The Civic Incubator inspires entrepreneurs and strengthens early-stage civic ventures. We embrace service and civic engagement as fundamental to a purposeful life and essential to healthy communities. We serve as the platform from which entrepreneurs are able to launch and scale new ventures aimed at putting people at the center of change.

The Challenge
Today, we face increasingly complex social problems with limited financial resources. Most traditional institutions – governments, business and nonprofits – are faced with having to do more with less, creating a growing demand for engaging people in problem solving. Fortunately, entrepreneurs are stepping up to meet this challenge. But they are challenged by the proliferation of nonprofits and social enterprises – 1.5 million with 50,000 created each year. Those who do achieve exposure find that there is a lack of risk capital and support services, making it difficult to launch ambitious programs. As a result, innovative ideas often dissipate before becoming real and meaningful solutions. Simply stated – most start-up civic ventures fail.

Our Beliefs
People want to help more than ever. Human capital is the one resource that is truly renewable. As the world has become more interconnected, ordinary citizens have an unprecedented power to create big change. We believe that innovation begins with entrepreneurs. New ventures are the most promising and fertile ground to uncover the breakthrough innovations needed to “split the civic atom.”

Our Solutions
We act as a catalyst for social entrepreneurs who are launching new ventures aimed at inspiring, equipping or mobilizing people to affect positive change. We help civic entrepreneurs in three ways:

• Civic Accelerator: We are launching one of the nation’s first startup accelerator programs focused on social entrepreneurs and nonprofit leaders. The program will include peer support, mentoring, entrepreneur education, networking, funding and other initiatives. If you are working on an idea or startup that puts people at the center of change and would like to learn more, INQUIRE HERE.

• Ventures in Residence: We help entrepreneurs launch, grow and scale their civic ventures. We provide strategic and tactical support for a period of one to three years including strategy, marketing, human resources, technology and resource development. In addition, ventures are able to leverage our 501(c)(3) status through a fiscal agent relationship. A sample of our civic ventures includes generationOn, AmeriCorps Alums and Fuse Corps. If you are interested in applying to be a venture in residence at Points of Light, please APPLY HERE.

• Mergers & Joint Ventures: As we collectively build a vibrant nonprofit sector, consolidation can create new efficiencies and broaden reach. We actively pursue and evaluate mergers and joint ventures between organizations and Points of Light to advance a shared mission around service and civic engagement.
  

Together, these approaches create a comprehensive and specialized way to help civic entrepreneurs launch and scale their ideas. These ideas become programs, social enterprises, nonprofits and joint ventures – each aimed at putting people at the center of change and advancing civic engagement around the world.

For more information on any of these programs, please email us at: civicincubator@PointsofLight.org.