The William James Foundation Sustainable Business Plan Competition
In Kind Prizes (2011-12 Cycle)
In addition to the cash prizes, there is a significant pool of in-kind prizes available to the top teams in our various prize categories. While we are still building a full list for this year, the prizes listed below are already worth more than $50,000. The top teams in many of our prize categories will pick from from the list below in order of finish, so that they can chose the prize of most value to them. Some of the prizes listed below are only available to winners of certain prize categories, and this will be indicated. All prizes must be used within one year of their being awarded.
Please note that many of the In-Kind donations could actually fit into multiple categories, but are listed in their area of primary value.
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Washington DC-Specific Prizes
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The Affinity Lab (www.affinitylab.com is a co-working and incubation space that has received national and international recognition for fostering social enterprises. It is regularly voted one of the best places to work in Washington, DC. For details on what the lab offers, visit www.affinitylab.com. They have donated three prizes for prize winners in the Washington, DC Prize area
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One year’s worth of Virtual Membership
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Six month’s worth of Virtual Membership
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Three month’s worth of Virtual Membership
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YES!Circle (www.yescircle.org/) is a vibrant community of energetic, passionate, innovative entrepreneurs in all stages of business development, based in Washington, DC. The Yes!Circle is donating four prizes, which each count as a "pick" from the prize basket. Three individual one-year memberships and one month of free coaching ($900 value) to one of the winning teams from the Washington, DC area. |
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Community IT Innovators (www.citidc.com) serves non-profits, associations and socially responsible businesses. They combine technology expertise with unsurpassed service to more than 800 organizations, both locally and nationally, since 1993. CITI offers clients support for their network infrastructure and technology planning needs. CITI is donating an exhaustive network audit, complete with written report, in-person presentation and long-term recommendations to a Washington, DC area prize winner. CITI is a member of The Sustainable Business Network of Washington. |
UX Interactive
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UX Interactive is a website and user interface design and management firm. They have donated ten hours of professional services to a Washington, DC based prize winner. |
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Consulting and Coaching
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Strategic Sustainability Consulting (www.sustainabilityconsulting.com/) provides organizations with the tools and expertise they need to actively manage their social and environmental impacts. They specialize in helping small and medium size organizations implement sustainable solutions usually reserved for larger companies. Strategic Sustainability Consulting (SSC) is offering a prize-winning team 25 hours of consulting/coaching support . Past winners have used this prize to refine their business plan, brainstorm around possible venture financing angles, identify ways to save money through process optimization, and connect with others in their field. This prize is appropriate for all teams, with the understanding that all support is done remotely via phone, email, Skype, etc. We can tailor your prize depending on how advanced your plan is (e.g. is it a concept, or actually up and running). The winning team should expect to spend an hour on the phone with the SSC team within two weeks of receiving this prize, so that we can decide how best to utilize the hours allocated. Strategic Sustainability Consulting (SSC) works with under-resourced companies to help them manage their environmental and social impacts. We translate big “sustainability ideas” into practical tools to help your business grow.
This prize was claimed by Schaduf Urban Micro Farms
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The Federal Circle (http://thefederalcircle.com/) is a Washington, DC based company that provides strategic advisory services to companies, incubates teams intending and arranges funding for acquisitions. This includes Situation Assessment, Strategic Planning, Coaching, Red-Teaming, Advisory boards as business development engines. Our team of highly experienced and well connected professionals is drawn from a wide range of disciplines. We bring substantial assets to the table and engage with companies that are well positioned for growth. We will provide a red teaming package to a prize winning team that will cover one of the following:
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Strategic plan review
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Funding strategy
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Business development tactical plan
Our prize will involve at least two of our team members and between one and two staff-days of time. This prize will be most useful for companies that are in business, with revenues and actual customers, will benefit most from our services. Teams that have successfully built and transacted a business and are now launching another, will also benefit.
This prize was claimed by Back to the Roots
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On Belay Business Advisors ( http://youronbelay.com) will donate ten hours of advisory services and executive coaching to a competition award winner. You will receive expert support, assisting your company or non-profit in every business discipline. For more information see http://youronbelay.com/services.
