Innovation Fund

During the 2021 Annual Regional Meeting, the board of trustees announced a $40,000 investment and designation of a special innovation fund designed to encourage ministries to develop new and innovative ideas around how to support their ministries, the local community and beyond, and the Unity movement as a whole. We are excited to take this next step and open the fund up for applications.

Eligibility

To be eligible for applying to the fund, ministries must be

  • a contributing member of USCR and in good standing in accordance with our bylaws.

  • have a definable project with a well thought-out plan for its successful implementation

Accountability

Every innovation will be measured by clearly defined accountability factors, such as:

  • relevant milestones during the development,

  • a commitment to mutually agreed-upon timeline,

  • the transparent communication between applicant and USCR,

  • the regular publication of the project’s progress and outcomes,

  • the agreement that any relevant information related to the successful outcome of the project will be shared freely and without any expectation of financial gain.

Resources

In combination with our innovation fund, we hold a monthly Innovation Hub Support Call to share about existing innovations and ideas for future projects. We also have an innovations resource page, sharing successful innovations with our ministries. Feel free to take advantage of these available resources for your ministry and to potentially inspire yourself for a future innovation.

Funding Range

As of February 10, 2022, the board of trustees decided on a funding range up to $3,000 per proposed innovation per ministry.

This amount is a primary guideline and can change in the future or on a per project basis.

Application

To apply, use the form at the bottom of this page.

FAQs

What innovations will be considered?

There are no limitations as to the type of innovation that may be considered. The emphasis is on its usefulness to the ministry, community, and/or the whole Unity movement.

We envision that each innovation put forward by one ministry could potentially inspire and serve many ministries to follow. A worthy investment in our region and Unity as a whole.

How will the approved project funds distributed?

The distribution of funds will follow a mutually agreed upon timeline specific to the project, which may include some starting capital with remaining funds being distributed based on any defined milestones achieved.

Additionally, all distributed monies require some evidence of expense (e.g., invoices, receipts, etc.) and will only be reimbursed once the expense has been made.

How will you monitor a project’s progress?

Every approved project will be published with its own profile on our website, including a description of the project, a brief video introducing the innovation, a series of accountability measures (e.g., timeline, milestones, etc.), and regular updates on the progress of the project.

The transparent publication of each project allows for our member ministries to monitor the investment and learn about challenges and opportunities each project offers.

Will we retain the rights of the innovation?

Yes, we only ask for the unrestricted permission to use the innovation so that other ministries are able to adopt and amend the innovation without limitation.

What if we already implemented our innovation? Can we still receive funds?

Currently, only new innovations are considered. However, you may be able to expand on an existing project and develop its scope beyond that of what is already in place, such as going from local to regional or worldwide.

Also, if you have an innovation you would like to share, we encourage you to join our Innovation Hub Support Call for a potential placement on our innovations resource page.

How will the innovation be promoted?

At minimum, any approved project will have its own profile page on our region’s website. Once completed, it will also find its place on our innovations resource page. Additionally, we are in regular communication with the other regions and Unity worldwide who may want to promote the innovation via their own platforms.