THINKSGIVing news
Thinksgiving wins award from The Business Journal
Thinksgiving was named one of the St. Louis Business Journal’s Innovation in Philanthropy award winners:
In November, we introduced you to our inaugural Innovation in Philanthropy Awards winners — a new program added to our annual Corporate Philanthropy Awards, which celebrate the region's generous giving by highlighting local companies that are making a philanthropic impact.
Filament partnered with Cortex Innovation District and the Delmar Divine to form an initiative called Thinksgiving, which aimed to pair St. Louis nonprofits with innovation and strategy teams from the area's largest companies, creative agencies, professional services firms and technology consultancies. The goal of the initiative was to create a bridge between nonprofits and for-profit companies to help them tackle challenges such as the lack of creative, technical or physical resources.
The Solutions Showcase @ Venture Cafe
We convened the Thinksgiving participants at Venture Cafe for our virtual Solution Showcase. Watch the video below to see what everyone had to say about their experience with Thinksgiving!
Wings of Hope + Ameren
We’re entering our seventh decade as a nonprofit and many of our long-time volunteers are almost as “experienced” as we are. How might we ... attract younger and more diverse volunteers to work with and learn from our current amazing team?
THE CHALLENGE: We’re entering our seventh decade as a nonprofit and many of our long-time volunteers are almost as “experienced” as we are. How might we ... attract younger and more diverse volunteers to work with and learn from our current amazing team?
NONPROFIT: WINGS OF HOPE
INNOVATION PARTNER: AMEREN
“Feeling great about the progress we are making and have loved getting to know the team and work that WOH does!”
“At a time when the world needs to be lifted up, Thinksgiving was the perfect catalyst to bring together the energy, collaborative nature and can do attitude of our Ameren and Wings of Hope team to tackle real challenges. I know the same is true for the other teams. Thinksgiving helped all of us soar to new heights.”
THE WORK
— graphic designed by Beckett Buckley, 5th Grader at George R. Robinson, Kirkwood School District
Consuming Kinetics Dance Company + Caleres
As a nonprofit dance company, we’ve always taught our students in person. Lately, we’ve mixed Zoom with outdoor engagements, but winter is coming. How might we … find ways to help donors, clients, and students feel comfortable returning to our spaces for classes and events or deliver them virtually in more creative and effective ways?
THE CHALLENGE: As a nonprofit dance company, we’ve always taught our students in person. Lately we’ve mixed Zoom with outdoor engagements, but winter is coming. How might we … find ways to help donors, clients, and students feel comfortable returning to our spaces for classes and events or deliver them virtually in more creative and effective ways?
NONPROFIT: CONSUMING KINETICS DANCE COMPANY
INNOVATION PARTNER: CALERES
“2020 has been an incredibly challenging year, and this project really grounded us around how community organizations like Consuming Kinetics Dance Company are being impacted. Our team included executives from marketing to finance to logistics. Arica and her team were open to the ideas and the collaboration was inspiring. Our ideas were captured beautifully by Kirkwood high school student Gracie Buckley. We can’t wait to see them come to life. We’re thankful for the opportunity to work on such an important initiative.”
THE WORK
—graphic by Gracie Buckley,
Kirkwood High School Senior
Lutheran Family & Children Services + Spire
Our long-standing nonprofit is filled with amazing staff and leadership volunteers who care deeply about our mission, yet struggle to connect virtually with an external audience. How might we … better equip them to embrace innovative ways to advocate for our clients?
THE CHALLENGE: Our long-standing nonprofit is filled with amazing staff and leadership volunteers who care deeply about our mission, yet struggle to connect virtually with an external audience. How might we … better equip them to embrace innovative ways to advocate for our clients?
NONPROFIT: LUTHERAN FAMILY & CHILDREN SERVICES
INNOVATION PARTNER: SPIRE
“It was a true pleasure working with the dedicated leadership team at LFCS. The passion and dedication they bring to their mission everyday is inspiring. I am also so proud of Spire and the team that stepped up to ensure that LFCS had access to the help and resources they need. Both the Communications and Marketing team, as well as my colleagues in Strategy & Corporate Development, worked to make a lasting positive impact on the LFCS organization. It’s yet another great example of Spire employees advancing the communities we serve.”
THE WORK
Mission St. Louis + UNCOMN
We utilize multiple technology systems, and none share information well with the others. How might we … explore ways to integrate data from several sources into one, helping us make better decisions faster?
THE CHALLENGE: We utilize multiple technology systems, and none share information well with the others. How might we … explore ways to integrate data from several sources into one, helping us make better decisions faster?
NONPROFIT: MISSION ST. LOUIS
INNOVATION PARTNER: UNCOMN
“Thinksgiving allowed us to create a collaborative environment between a non-profit and our consulting organization, leading to a great solution.””
THE WORK
Fathers & Families Support Center + Horizons Consulting
Our organization works from multiple locations and provides services at all hours of the day and night. How might we … better foster a positive culture among our distributed, super-busy team members that celebrates their accomplishments and recognizes contributions from all?
THE CHALLENGE: Our organization works from multiple locations and provides services at all hours of the day and night. How might we … better foster a positive culture among our distributed, super-busy team members that celebrates their accomplishments and recognizes contributions from all?
NONPROFIT: FATHERS & FAMILIES SUPPORT CENTER
INNOVATION PARTNER: HORIZONS CONSULTING
Danforth Plant Science Center + Husch Blackwell
We’re building an innovation ecosystem and know that collaboration is key. How might we … leverage readily available virtual tools to connect our community and turn stakeholders into collaborators?
