Program serving the older adult population will receive a cash award and consulting services to build its capacity
Boston, MA (December 6, 2012) – Ethos, the elder services agency for southwest Boston, today announced that its AgeWell West Roxbury initiative has been named by Root Cause as a Social Innovator for the group’s 2012-2013 Social Innovation Forum. Ethos is one of five Greater Boston non-profits selected by Root Cause to receive a $10,000 cash award and more than $100,000 in capacity-building services from Root Cause and its partners.
More than 70 social issue experts from the business, government, non-profit, and philanthropic sectors reviewed over 100 applications to select this year’s Social Innovators. Ethos AgeWell West Roxbury was chosen for its work to build a community that is collectively activated around and responsive to healthy aging and local seniors’ unmet needs. The program offers a diverse array of evidence-based health promotion/disease management classes; social, recreational and intergenerational programs; and healthy food and friendships via Community Cafés — all at little to no cost to participants.
“This is an amazing opportunity for Ethos AgeWell West Roxbury to gain greater visibility for our work with the older adult population, expand our network, and build our capacity,” said Dale Mitchell, executive director of Ethos, AgeWell West Roxbury’s parent organization. “To have an organization like the Social Innovation Forum believe in the AgeWell program, and its mission, is indeed a great honor.”
Since 2003, Root Cause’s Social Innovation Forum has been working to create a social impact market that distributes resources to organizations based on performance in order to most efficiently and effectively solve social problems in Greater Boston. Ethos AgeWell West Roxbury joins Shelter Music Boston; Groundwork Lawrence; GRLZRADIO; and Safe City Academy, a program of Dorchester Youth Collaborative as Root Cause’s selected Social Innovators for 2013.
As part of the Social Innovator designation, Ethos AgeWell West Roxbury will receive 12 months of intensive support from the Social Innovation Forum, including consulting, executive coaching, presentation advising, relationship building support, performance measurement support and other in-kind services valued at over $100,000. The organization will also receive a $10,000 grant from the Tufts Health Plan Foundation, the Healthy Aging track sponsor, plus an additional $10,000 consulting engagement the following year upon completion of Root Cause’s key measures process.
“Ethos AgeWell West Roxbury is a natural choice for the Social Innovator award in healthy aging,” said David Abelman, president of the Tufts Health Plan Foundation. “By tapping into the power of the community, the AgeWell program helps even the most vulnerable older adults not only stay in their homes but also remain socially and civically engaged.”
In addition to the in-kind support, Ethos AgeWell West Roxbury will also have the opportunity to present at the Social Innovation Forum’s annual Showcase. The event, which is modeled on a venture capital forum, gives Innovators the opportunity to pitch their organizations to an audience of funders – including business leaders, foundations, government officials, and philanthropists.
