Awards and event for organizations making a social impact in Wisconsin
FORCE FOR POSITIVE CHANGE CONFERENCE 2022:
BUILDING RESILIENT INDIVIDUALS, ORGANIZATIONS AND COMMUNITIES THROUGH SOCIAL ENTERPRISE
Wednesday, November 16 | Noon – 5 p.m.
H.F. DeLuca Forum, Discovery Building on the UW-Madison campus
330 N. Orchard St., Madison, WI
*Parking is available at numerous locations including lots 17 and 20 and in municipal lots within a few blocks of the Discovery Building.
Meet the finalists for the Force for Positive Change Awards
Agenda
11 a.m. – noon: Registration
11:45 a.m.: Buffet lunch available
Noon – 1 p.m.: Force for Positive Change past winners’ perspectives
This year’s program kicks off with a conversation between some recent competition winners and up and coming social entrepreneurs from CEOs of Tomorrow.
1 – 2 p.m.: Changing for the better: How our gifts, culture and story can serve as a Force for Positive Change
Leaders from a range of sectors across the state are leaning into their “why” and creating meaningful change both in their communities and beyond Wisconsin through their powerful examples.
Moderator: Elmer Moore, WHEDA
Panelists:
Annie Jones, Professor, UW-Madison Division of Extension
Ousmane Kabre, Founder and CEO, Leading Change Africa
Christy McKenzie, Proprietor, Pasture and Plenty
Elena Terry, Wild Bearies
2 – 3 p.m.: Social enterprise expo and ice cream social
3 – 4 p.m.: Concurrent breakouts
Panel 1
Food sovereignty: Thriving in Wisconsin—lessons from ongoing initiatives led by two of Wisconsin’s 12 Native Nations
There are numerous initiatives underway across Wisconsin that promote food sovereignty, including through promoting food-based entrepreneurship. This panel brings Native voices to the conversation. The panel will elaborate on how food sovereignty promotes and nurtures cultural traditional practices, how it reconnects with and builds stronger relationship with plant families, and how these foods feed and sustain communities in a healthy way. Through sharing stories, we will have a conversation – what makes these programs possible, how they work, how they are faring and what might individuals, organizations and communities across the state be able to learn and implement from understanding these programs.
Moderator: Maria Moreno, Earth Partnership
Panelists:
Guy Reiter, Executive Director, Menikanaehkem Inc.
Loretta Livingston, Program Coordinator, Food Sovereignty Program at Bad River
Dylan Bizhikiins Jennings, Doctoral Fellow, UW-Madison HEAL-Earth Partnership
Panel 2
Madison’s social entrepreneurship landscape: Transformational initiatives underway across the region
Wisconsin’s capital city has come a long way in terms of envisioning and implementing a wide-ranging network of social entrepreneurship supports and programs. The best may be yet to come. Hear from local visionaries about what is currently in place and what is on the horizon.
Moderator: Annette Miller, EQT by Design
Panelists:
Alnisa Allgood, Collaboration for Good
Ruben Anthony, Urban League of Greater Madison
Sabrina Madison, Progress Center for Black Women
Andrew Richards, UW-Madison Discovery to Product
4 – 4:45 p.m.: Fireside chat with the Morgridges: Building resilient community through social impact
The fireside chat with John and Tashia Morgridge and a local community leader has become a beloved fixture of the Force for Positive Change. This year’s conversation features the Reverend Dr. Alexander Gee, founder of the Nehemiah Center for Leadership Development and the new Center for Black Excellence and Culture in progress in South Madison. UW-Madison Professor Emerita Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings will moderate this important discussion.
4:45 – 5 p.m.: 2022 Force for Positive Change awards ceremony
5 p.m.: Event concludes
The Force for Positive Change Awards Competition
Is your organization making a social impact in Wisconsin? The Force for Positive Change will provide financial prizes to organizations addressing social challenges locally.
The Force for Positive Change competition began in 2016 with the goal of celebrating both for-profit and nonprofit organizations focused on creating lasting beneficial impact in, by and for Wisconsin. In its fifth year, the competition expands to embrace those organizations working to make a difference in the areas identified by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals while also pursuing a path to financial sustainability and lasting benefits.
The deadline to apply for the fifth Force for Positive Change award competition was September 22.
