For the first time ForSE 2009: Forum for Social Entrepreneurs, will have a pitch contest for aspiring social entrepreneurs. If you have an idea with significant social impact, here is your chance to pitch it and to wow a panel of expert judges and win a prize. Send in a short summary of your idea to pitch@tie-se.org
Complete details on the contest are below.
Pitching SE: How Good Leaders Sell Smart Ideas
Cutting through the clutter to get the attention of foundations and other social investors is not easy. To win donor support, SE leaders must sell clear and compelling stories that differentiate them from other organizations.
Pitching SE is your opportunity to refine your pitch, focus your ideas and wow a panel of seasoned judges. A panel of experienced non-profit and social investors will evaluate your pitch, and provide feedback and constructive advice.
Eligibility
You don’t need a business plan – just a business idea with significant social impact.
Your idea can be for a non-profit or for-profit or any combination.
It needs to be early stage/less than a year old – operations started after September 1, 2008.
How to apply
Applicants should be a registered attendee for ForSE 2009.
Applicants should mail the following information to pitch@tie-se.org by 11.59 pm October 14, 2009.
- Name of organization.
- Names of team members.
- School affiliation (if applicable).
- A two page (1000 word) Executive Summary of the business idea.
- Brief bios (1-2 para) of team members. This will not be counted towards the 2 pg limitation.
Selection process
Entries received will be evaluated by a team consisting of ForSE 2009 organization committee members and judged on the following criteria
- Social Impact
- Innovation
- Feasibility of idea
- Sustainable business model
The top FIVE entries will be notified by October 17th and will be asked to present to the panel of judges at ForSE 2009 on October 23rd at 3 pm. All other entries will be eligible for the Wild Card selection which will happen live during the Pitching SE session on the day of the conference. The panel of judges at the Pitching SE session will, at their discretion and time permitting, select up to two additional entries to pitch.
Final Pitching SE Session
The selected finalists will have two minutes to pitch their ideas to a panel of judges and the conference audience. Following their presentations, the panel of judges will ask clarifying questions of the finalist. The judges will score the presenters on the following criteria:
- Innovation
- Potential Social Impact
- Feasibility
- Sustainability of model
- Presentation clarity and persuasiveness
After the five finalists have completed their presentations, the judges, at their discretion, will select up to two additional Wild Card entries to pitch. Entrants need to be present to qualify. These Wild Card entries will also be evaluated on the same criteria and will be eligible for the awards. All the presentation scores will be tallied and a winner identified by the end of the Pitching SE Session.
Awards
The winning finalist will be eligible for a combination of monetary and in kind consulting award.
The Social Ecosystem 