit organization with more independence in creating programs and services to fulfill its mission.

The Workshop Series consists of monthly peer learning sessions and three customized consulting phone check-ins across the six month period.

Peer Learning Workshops

The Workshop Series will kick-off with a two day workshop and five subsequent one-day workshops focused on key business topics that contribute to the development of a successful earned income venture. Topics covered include: market research, financial analysis, competitive analysis, pricing and capitalization. In addition, three of the sessions will feature a notable business expert who serves as a guest speaker, sharing his/her personal stories and success and challenges. Peer learning workshops are conducted once a month during a six-month timeframe.

Customized Consulting Phone Check-Ins

The CWV consultant team offers three one-on-one phone check-ins with each participating organizations to assist the teams in applying the concepts learned during the peer learning workshops to their own ventures and organizations.

Benefits of Participation

Workshop Series participants will receive business planning and venture development assistance, which will result in a focused business plan to guide the growth of the venture. Other benefits include:

Access to experts in the fields of social enterprise and business development;
A proven methodology for planning and launching a social enterprise, along with assessment tools and research support; and
In-depth monthly interaction and collaboration with peer nonprofit organizations.

Information Session

Community Wealth Ventures facilitated an information session for New Orleans area nonprofit organizations interested in learning how to apply to the Community Wealth Initiative.

The information session was held on June 11th, 2008.

Application for the New Orleans Community Wealth Workshop Series

The New Orleans Community Wealth Workshop Series application process consists of two rounds: Round I and Round II.

Round I. We are currently accepting Round I applications. Organizations must submit a complete written application, along with all required documents.

DOWNLOAD THE ROUND 1 APPLICATION HERE

Completed applications are due to Community Wealth Ventures no later than July 9th. Applications must be submitted electronically and attachments can be sent electronically or via standard mail. Standard mail attachments must be received by July 7th. Handwritten applications or incomplete applications will not be accepted. All Round I decisions will be made and communicated by August 8th.

Round II. Organizations selected to proceed to Round II participate in a telephone interview. Final selection will be made and communicated by September 5th.

Selection Criteria

Community Wealth Ventures will select 6-8 nonprofits in New Orleans to participate. Selected candidates will have the strongest mix of the following characteristics:

Entrepreneurial culture.
Assets to be leveraged into earned income.
Experience with earned income or market-based ventures.
Strength of venture or venture idea.
Financial stability.
Operational capacity and stability.
Commitment and enthusiasm for social enterprise and the Workshop Series.
Strong leadership that is able to make decisions and is accountable for results.

Contact Us

Sara Brenner
202.478.6548