Prizes
At least six (6) $10,000 cash prizes will be awarded to eligible organizations. At least three (3) cash prizes of $10,000 will be awarded to organizations working towards progress on the UN Sustainable Development Goals and up to three (3) special consideration cash prizes of $10,000 may be awarded. The special consideration prizes will be awarded to organizations responding to three important areas impacting Wisconsin organizations: the fight for racial equity for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), rural prosperity, and organizational resilience. No organization may win more than one (1) prize. In the event that the quality or quantity of the applications received for the special consideration prizes are insufficient, we reserve the right to convert one or more of the special consideration prizes to a general prize.
Eligibility
All entrants must meet the following eligibility criteria.
- Be a functioning enterprise (either a nonprofit entity or for-profit company) with a viable revenue-generating product or service already on the market or in use.
- Address an important social and/or environmental challenge that exists in Wisconsin (that may also exist elsewhere) either through their products or services or through their operations.
- Have a base of operations in Wisconsin.
Selection criteria
The selection criteria below will be used to judge all entrants during phases 1 and 2 of the competition. The three optional selection criteria allow the entrant to be considered for the three new prize categories for the 2020 competition.
Phase I criteria
- The extent to which the organization has strong connections to Wisconsin through its staff, investors, directors, clients/customers
- The degree to which their organization values and measures beneficial societal impact in Wisconsin
- The extent to which the organization is able to demonstrate financial sustainability
- The degree to which their organization pursues an innovative approach to a societal challenge in Wisconsin
Phase II criteria
- The probability of continued success and ability to be a force for positive change in Wisconsin
- The organization’s plans for future implementation and growth
- The scalability and replicability of the organization’s approach to creating a lasting positive impact in Wisconsin
Optional selection criteria – to be considered for one of the three special prizes, entrants need to incorporate one of the following criteria into their responses for Phase I and Phase II.
- The enterprise demonstrates a commitment to addressing systemic racism through all aspects of its operations.
- The enterprise demonstrates its primary dedication to addressing the particular challenges confronting Wisconsin’s rural population.
- The enterprise demonstrates an integrated plan for addressing organizational resiliency in the face of numerous contemporary economic and societal challenges.
FORCE FOR POSITIVE CHANGE COMPETITION RULES
All competition participants must agree to the competition rules before submitting their application. View the full rules here. By submitting your application, you agree to abide by the competition rules.
For more information, check our Frequently Asked Questions.
Summary of Force for Positive Change Competition rules
- You must submit an application to be entered into the Force for Positive Change competition. The competition will proceed through two phases. The deadline for submitting an application for Phase I was 11:59 p.m. on September 22, 2022.
- A subset of applicants will be selected to advance to Phase II of the Force for Positive Change competition. Applicants invited to advance to Phase II will be selected by a panel of judges. Phase I applications will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
a. Extent to which the organization has strong connections to Wisconsin through its staff, investors, directors, clients/customers.
b. Degree to which their organization values and measures beneficial societal impact in Wisconsin.
c. Ability to demonstrate financial sustainability.
d. Degree to which their organization pursues an innovative approach to a societal challenge in Wisconsin - Phase II applicants will be invited to submit additional information in written form and in an interview with a team of judges. Phase II applicants will be notified no later than October 3, 2022, and Phase II applications will be due on October 31, 2022. Phase II applications will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
a. Probability of continued success and ability to be a force for positive change in Wisconsin.
b. The organization’s plans for future implementation and growth.
c. The scalability and replicability of the organization’s approach to creating lasting positive impact in Wisconsin. - At least 12 finalists will be announced no later than November 7, 2022. Finalists will be required to attend in person or to designate a representative of their organization to attend the virtual Force for Positive Change event on November 16, 2022 to be considered for a prize.
If you have any questions about these rules, please email [email protected] or call 608-770-4134 or email [email protected] or call 414-288-4990.
The Force for Positive Change award competition is sponsored by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation and Marquette University. The odds of winning depend on the number and quality of entries received. No purchase necessary to enter. Void where prohibited. For full official rules click here.
Sponsors
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Partners
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Previous winners
AFAR Inc. dba The Ability Center
Earthbound Environmental Solutions
Madison-area Urban Ministry dba Just Dane
Midwest Organic Sustainable and Educational Service (MOSES Organic)
Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA)
Neu-Life Community Development
Mad Local Food Group LLC dba Pasture and Plenty