Social Innovation &

Crowd Funding

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What is Social Innovation?

in designing and manufacturing consumer products or in processing and delivering services

are created by blending certain aspects of two or more traditional models or adopting a different perspective to find a working solution

when developing new methods and tools aside from the current practices and equipment or their alternatives

How Crowd Funding Works

an individual or organization seeks

funding from interested donors

like-minded people visit a website or attend a fundraising event for a specific project or campaign

people pledge or donate any amount within a suggested range (i.e. $5 to $100)

Vector graphics by andrea-prieto via Flickr.com

donors, in turn, receive a gift of equal value (i.e. a handwritten Thank You note or a handcrafted object)

Unlike in traditional fundraising, there’s equity in crowd funding. All donors receive something in return.

Benefits of Crowd Funding swiftly reach the target

amount generosity is rewarded

handsomely creates a community of

supporters/followers for the project

people may contribute any amount from $1 to $1000 (or more), depending on the state of their finances

Most importantly…Social innovation creates new social relationships or collaborations between various sectors that provides sustainable rewards for the whole community.

social media helps spread the word

Research Funded by

Corporations

Photo Credit: Kevin Krejci via Compfight under Creative Commons

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Benefits of Corporate Funding

There’s a continuous cash flow for re-stocking laboratory supplies and

for repairs/replacements of specialized tools and

lab equipment.

Research grants from companies offer higher subsidies and additional perks to college students

and faculties in major universities.

Unlike government projects, collaborative

research by university lab rats and market

intelligence companies don’t spend tax dollars. 4

Scientific breakthroughs from corporate-funded research contributed to

the development of highly effective methods

and technologies.

Flat HTS wires (right) conduct as much electricity as thecopper cables (left), but with 100% loss-less efficiency

Photo Copyrighted © All rights reserved by American Superconductor

Large amounts of money awarded to each State or government agency every year for discreet spending on social welfare, health care, public education, and other community projects.

Often awarded to qualified individuals/organizations with project proposals oriented towards clinical or health studies. It covers three years‘ worth of laboratory and fieldwork expenses.

The grant money is calculated based on measurable factors, like the total population of a city or state, the number of individuals or households living under the poverty line, etc.

These refer to government budgets, which demand specific amounts (in percentage) set aside for certain programs, such as Medicaid and the Food Stamp Program. The legislation narrowly defines how, where, when, why, and for whom the money is spent.

Types of Government Grants

Learn more about ongoing issues in getting financial support formedical research, education, housing, and community development projects.