The Big C Competition

Campaign: The Big C Competition
Company:  Verb
Nonprofit Partner: LIVESTRONG Foundation
Launch Date: February 4, 2014

Campaign:

The LIVESTRONG Foundation has launched a social enterprise competition to generate innovations to improve the daily quality of life for people affected by cancer. The effort is being developed in partnership with Verb; an Austin-based company that runs social entrepreneurship competitions. A 2010 LIVESTRONG Foundation survey found that nearly all cancer survivors experience continued physical, emotional and practical concerns long after treatment ends, presenting a business opportunity for enterprising minds. The business ventures can be for profit or nonprofit with the only requirement being that it helps those facing cancer today. Competition tracks include Rebuilding Financial Health and Caring for Caregivers, among others. Sixty ventures will receive a total of $140,000 in seed funding with the grand prize winner earning $25,000 in funds.

Our Take:

This effort from LIVESTRONG is a refreshingly innovative way for the organization to stay at the cutting edge of ways to support those facing cancer, advance its mission and stay relevant to its constituent groups. Rare is the large nonprofit that experiments with emerging initiatives such as this one – kudos to LIVESTRONG for stepping outside the ordinary and boldly embracing innovation.