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.

Our Stories

Looking to get a sense of how Innoweave works? Discover the journeys of transition that we have been able to support since our launch in 2012. Through articles and videos, learn about some of the great organizations that have used the Innoweave coaching streams to improve their impact.

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Working with Innoweave

Exploring how social sector organizations can create impact

Innoweave helps community organizations learn about the different social innovation approaches and how applying them can enhance their impact. Its website offers a range of social innovation tools, such as case studies, webinars and workshop opportunities. Learn more at Innoweave.ca.

These tools have been curated from leading social innovation sources throughout Canada and across the world to provide a range of avenues to help organizations create greater impact and support large-scale change. Innoweave.ca lists each of these tools and approaches in its coaching streams, along with examples of how they can be implemented in different cases.

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

Innoweave’s numerous social innovation tools help community organizations create an approach that is tailored to their needs. Through workshops and online learning platforms, teams can develop an actionable plan to incorporate a new, innovative approach into their work and foster greater impact.

Creating change and building capacity for future impact enhancement.

Once an organization or collaborative has a good idea of how it will develop a new model for impact, it will have access to tailored, one-on-one support. Coaching applications are reviewed three times a year. Learn more about implementation support here.

When organizations work with an Innoweave coach, they begin to implement their innovative ideas and build their internal capacity to foster innovation and large-scale change in other aspects of their work. Hundreds of organizations have successfully completed Innoweave coaching. The national network of coaches is available to work in any community.

How We Support Change

Funder

We have provided major, multi-year financial support to the following organizations: the Tamarack Institute for the Vibrant Communities-Cities Reducing Poverty initiative; Centraide for its Collective Impact Project that fosters neighbourhood

We have provided major, multi-year financial support 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 occasionally contribute to smaller projects or 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

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.

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News 02 April 2020

Innoweave: Crisis Leadership Resources

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News 28 March 2015

Innoweave: New partnership to reduce social isolation for seniors

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News 20 September 2014

Innoweave Update: Innovation thrives across Canada

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News 01 December 2016

ENRICHES: Caring for the caregivers

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