Recognizing the importance of nonprofit organizations in enhancing the community’s quality of life, the Community Foundation launched the Community Solutions Incubator in 2017 to help strengthen and grow these important social change agents. Incubator members benefit from networking opportunities, workshops, and seminars — along with limited access to financial support.
Program benefits include:
- Educational training to learn how to start and sustain a nonprofit
- Hands-on mentorship and feedback from professionals experienced in nonprofit management
- Additional free training and resources through CFECI’s Center for Nonprofit Excellence
- Access to a well-resourced co-working space at CFECI’s office location
- Connections and networking through our growing incubator alumni group
- Microgrant upon successful completion of the incubator program (pending funding availability and eligible 501(c)(3) incorporation status)
2024 Program dates:
Incubator members will meet weekly for 10 weeks, February – April 2024 and will complete 5 educational training sessions and 4 mentoring engagements following this schedule. Sessions will be held in-person at CFECI’s office location, 307 W. University Avenue, Champaign.
- Community Needs & Visioning – Tues. Feb. 6, 8:30-10:00 a.m.
- Speed Mentoring Session – Tues. Feb. 13, 8:30-10:00 a.m.
- Basics of Running a Nonprofit – Tues. Feb. 20, 8:30-10:00 a.m.
- Mentoring 1:1 – Tues. Feb. 27, 8:30-10:00 a.m.
- Developing a Strategic Plan – Tues. Mar. 5, 8:30-10:00 a.m.
- Messaging Your Mission – Tues. Mar. 19, 8:30-10:00 a.m.
- Mentoring 1:1 – Tues. Mar. 26, 8:30-10:00 a.m.
- Financial Management for Nonprofits – Tues. Apr. 2, 8:30-10:00 a.m.
- Mentoring 1:1 – Tues. Apr. 9, 8:30-10:00 a.m.
- Celebratory Luncheon – Tues. Apr. 16, 11:30a.m.-1:00 p.m.
Incubator members leave our program with:
- Understanding of the nuts and bolts of running a nonprofit organization
- Technical skills for building organizational infrastructure
- Understanding how to efficiently run a nonprofit
- Skills to form and run your board ethically and effectively
- Understanding how to market the impact of your work and gain supporters
- A network of nonprofit founders and service providers to support you while you grow
The application deadline to join the 2024 cohort of the Community Solutions Incubator closed on January 15, 2024. Please check back to see when the next application will be offered.
Caitlyn Kurtz, Incubator Manager
Center for Nonprofit Excellence Director | Community Foundation of East Central Illinois
Center for Nonprofit Excellence Advisory Group
- Wynne Korr – Chair, Dean Emerita of the School of Social Work at UIUC
- Marc Changnon – CobraVenture at Parkland College Entrepreneurship Facilitator
- Tracy Dace – Founder and CEO, DREAAM
- Lauren Gramly – Business Specialist, Champaign Public Library
- Caitlyn Kurtz – Director, Center for Nonprofit Excellence at the Community Foundation of East Central IL
- Benjamin Lough – Dean of School of Social Work UIUC, Director of Social Innovation at Gies College of Business
- Rebecca McBride – Founder and Executive Director, 4 Osprey
- Mike Royse – Trustee, Community Foundation of East Central Illinois
- Valeri Werpetinski – Social Entrepreneurship Educator & Consultant
- Allison Winter – President & CEO at the Community Foundation of East Central Illinois
- Madeleine Wolske – Director, Small Business Development Center
The Incubator’s Founding Partners are area companies and organizations who have generously offered their skills and knowledge to Incubator members as needed. From marketing to finance to governance to human resources, these organizations represent a diverse and impressive cohort of professionals who will mentor incubator members through one-on-one mentoring, workshop presentations, and networking.
For more information:
email: genevieve@cfeci.org
phone: 217-359-0125
The Community Solutions Incubator believes in the power of social innovation and creativity to address our community’s most significant challenges. And we believe that local community members are best able to identify our unique problems and offer effective solutions.
At the Community Solutions Incubator, emerging and young nonprofit entrepreneurs are able to pilot their ideas and create supporting structures alongside other social innovators in a well-resourced co-working space, receiving hands-on mentorship and guidance from some of the area’s most successful community leaders in a variety of fields and disciplines. The Community Solutions Incubator fosters a generative and innovative environment in which the next generation of community leaders and organizations will emerge, not only strengthening our local community but potentially producing replicable programs across the nation
