Pitch events are a known experience in the world of venture capital. You get a room full of investors to listen to a handful of entrepreneurs pitch their idea or business model. The value for the investor is getting exposed to a broad array of ideas in which they might consider investing. The value for the entrepreneur is to pitch to a room full of potential investors and make new connections.
Now consider applying this to the world of nonprofits. Get a room full of social investors (donors, foundations, and corporate philanthropists) and pre-select and prepare a group of nonprofit leaders and social entrepreneurs to pitch their ideas, programs and organizations. That is exactly what happens at bigBANG!
Some are new, some are established, and ALL are innovative, bringing new ideas to solve pressing problems in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio. At bigBANG! we heard how.
Who are the Fast Pitch presenters?
VOTING at bigBANG! and AWARDS
The bigBANG! audience voted with bigBANG! Bucks and named the following:
Most Compelling: Natalie Leek-Nelson, Providence House
- 2nd Place: Annemarie Grassi, Open Doors Academy
- 3rd Place: Candace Klein, Bad Girl Ventures
I Would Donate: Open Doors Academy
I Would Volunteer: Bad Girl Ventures
Coaches Award – Most Improved: Terri Burgess Sandu, Hard Hatted Women
How were nonprofits selected to be Fast Pitch presenters?
Every year, CSVP selects one new nonprofit in a competitive process to add to its portfolio of Investees. We establish a close, multi-year relationship with the nonprofit’s leadership and work together to help them solve challenges and achieve goals.
In 2011, CSVP decided to open up this process to the investing community and share these great innovative organizations with you. Seven innovative nonprofits at various stages in CSVP’s Investee selection process presented in the Fast Pitch.
To apply to be a Fast Pitch presenter, nonprofits submitted a Letter of Interest in response to CSVP’s Request for Proposals in June, 2011. Applicants are interested in a long-term engagement with CSVP to improve the business-side of their missions.
In addition to presenting at bigBANG!, the semi-finalists submitted a full proposal and hosted a site visit from CSVP’s Investment Team. One of the semi-finalists will ultimately be selected after bigBANG! as the 2012 CSVP Investee, which includes volunteer consulting and a cash grant of $15,000 renewable for three years.
The deadline for 2011 has passed, but the 2011 guidelines for applying to be a Fast Pitch presenter, and ultimately CSVP’s next investee, are available on CSVP’s main website at www.csvp.org/Investees. The 2012 date for Request for Proposals and distribution of Guidelines has not been set.
