Introducing iVolunteer’s Social Innovation Challenge

Through the years, iVolunteer had provided tremendous support to individuals who were just starting their volunteer journey. Every “Start Your Adventure” talk, volunteer community meet-up, GO! Volunteer Expo, and micro-volunteering opportunity we’ve had on our website were powered by that same goal. And while these projects will remain as the core of our operations, we’ve also thought that it’s about time we celebrate the growth of those whom we’ve seen grow with us in the last few years or so.

A call for volunteer leaders

Recently, we’ve noticed more volunteers in our community mature and become ambassadors that inspire others to volunteer. In order to support these future leaders, iVolunteer Philippines is launching our Social Innovation Challenge (SIC), an incubation program where we will help volunteer leaders develop and implement their existing social idea.

The 30-week program will provide volunteer leaders opportunity to get:

1. Workshops that will fuel their idea and get them started.
2. A support group with fellow innovators and mentors from the development sector.
3. A chance to pitch to corporations for potential support.
4. Access to the iVolunteer platform and network.

If you think you’re up for the challenge, we encourage you to sign up here.

With that said, we really hope to see you take part in the Social Innovation Challenge, so that together, we can continue building towards a better Philippines!

How does the SIC work?

1. Volunteer leaders who want to start their own social innovation can join the program.
2. Participants can join as an individual or as a pair with the same idea.
3. The Social Innovation Challenge is open for applicants in Metro Manila.
4. Volunteer leaders must have at least one (1) year of volunteering experience with a single organization or with accumulated experience in helping multiple organizations.
5. The program will run from July 2019 to March 2020 and will include networking opportunities, workshops, and mentorship from both the development and private sectors. The participants must be ready to commit through the duration of the program.
6. Volunteer leaders should already have a clear concept on a potential solution to an existing social challenge and a partner community in mind.
7. The idea should be non-profit during the incubation period and must have potential to engage volunteers and give them a clear opportunity to be involved in the solution.
8. Each participant will be required to submit a bond of Php 5,000.00, in cash or in check, to ensure everyone’s commitment to the program. The bond shall be returned in full after the program is completed.
9. The idea that creates the best impact after the incubation will receive a package that will support their project. This will be announced on a later date. The criteria will include the impact of the volunteer’s idea to their community as well as the number of volunteers engaged throughout the process.
10. Accomplished registration forms should be sent here. Deadline of submission is on June 21. If you are joining as a pair, each member will need to apply separately. No guarantee that both members will be accepted.

Do I need to do this full-time?

No. You can do this as a part-time volunteer. The workshops and mentoring sessions will be scheduled on Saturday and Sundays, just make sure you are available during weekends.

Why is there a need for the Php 5,000 bond?

The value of the program will certainly be more than Php 5,000 and we are giving the entire program for free including the venue, trainers, speakers, and food. We want to make sure that the slots are valued and not wasted by the selected participants especially since slots will be limited.

I’m already with an NGO, but I have this idea that I don’t know how to execute, can I still join the SIC?

Yes, you can! We are open to participants who are part of an existing organization or planning to set-up a new institution.

Where do I sign up?

You can simply fill out this form to register. Once we’re done screening the entries, we’ll reach out to all of those who sent their applications, regardless if they were accepted to the program or not.

The Social Innovation Challenge will look to prepare experienced volunteers for a bigger role in the community. Along with iVolunteer Philippines and our partner Non-profit Organizations (NPO), we believe that this will help volunteer leaders inspire more individuals to start their own volunteer journey and make a lasting impact in our country.