I am writing to invite you to participate in an experiment of sorts... a scan aimed at understanding how innovation works in small (<$500,000) and mid-size (<$2.9m) nonprofit orgs. This project was created to collect and share information how organizations come up with innovative ideas and new solutions and to ascertain whether or not organizations currently use innovation strategies (specific tools and practices) to support social innovation.

The experimental part of this project is getting folks to participate from the broader community. Normally, this kind of work might center around individual interviews with somewhat known constituents. Instead, we wanted to experiment with building a wiki to see if people would add their thoughts and ideas on innovation practices in a way that was accessible to many. The hope is that the wiki will not only gather some good information that can inspire future investigation, but also provide a space for peer-to-peer learning that will engage participants and build interest in innovation methods.

We created a both the wiki and a survey so participants can choose the instrument that most fits their technology preference.

You can find the wiki here:
http://npo-innovation.wikispaces.com/

Or take the survey here:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=OJN7cmDHHThtE5IGj5lIkg_3d_3d

The project came from a desire to better understand attitudes about innovation within nonprofits, current practices and use of innovation tools, and opportunities for expanding the way organizations learn about innovation methods, particularly as they apply to engaging constituents in program/service design. This scan is part of a William Davidson Institute fellowship that I am doing with a large national foundation which is interested in improving adoption of constituent-engaged innovation in the nonprofit sector.

Please email me at npo.innovation@gmail.com with any additional questions or feedback.