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Courtney Consulting Solutions (www.courtneysolutions.com/) will offer professional guidance on how to do business with the United States government. They buy just about any product or service imaginable and are required to buy 'green' first. To be truly competitive and have a 'real' shot at contracts, you must understand how the game is played and what you need to do to fit within this saturated space. If done correctly, you can participate in the largest marketplace effectively and earn lucrative, long-term revenue.
This prize was claimed by LuminAID Lab
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Preparing for Investment
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HIP Investor Inc. (www.hipinvestor.com/) helps companies quantify their Human Impact and how it drives Profit. A competition prize-winner will get assistance in preparing to raise professional debt or equity. This is not an offer of investment, but an offer to help prepare a company to make an investment pitch.
This prize was claimed by Day One Response
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Social Enterprise Associates (http://socialenterprise.net) , a registered ‘B Corp’, is a triple bottom line consulting firm providing market access and market based results - generating financial, social, and environmental returns. We will provide one of the winners capital advisory services - assistance with capital formation and raising funds. This includes getting ‘game ready’: reviewing existing materials, establishing effective presentations, helping with pitches, considering private offerings, connecting to investors/banks, exploring public financing mechanisms, and/or business partnerships.
This prize was claimed by Takamotobiogas
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ChangeMatters, Benefit LLC ( www.changematters.com) is a consultancy for common good enterprises. The first Benefit LLC, ChangeMatters provides planning, training and facilitation, strategic communications, funding, and philanthropy services, and is recognized as an organizer and educator in the movement to encourage social enterprise and for-benefit companies. We are offering 10 hours of consulting services, which may be used for consultation on benefit corporations and other hybrid social venture structures, common good enterprise strategy, or corporate philanthropy and community engagement, or facilitation of one planning/strategy session with company leaders and advisors. The companies most likely to benefit will be currently in operation and either seeking investment or being self-financed through sales and contracts. We are especially interested enterprises that create jobs, help to alleviate poverty in rural agricultural areas in the United States and internationally, seek to improve community health, and/or connect art (by which we mean visual art, design, craft, food, or the performing arts) with community and business.
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Design, Marketing, Video, and Communications
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Worldways Creative (www.e-worldways.com) is a full-service agency with global reach exclusively serving organizations working to improve the physical, social, economic and environmental health and well-being of individuals and communities. Worldways has helped over 100 social ventures, nonprofits and others to develop powerful, highly accelerated growth strategies and to deepen their connections with their key constituents through a wide range of digital and traditional media and interactive experiences. Worldways is offering an in-kind donation of an intensive strategic marketing and communication assessment with creative recommendations to two WJF prize winners and their investors, typically valued at $10,000.
This prize was claimed by Malo Traders
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Provoc (http://provoc.me) is a dynamic team of experienced graphic designers, web developers, traditional artists, and spirited minds that challenges clients to compel their audience with provocative communication strategies, user experiences, and graphic/interactive design. They have donated one specific design engagement to a prize-winning team. This could include business card design, an info-graphic on a business model, a single website page, a logo refresh, or a similar-sized project.
This prize was claimed by LaborVoices
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Carbon Outreach (http://carbonoutreach.com) is happy to offer William James Foundation Round 1 and 2 business plan competition entrants the Facebook and Twitter for Social Enterprise ebooks. Throughout these books, we offer the latest tips and top recommendations for making responsible business successful using online outreach tools. With 700 million users actively engaged with Facebook and over 200 million on Twitter, and 9 of 10 calling themselves ‘conscious consumers’ responsible businesses now more than ever should be invested into social media tools. That’s why we are also offering social media basics training for three prize winning teams. For Founders and Leaders at 3 late-stage, sustainable enterprises we will offer, “Social Media Basics Bootcamp Trainings”; three, one-hour tutorial sessions. This group of sessions is valued at $2,500
This prize was claimed by LuminAID Lab
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CSRwire (www.CSRwire.com) is the leading source of corporate social responsibility and sustainability news, reports, events and information. CSRwire Members are interested in communicating their corporate citizenship, sustainability, and socially responsible initiatives to a global audience. CSR has donated a publicty blast to a prize-winning team.
