Innovation from Within Redefining How Nonprofits Solve Problems

The nonprofit sector has seen more diversity and change in the past 25 years than ever before, while there has also been an explosion of interest from across sectors in finding new solutions to social problems. We are in the midst of an entrepreneurial moment, as doers and makers have unprecedented access to crowdfunding and it has never been easier or cheaper to start a business or a foundation. And yet, often overlooked among these shiny new objects the flood of start-ups that spring up daily is the untapped potential of new ideas that can emerge from inside already established agencies, companies, and nonprofits. To build the capacity for innovation requires attention to building organizations and individuals who are ready and have the right tools to develop, implement, and sustain innovations. Innovation from Within provides a framework specific for nonprofits through the Nonprofit Innovation Model (IN Model). The IN Model guides leaders in developing and implementing innovation from within their own nonprofit organization. The time has come to get more people into the business of solving problems in extraordinary ways and to amplify the impact of the field of social innovation by bringing along the people who provide the bulk of services and impact. This book is the guide and a call to action for building that momentum. Innovation from Within is divided into two distinct parts to provide readers with an opportunity to think about the context of and concepts around social innovation before getting into the work. Part 1 is about redefining social innovation for the nonprofit context and Part 2 is about action. This book is meant to outline the social innovation environment and set the stage for innovation work within existing nonprofit agencies.

Stephanie Berzin, PhD, MSSW, is an Associate Professor, Chair of Social Innovation + Leadership, and Chair of the Children, Youth, and Families Concentration at the Boston College School of Social Work. As co-founder of the Social Innovation + Leadership Program, Dr. Berzin co-led the curriculum redesign and the development of the strategic vision for social innovation at the school. Dr. Berzin also serves as Co-Director of the Center for Social Innovation, where she conducts research and supports organizational capacity-building around innovation and intrapreneurship. Humberto Camarena, MSW, is a professor and administrator at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile School of Social Work where he teaches social innovation and develops social projects with government, nonprofit, and for-profit organizations. Prior to this, he was the Assistant Director of the Boston College Center for Social Innovation and directed the implementation of multiple interorganizational social innovation labs in Latin America.