Victory Programs’ ReVision Urban Farm chosen as 2008 Boston Social Innovator Non-profit business venture to receive support from network of Boston-area venture philanthropists

Boston, MA—Victory Programs’ ReVision Urban Farm, a farm serving families facing homelessness in Dorchester, is among six area nonprofits selected as a 2008 Social Innovator by the Cambridge-based Social Innovation Forum to receive more than $80,000 in cash and services. The Forum was launched by Root Cause to help organizations like ReVision Urban Farm who have the field expertise, innovation and an entrepreneurial spirit develop the business frameworks and skills required to make a lasting social impact and grow to capacity.

 “We believe that ReVision Urban Farm is demonstrating an innovative and highly effective solution to homelessness and wellness,” said Susan Musinsky, co-director of the Social Innovation Forum. “We are thrilled to have the chance to help them refine their model and make a lasting impact in Boston.”

Victory Programs’ ReVision Urban Farm was selected as a 2008 Social Innovator for its unique approach to addressing homelessness and need in Dorchester. The organization won the Social Innovation Forum’s Social Enterprise: New Business Venture category, which was co-sponsored by The Fund for Education and Philanthropy.

“Victory Programs’ ReVision Urban Farm is thrilled at being selected as a 2008 Social Innovator,” said Victory Programs’ President, Jonathan Scott.  “We are excited to be working with the Social Innovation Forum to grow ReVision Urban Farm, to meet the needs of our clients and community for care, jobs, and nutritious, locally grown food.”

ReVision Urban Farm is an innovative agriculture and aquaculture project aiming to increase access to affordable, nutritious, culturally appropriate food for residents of the ReVision House shelter and community members through our community-supported farm and greenhouses. The overarching goal is to expand and sustain a social purpose enterprise that meets our triple bottom line: to provide community and client-centered programs, services and jobs; to be economically viable by generating income and developing resources; and to be environmentally sustainable in building and operating a green facility. 

Through the Forum, Victory Programs’ ReVision Urban Farm will participate in a twelve-month support program that provides the organization with consulting services, executive coaching, and introductions to a network of venture philanthropists looking to support innovative nonprofits in greater Boston.

On April 30, 2008, Victory Programs’ ReVision Urban Farm will participate in the Social Innovation Forum’s showcase event—modeled after venture capital forums in which early-stage organizations present their ideas directly to investors—where the organization will present its work to more than 200 Boston-area business and philanthropic leaders. After the event, Victory Programs’ ReVision Urban Farm will join the Social Innovation Forum’s growing community of graduates, who are eligible to receive additional support services as they continue to expand their impact. As a Social Innovation Forum innovator, Victory Programs’ ReVision Urban Farm will receive financial support from The Fund for Philanthropy and Education.

Since 2003, the Social Innovation Forum has been developing an alternative philanthropic marketplace to provide innovative, results-oriented nonprofits with access to the resources they need to accelerate their ability to solve greater Boston’s most pressing social problems. To date, the Social Innovation Forum has received 273 applications from Boston-area nonprofits and helped 21 Social Innovators hone their models and identify local resources. Just nine months after the 2006 showcase event, the organization’s 2006 Social Innovators have already received a total of just under $1.5 million in total cash and in-kind resources. 2003 Social Innovators reported average budget growth of 123 percent—about 40 percent per year—since participating in the Social Innovation Forum. The 2004 class of Social Innovators saw an average budget growth of 94 percent over the last two years—or about 47 percent per year.