Social Innovation Forum
Social Innovation Forum is a Boston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit intermediary that connects small and mid-sized community nonprofits in Eastern Massachusetts with individual philanthropists, family foundations, and corporate funders via a 24-month Accelerator program, capacity-building workshops, and an alumni network of 250+ organizations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersBoston, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Social Innovation Forum does
Social Innovation Forum (SIF) is a Boston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit intermediary organization, founded in 2003, that connects small to mid-sized community-led nonprofits in Eastern Massachusetts with individual philanthropists, family foundations, and corporate funders. The organization operates a dual-sided model: it provides capacity-building services to nonprofits and structured learning plus vetted grantee access to funders. Its flagship offering is a 24-month Social Innovator Accelerator that selects 6-8 nonprofits annually through a competitive process organized around social issue tracks (e.g., youth workforce development, immigrant services, climate resiliency, LGBTQ+ support, housing/food security), pairing each track with a dedicated Track Partner foundation or corporate funder.
SIF's product portfolio is services-based rather than technology-based, and consists of the Accelerator Program, Capacity Camps (short-term workshops), the Alumni & Nonprofit Network (250+ organizations across Eastern Massachusetts), Learning Cohorts for emerging leaders, Funder Learning modules embedded in the Accelerator, the CORE ecosystem initiative, and a coworking space. Supporting programs include Executive Coaching (delivered in partnership with William James College), in-kind partnerships providing pro-bono legal (Goodwin), data analytics (Analysis Group), fundraising (Promus+), and presentation coaching (Ariel Group), and the Social Innovator Fund, which distributed $326,730 to the 2024 cohort. Technology infrastructure is limited to a Salesforce-based CRM for newsletter and donor management and Plausible Analytics for privacy-respecting aggregate web traffic.
SIF is funded almost entirely through donations and grants from individual philanthropists, family foundations, corporate foundations, and the occasional government grant; the organization charges no fees to participating nonprofits. Notable grants include the 2019 Cummings Foundation $100K for 100 award and a $25,000 matching challenge from The Devonshire Foundation. The organization is led by Executive Director Wyona Lynch-McWhite with a leadership team of 6-7 directors/managers and a Board chaired by Ryan Dings, operating from its 77 Franklin St. 9th Floor headquarters in Boston. Since 2003, SIF has directed over $24 million in cash and in-kind support to 106 portfolio organizations across the region.
Social Innovation Forum firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Social Innovation Forum
- Legal name
- Social Innovation Forum
- Website
- https://socialinnovationforum.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Social Innovation Forum is a Boston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit intermediary that connects small and mid-sized community nonprofits in Eastern Massachusetts with individual philanthropists, family foundations, and corporate funders via a 24-month Accelerator program, capacity-building workshops, and an alumni network of 250+ organizations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Social Innovation Forum industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Nonprofit Capacity Building Services
- NAICS
- Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB), Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking (BPAGAKAC)
Keywords
Where Social Innovation Forum is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Boston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Social Innovation Forum business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Grants: Social Innovation Forum operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 47-3923576) funded primarily through donations and grants from individual philanthropists, family foundations, corporate foundations, and government grants. The organization does not charge fees to participating nonprofits for its capacity building programs.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels9 records
Social Innovation Forum product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Social Innovation Forum (SIF) is a Boston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit intermediary that connects community-led nonprofits with funders (individual philanthropists, family foundations, and corporate foundations) in Eastern Massachusetts. It delivers a 24-month Social Innovator Accelerator, Capacity Camps workshops, an Alumni & Nonprofit Network, Funder Learning programming, learning cohorts, executive coaching, and a coworking space, with no program fees charged to participating nonprofits.
Product overview
Social Innovation Forum (SIF) operates as a nonprofit accelerator and capacity-building organization, not a traditional software product company. Their portfolio consists of interconnected programs: the Accelerator Program (24-month flagship offering) selecting 6-8 Social Innovators annually; the Alumni & Nonprofit Network providing ongoing support to 250+ organizations; Capacity Camps for intensive workshops; Funder Learning embedded throughout the Accelerator; Learning Cohorts for professional development; CORE for ecosystem building; and Coworking Space for collaborative work. Supporting services include In-Kind Partnerships (pro-bono professional services), Executive Coaching, and the Social Innovator Fund for direct financial support. Together, these programs connect nonprofits with funders in Eastern Massachusetts while building organizational capacity across the social sector.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Social Innovator Accelerator: 24-month capacity-building program for nonprofit organizations selected annually
- Capacity Camps
- CORE
- Social Innovator Fund
Products and services
- Accelerator Program
Quantifiable outcome
- SIF Innovators grow their funding by 2.3X on average within four years of joining SIF
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Social Innovation Forum
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Social Innovation Forum technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Social Innovation Forum partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- DevCollaborativecoreIn-kind partner providing workshop facilitation for the 'Writing for the Web' workshop. DevCollaborative supports SIF's workshops as a capacity building resource for nonprofits.
- IFSI-USAminorSpeaker at SIF's 'Listen, Learn, Act: Supporting Immigrant Communities in MA' event. IFSI-USA serves immigrant communities and was featured as a nonprofit leader serving immigrant communities.
- PAIR ProjectminorSpeaker at SIF's 'Listen, Learn, Act: Supporting Immigrant Communities in MA' event. PAIR Project provides legal services to immigrants and was featured as a nonprofit leader serving immigrant communities.
