The seeds of a new foundation created to propel forward innovation in the non-profit sector in our communities were sown more than a decade ago.
Dave Grebenc of Saint John had just heard a speech by noted entrepreneur, philanthropist and venture capitalist Desh Deshpande about an entrepreneurial approach that had been taken by the Akshaya Patra Foundation in India to multiply by more than 10-fold the number of people served by a lunch program.
He walked away from that speech in Fredericton pondering the role social entrepreneurship could play in transforming social services in New Brunswick.
“Wouldn’t it be cool if we could do that?” Dave asked his wife Jane (Bourque) Grebenc after hearing the speech.
Now the Grebenc and Bourque families have launched the IF-ADAPT Foundation and have partnered with United Way Saint John, Kings & Charlotte. The foundation provides grants to foster innovation and a culture of social entrepreneurship within charitable organizations, seeking to enhance the way they deliver current services and future expansions.
“We’re really excited by this partnership. A key focus for the United Way is strengthening the non-profit sector in our communities and the grants offered through this foundation will certainly do that by fuelling innovative thinking and sustainable growth,” says Alexya Heelis, executive director of United Way Saint John Kings & Charlotte.
For Dave and Jane, partnering with the United Way allowed them to leverage our knowledge and expertise in the non-profit sector in our communities.
“We wanted to work with an organization that knows what is going on in the community and understands what it needs,” Dave says. “This was a perfect fit for us – a strategic fit.”
For more information on the foundation and the grants it provides, visit our website.