Breakthrough-level ideas combat social issues in ways that haven’t been done before, addressing a crucial problem and impacting the lives of our residents. But there’s work to do in the Refine Phase first. 

As we’ve been talking about in our blogs, the Breakthrough Fund supports new, out-of-the-box ideas that need a little extra assistance to be refined, or some additional massaging before they can be realized.

Big ideas, especially those of breakthrough stature, are new and exciting, and even risky. They require a new approach to your thought process for problem solving.

The Breakthrough Fund is a two-step grant process. When you apply for this opportunity, what you’re really applying for is the Refine Phase. So, what exactly can you do with the resources awarded during this phase?

The Refine Phase is all about further developing your idea. These funds can be used for research, training, retreats, external consulting and more (see more information on usage restrictions).

The thing about breakthrough ideas is that they’re often bigger than we can tackle alone, and they’re not a “one-size-fits-all” solution. Even when ideas are modeled off other successful projects, what’s done in one community doesn’t always work in the next. An idea that aims to create this level of change requires extensive homework—and therefore resources. That’s why this phase of the process exists.

We don’t expect you to have all of the answers to the problem you’re looking to solve. We do expect you to be eager to get your hands dirty in refining the solution—and have invested $100,000 of the Breakthrough Fund into this phase so you can do so. Read the full grant guidelines. 

And remember, ideas that drive change don’t happen in silos. They acknowledge failure as part of the process, and they tackle issues in a new way. So partner up, think differently and ask for help. The next compelling project that changes the lives of our residents could be just an idea (and application!) away.

Learn more about the Breakthrough Fund. 
Apply for the Breakthrough Fund.
Read our blog post: Breakthrough Resources for Breakthrough Ideas.
Read our blog post: Think Bigger, We Dare You. 
Read our blog post: Arriving at a Breakthrough Idea.
Contact us for more information at 260 422-2900. 

Like Tapiwa Chiewewe says—you don't have to be an expert to solve big problems.