Innovative Ideas

Program Overview: Through an open and wide-ranging process, CFED will identify a number of promising innovative ideas and showcase them broadly. Innovative Ideas will be used to stimulate discussion and exchange, and speed changes that will expand economic opportunities for disadvantaged Americans.

Champions of selected Innovative Ideas will receive:

• Inclusion in virtual and hard copy publications
• Featured coverage at innovation@cfed website
• Invitation to lead idea exchange at the 2009 Innovation Summit

Submission Process Overview

The selection of Innovative Ideas will be based on an online submission process. See the next section, Submitting an Innovative Idea, for instructions and a link to the online form.

CFED will be advised during the selection process by a set of Strategic Advisors, including experts in the theory and practice of innovation as well as experts from the fields of endeavor represented by Innovative Ideas submissions. CFED will announce the Innovative Ideas that will be featured in the 2009 Innovation Summit and publication.

Submitting an Innovative Idea (Required)

Online submissions of Innovative Ideas closed on April 3, 2009.  Sign Up to be notified when the submission window reopens.  In the meantime, you can email your Ideas to innovation@cfed and you can post comments on the Blog.

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Selection Criteria

innovation@cfed will use the following questions to guide our selection of Innovative Ideas to be featured in the 2009 Innovation Summit and publication:

• Does the concept fit with CFED's mission and is it innovative yet feasible?
• In what way is the idea innovative?  (For example, is it a refinement or a “new twist” on an existing or proven approach?  An adaptation of a practice from a different sector? Something radically new?)
• Could the idea expand economic opportunity for significant numbers of low- and moderate-income Americans? And/or
• Does the idea have the potential to impact disadvantaged populations in the U.S.? Does it hold potential for any extremely disadvantaged or underserved populations in the U.S.?
• Does it have the potential to “change the system” and/or become sustainable over time?
• Will the idea benefit from the visibility resulting from selection as a CFED Innovative Idea?
• Does the idea leverage or create synergies among community practice, public policy and private markets (or otherwise resonate strongly with CFED's core competencies and strategic goals)?
• Does the idea provoke innovative thinking and/or conversation at CFED and/or within the wider learning community?

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Key Dates

Online nominations accepted. These are nominations of Ideas that identify at least one individual to submit and champion the Idea. (Optional)	December 8, 2008 - February 17, 2009
Online submissions accepted. These are submission of an Idea by an individual who describes and champions it. (Required)	January 6, 2009 - April 3, 2009
CFED announces Innovative Ideas that will be featured in the 2009 Innovation Summit and publication.	June 22, 2009

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Frequently Asked Questions

About Innovative Ideas

Still have a question or need technical help?
If you have additional questions, please send them via e-mail to innovation@cfed.org.  Questions and answers that may be applicable broadly will be shared (without attribution) via additions to the Frequently Asked Questions posted on the innovation@cfed website.

If you need technical assistance with an online form, please contact Aaron Watts.

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