THE CHALLENGE

The enormous task of bringing about comprehensive community transformation requires input and collaboration from all of the three sectors of society – Public (Government), Private (Business), and Social (Nonprofits, Faith-based groups, Civic Organizations). Collaboration allows community-minded people of various backgrounds and competencies to develop a shared vision and a shared sense of problems, their solutions, and outcomes.  Focused collaboration between the three sectors maximizes impact on society, resulting in more people leading better and more productive lives.

Recently the editors of the Stanford Social Innovation Review wrote, “The experience of the last 50 years suggests that government cannot be solely responsible for solving society’s problems. The events of the last year also reveal that unfettered markets are not the answer, either. Rather, our best hope is for government, business, and nonprofits to work together to find creative solutions that leverage what each sector does best.” – Stanford Social Innovation Review, Winter 2009 Editorial

AN ANSWER

Surgance is uniquely suited to respond to this tremendous need for cross-sector collaboration. We provide a neutral platform upon which the three sectors of society can more effectively partner in community transformation initiatives. By bringing together diverse partners and creating leverage from the strengths of each sector, we help turn creative ideas into impact. There are numerous reasons why somebody with a good idea would bring their idea to market through Surgance rather than starting their own nonprofit organization from scratch.

World changers want to change the world. There are thousands of community minded individuals that have ideas to make a difference in their communities. However, they are commonly held back by the daunting task of establishing a nonprofit organization to address the particular need they have the desire to change. Surgance equips world changers to change the world! We give them a huge head start and provide them with all of the resources they need to leave an impact as a part of our team. We help them do what they want to do bigger, better, faster and more efficiently than they ever could alone.

We have activity in a number of cities all over the country. San Francisco to New York City and Washington D.C. to Las Vegas with Denver in the middle. We have developing international work in the Dominican Republic, Africa and the Far East. When a person with a new idea wants to birth his new program off of the Surgance platform, he can legitimately claim that he is a part of an organization that is making an impact all over the world. This will give him or her leverage in numerous ways, providing an “edge” over those starting from scratch.

• Immediate Legitimacy – A part of something that is proven and connected to people that are proven.
• Leverage – A part of something that is much bigger than one person or program or locality.
• Proven Track Record – Surgance has put together public, private and social sector collaborative efforts all over the world. We have painted over 2.5 million square feet of wall space in our nationʼs most needy urban schools.
• Proven Processes – Taking a program from pilot to reproduction. Core competencies including volunteer mobilization and management, collaborative processes and grant writing.
• Existing Infrastructure – A registered 501c3 organization with board, staff and connections. An office, a website, phones, email, bookkeeping and financial controls.
• Peer Network – Other program directors encouraging and strengthening each other. Group learning environments and a true, team-based approach to transformation.
• Economies of Scale – To reduce overhead and help programs become more efficient and therefore more desirable and fundable.
• Large and Growing Distribution Network – Connections all over the world of socially minded individuals and groups that take our programs and execute them locally.
• National Board of Directors – Highly competent and professional, they bring great insight and skill to the shaping of the programs and organization.
• Proficient Staff – Experienced and passionate world changers that know how to get things done.