This prize was claimed by Day One Response
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Conferences & Trainings
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The Carbon War Room is offering single tickets to their Creating Climate Wealth events (worth $3,000 each) in the United Kingdom, Sydney, Berlin, Hong Kong, & Washington, DC. These will be available to top environmental teams as chosen by the Carbon War Room. |
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Green Business BASE CAMP (http://greenbusinessbasecamp.com) offers high-impact training in an exclusive 4-day workshop to a carefully selected group of 100 entrepreneurs focused on green business and cleantech. Our custom curriculum, strategic mentoring and content, along with a rich network of professionals, successful entrepreneurs and thought leaders, will host our class for an unparalleled immersion experience featuring what every entrepreneur needs to know to succeed with their early stage venture. We will award one fully-paid scholarship to an entrepreneur at one of our workshops in 2012 to a lucky William James Foundation prize winner. This scholarship is valued at $4,000. |
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Sustainatopia (http://www.sustainatopia.com/), a Miami-based conference has offered one ticket to their Impact Investing conference in April of 2012.
This prize was claimed by Malo Traders
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Software, Application Development, & Technical Support
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CitySoft (www.citysoft.com) is one of the oldest and most experienced online software providers serving the social sector. CitySoft has donated a licensed version of their Community Enterprise content and constituent relationship management system. At least 10 hours of setup consulting will be donated by a CitySoft partner agency. |
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Singlebrook Technology (www.singlebrook.com) is a custom web and mobile development firm based in Ithaca, NY that specializes in web application development, mobile apps, content management systems, databases, integration, and web design. Singlebrook is a certified B Corp and has a strong emphasis on social and environmental responsibility. Clients include the American Chiropractic Association, College and University Professional Association for Human Resources, Mission Markets, RSF Social Finance, Earthcolor, Hitachi Metals of America and Cornell University. Singlebrook is happy to offer an hourly discount of 20% off our normal rate to a prize winning team.
This prize was claimed by LuminAID Lab
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Legal Services
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Swankin and Turner ( www.swankin-turner.com) is a American law firm specializing in the areas of regulation (food and drug, health care, standard setting, antitrust and trade) and policy (agricultural, insurance, corporate, tax, administrative and consumer). Established in Washington, D.C. in 1973, it serves a broad variety of individual and organizational clients, including national and local business corporations and non-profit associations. Swankin & Turner has donated 25 hours of legal support to a winning team.
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Lara Pearson, Brand Geek, (http://brandgeek.net) will donate legal services, including a preliminary trademark search, review of an outside trademark search (the cost of the outside search will be the responsibility of the winner) and all of the legal work necessary to register one trademark with the US Patent and Trademark Office (Gov't filing fees are the responsibility of the prize winner).
This prize was claimed by Day One Response
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StarGazer Consulting
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Stargazer Consulting offers a wide range of American corporate legal services. We specialize in drafting and negotiating a comprehensive array of corporate agreements. We can help you plan one particular matter and draft a specific agreement, or we can design a form agreement tailored for your recurring needs. We also handle all of the routine corporate filing matters – from formation through dissolution. Stargazer Consulting is donating five hours of legal services as a prize. |
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San Francisco, CA Prizes
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Little Spark Media (www.littlesparkmedia.com) is a creative agency that helps businesses connect with the people who matter most. Our seasoned storytellers use video, photography, illustration, animation, web design and the written word to create a multimedia narrative that enriches interaction with your partners, investors and customers. We are offering a one-minute video valued at $3000 to a San Francisco Bay Area business. Companies with photogenic products or services would most benefit from this prize.
This prize was claimed by Day One Response
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New York City Prizes
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Reitler Kailas & Rosenblatt (www.reitlerlaw.com) is a law firm that specializes in representing venture capital and private equity funds and their portfolio companies. The firm has been built as a full service law firm for the VC/PE community. Companies who could benefit from the prize would be any person or organization seeking advice on the organization of an entity to be used for the conduct of business and/or on the avenues that can used to finance the operations of a business organization. This prize is 5 hours of legal advice, and is available to the top NYC-based prize winner.
This prize was claimed by New American Tavern
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Catchafire (www.catchafire.org) matches professionals who want to give their skills with nonprofits and social enterprises that need their help. We match professionals and organizations based on a variety of characteristics including skills, cause interests, and time availability. We help organizations identify their needs as short-term, discrete, and individual-based projects. Our projects are structured in this way to make it easy for professionals to help in the midst of their busy daily lives. They are offering 25% off their project fees to NYC-area finalists. Check out our projects here.
This prize was claimed by New American Tavern
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