Roux Institute receives $125,000 grant to support nonprofit training

PHOTO / COURTESY ROUX INSTITUTE Representatives from 10 Maine nonprofits are participating in the Roux Institute's Intrapreneurship Program.

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By Tina Fischer

A program run by Northeastern University’s Roux Institute has received a $125,000 grant to support 10 Maine nonprofits in developing an entrepreneurial approach to their missions.

The Intrapreneurship for Nonprofits program is being supported by the Avangrid Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Orange, Conn.-based Avangrid, parent company of Central Maine Power.

"Intrapreneurship" refers to employees within a company or organization that take an entrepreneurial approach to developing new products or services.

“Intrapreneurship for Nonprofits gives nonprofit leaders the tools and support to think like entrepreneurs — testing bold ideas, building sustainable models and expanding their impact," said Warren Adams, head of entrepreneurship at the Roux Institute.

Over the course of the five-month program, nonprofit leaders will be assisted in developing new revenue streams, building on their business model, exploring pricing and marketing strategies, developing or building on an online presence and crafting a compelling pitch.

Participants will be paired with mentors and matched with Northeastern University student co-ops specializing in business analysis, marketing and design.

The program will culminate in a showcase on Dec. 9 where teams will present their progress and plans to an audience of peers and mentors.

The 10 nonprofits

Participants in the program are from the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, Portland Museum of Art, Camp Sunshine, Marine Mammals of Maine, Maine Discovery Museum, Mayo Street Arts, Ketcha Outdoors, ArtVan, Diverse BookFinder and Maine Inside Out.

About Roux and the Avangrid Foundation

The Roux Institute was founded in 2020 through a partnership with David and Barbara Roux and the Harold Alfond Foundation, to drive economic growth in Maine and beyond. The Institute offers graduate education, applied research, and entrepreneurship programming in the fields of artificial intelligence, life sciences, data science and engineering.

The Avangrid Foundation is the philanthropic affiliate of Avangrid Inc., parent company of Central Maine Power. Avangrid has offices in Maine, Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts and Oregon, operates in 23 states and runs eight electric and natural gas utilities, serving more than 3.3 million customers in New York and New England. Avangrid is owned by Iberdrola, S.A. (NYSE: IBDRY).