Innoweave

Opportunity

For community organizations across the country, growing demand for services is increasing the strain on resources. Funding expectations are also changing, as new investment priorities emphasize impact and results. Innoweave was established by the McConnell Foundation and partners to support Canadian non-profits and charities in addressing these challenges by being more impact-oriented and continuously innovative. By creating new models and trying new approaches, social sector organizations can achieve even greater results for the people they serve and create a culture of large-scale change and lasting social innovation.

Innoweave works with organizations across the country. In partnership with local networks, it holds working sessions that are accessible in dozens of communities and virtually at Innoweave.ca.

Working with Innoweave

Learning About Social Innovation

Exploring how social sector organizations can create impact

Developing Social Innovation Approaches

Working with Innoweave to build a new idea that will create positive change

Implementing Social Innovation Approaches and Increasing Impact

Creating change and building capacity for future impact enhancement.

Funder

We have provided major, multi-year grants to the following organizations: the Tamarack Institute for the Vibrant Communities-Cities Reducing Poverty initiative; Centraide for its Collective Impact Project that fosters neighbourhood revitalization projects in Montreal; and Evergreen, for developing a national strategy aimed at inclusive urban innovation and channeling unused and underused urban assets into new social purposes. We also have a number of smaller grants, and occasionally we issue calls for proposals for fresh project ideas.

Convener

We bring together various stakeholders to help discover common ground and potential synergies.

Advocate

We champion wellbeing as a key function for schools with government and other stakeholders. We advocate for best (and promising) practices.

Strategic learning partner

As we develop a listening platform and international learning platform, we aspire to bring new ideas back to Canada and to share our country's most promising urban projects with city innovators abroad. We share what we're learning with governments and foundations in Canada and internationally.