- William James CollegecoreIn-kind partner providing executive coaches for nonprofit leaders through the Accelerator program. William James College students and faculty support SIF's capacity building mission.
- Analysis GroupcoreIn-kind partner providing data analytics support for Social Innovators including Budget Buddies and Project Citizenship to help measure performance and impact.
- GoodwincoreIn-kind partner providing legal services and support for Social Innovators in the Accelerator program.
- Promus+coreIn-kind partner providing fundraising support for Social Innovators in the Accelerator program.
- Ariel GroupcoreIn-kind partner providing public speaking and storytelling coaching for Social Innovators, credited with increasing confidence of founders like Anita Saville of Budget Buddies.
- Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF)minorPresented at GEO 2026 conference alongside SIF's Executive Director on topics related to capacity building and nonprofit finance.
- Philanthropy MassachusettsminorPartnered with GEO to host the 2026 National Conference in Boston, exploring effective grantmaking in service of nonprofits.
- City of Boston Mayor's Office for Immigrant AdvancementminorMini Keynote speaker Courtney White, Chief of Staff at the Mayor's Office for Immigrant Advancement participated in SIF's event on supporting immigrant communities in MA.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Social Innovation Forum competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- BoardSource: National nonprofit focused on strengthening nonprofit leadership and governance through training, consulting, and resources. Comparable to SIF's leadership development and capacity building mission, though BoardSource is national and governance-focused.
- Catchafire: Skills-based volunteering platform connecting nonprofits with professionals for pro-bono projects. Comparable to SIF's In-Kind Partnerships and capacity building model, though Catchafire operates nationally via a digital platform rather than a regional cohort model.
- GEO (Grantmakers for Effective Organizations): National association of foundations focused on grantmaking effectiveness and funder learning. Already a SIF partner (hosted GEO 2026 in Boston); closely comparable mission around funder learning and effective philanthropy that SIF embeds in its Track Partnership model.
- Echoing Green: National social innovation fellowship and accelerator for emerging nonprofit and social enterprise leaders. Comparable to SIF's Social Innovator Accelerator in providing multi-year capacity building, coaching, and funder introductions to social impact leaders.
- Nonprofit Finance Fund: Community development financial institution (CDFI) providing capital, consulting, and capacity building to nonprofits. Already a SIF partner (presented at GEO 2026); comparable in serving as a nonprofit intermediary providing financial and organizational support to community organizations.
- CompassPoint Nonprofit Services: Bay Area nonprofit providing management consulting, leadership development, and capacity building to nonprofits and their leaders. Directly comparable regional nonprofit capacity builder, also serving emerging leaders and small-to-mid sized community organizations.
- Bridgespan Group: Nonprofit and philanthropic consulting firm offering strategy, organizational development, and capacity building services. Comparable to SIF's capacity building focus, though Bridgespan serves larger nonprofits and foundations with paid consulting engagements.
Emerging players
- NESsT: International nonprofit supporting social enterprises through investment and capacity building. Comparable mission around building capacity and connecting mission-driven organizations with resources, though focused on social enterprises rather than community nonprofits.
Broad incumbents
- Candid (formerly Foundation Center + GuideStar): National nonprofit providing data, tools, and training to the social sector, including grantmaker transparency (Candid Seal which SIF holds). Comparable as a major social sector intermediary serving funders and nonprofits, though at much larger national scale.
Regional players
- Philanthropy Massachusetts (formerly Massachusetts Nonprofit Network): Massachusetts state association for the nonprofit sector providing advocacy, training, and resources. Already a SIF partner (co-hosted GEO 2026); directly comparable regional sector intermediary serving nonprofits and funders in the same Massachusetts geography.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Social Innovation Forum social profiles
Digital presenceSocial Innovation Forum financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Social Innovation Forum leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Social Innovation Forum funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Social Innovation Forum M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Social Innovation Forum
What does Social Innovation Forum do?
Social Innovation Forum (SIF) is a Boston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit intermediary that connects community-led nonprofits with funders (individual philanthropists, family foundations, and corporate foundations) in Eastern Massachusetts. It delivers a 24-month Social Innovator Accelerator, Capacity Camps workshops, an Alumni & Nonprofit Network, Funder Learning programming, learning cohorts, executive coaching, and a coworking space, with no program fees charged to participating nonprofits.
Is Social Innovation Forum a public or private company?
Social Innovation Forum is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Social Innovation Forum founded?
Social Innovation Forum was founded in 2003. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Social Innovation Forum based?
Social Innovation Forum is headquartered in Boston, United States, in the North America region.
How does Social Innovation Forum make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations and Grants.
Who are Social Innovation Forum's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are BoardSource, Catchafire, GEO (Grantmakers for Effective Organizations), Echoing Green, Nonprofit Finance Fund, CompassPoint Nonprofit Services and Bridgespan Group. NESsT is listed as an emerging player. Candid (formerly Foundation Center + GuideStar) is listed as a broad incumbent. Philanthropy Massachusetts (formerly Massachusetts Nonprofit Network) is listed as a regional player.
Does Social Innovation Forum have an API?
No public API is recorded for Social Innovation Forum.
What industry is Social Innovation Forum in?
Social Innovation Forum's product category is Nonprofit Capacity Building Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAE, Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries, with a secondary code of BPAGAKAB, Community Foundations. Its NAICS code is 81321 and its SIC code is 8600.