THE CHALLENGE: We’re building an innovation ecosystem and know that collaboration is key. How might we … leverage readily available virtual tools to connect our community and turn stakeholders into collaborators?
NONPROFIT: DANFORTH PLANT SCIENCE CENTER
INNOVATION PARTNER: HUSCH BLACKWELL
THE WORK
Connected Learning + Hunter Engineering
We provide services and training to our region’s educators but know they need so much more. How might we … build relationships with other innovative partners to uncover and address the problems our community’s educators are facing during this pandemic and beyond?
THE CHALLENGE: We provide services and training to our region’s educators, but know they need so much more. How might we … build relationships with other innovative partners to uncover and address the problems our community’s educators are facing during this pandemic and beyond?
NONPROFIT: CONNECTED LEARNING
INNOVATION PARTNER: HUNTER ENGINEERING
“Nonprofits work on the edges. We fill hobbies, interests, free time, with our mission. ThinksGiving gave us the opportunity to mesh our passion with the skills, expertise and knowledge of a for-profit organization. The employees of that organization had creative, technical, and physical resources that we lacked in our organization. The intersection of passion and knowledge will ultimately propel our organization forward. We can’t thank the team at Filament enough for allowing us to participate, pairing us with the right for-profit organization for our current issues and providing the necessary support to make this relationship successful. ”
“It is always great to have someone hold space to allow for new conversations. [Thinksgiving] was a chance to refresh when the stress of the urgent rarely allows for this and a breath of fresh air for our organization in a time when we were in a rut.”
St. Louis Area Foodbank + Commerce Bank
We’re providing much-needed services to the region’s underfed and food insecure, but are struggling to connect with prospective donors when we can’t show them our work in person. How might we … leverage virtual methods and tools to build deeper relationships with them so they’ll continue to engage with us and become champions for our organization?
THE CHALLENGE: We’re providing much-needed services to the region’s underfed and food insecure, but are struggling to connect with prospective donors when we can’t show them our work in person. How might we … leverage virtual methods and tools to build deeper relationships with them so they’ll continue to engage with us and become champions for our organization?
NONPROFIT: ST. LOUIS AREA FOODBANK
INNOVATION PARTNER: COMMERCE BANK
“Thinksgiving was such a fun experience for our team! Working with the St. Louis Area Foodbank to solve a real challenge was very rewarding. In a short amount of time, we generated great ideas together and are confident the recommendations offer realistic solutions.”
“Thinksgiving is the perfect opportunity to give energy to something that has been on your mind...something you know could be done better. The project has encouraged deeper internal conversations related to building relationships in a virtual world. I am excited to leave the conversation with new, actionable ideas. It has been well-organized and collaborative.”
THE WORK
The Noble Neighbor + Bayer
Though we connect authors with our region’s neediest children to inspire them to write, we’re struggling to tell our own story. How might we ... better use technology to amplify our impact and increase interest in our community?
THE CHALLENGE: Though we connect authors with our region’s neediest children to inspire them to write, we’re struggling to tell our own story. How might we ... better use technology to amplify our impact and increase interest in our community?
NONPROFIT: THE NOBLE NEIGHBOR
INNOVATION PARTNER: BAYER
“I’m energized by the idea of partnering with a for profit company to get their take on our plans and collaborate in what feels like an increasingly isolated work environment. And spreading the word about what we do because I’m so proud of the work we are doing despite the pandemic.”
St. Patrick Center + Integrity XD
Our technology requires us to enter the same information into multiple systems, resulting in duplicated data and hundreds of hours of wasted time. How might we … rethink our systems and practices to free up more time for our team members to engage with those we serve?
THE CHALLENGE: Our technology requires us to enter the same information into multiple systems, resulting in duplicated data and hundreds of hours of wasted time. How might we … rethink our systems and practices to free up more time for our team members to engage with those we serve?
NONPROFIT: ST. PATRICK CENTER
INNOVATION PARTNER: INTEGRITY XD
Gateway Greening + Nestle Purina
In 36 years as a nonprofit, our focus has shifted and our name no longer captures the core of what we do (and is often confused with other organizations in our region). How might we … find a better name that matches our mission and is uniquely ours?
THE CHALLENGE: In 36 years as a nonprofit, our focus has shifted and our name no longer captures the core of what we do (and is often confused with other organizations in our region). How might we … find a better name that matches our mission and is uniquely ours?
NONPROFIT: GATEWAY GREENING
INNOVATION PARTNER: NESTLE PURINA PET CARE
“Working with the Purina Thinksgiving team was great. Purina had the knowledge and the talent to quickly walk us through some exercises that put Gateway Greening in a great position to rebrand and reimagine the organization in 2021.”
“I found the Thinksgiving experience inspiring and motivating because it gave me a tangible opportunity to connect and ideate on an important local initiative that benefits us individually and at a collective level. What has had ongoing impact is the reminder of the importance of this approach for continually invigorating our collaborations and thinking with new ways of looking at our objectives, strategies, insights, and outcomes.”
“It is a great way to leverage the strengths of our top companies to give back to the community, it needs to grow beyond STL! It’s minimal time investment with an incredible feeling of community pride and self accomplishment.”
THE WORK
Sickle Cell Association + Filament
We focus on building awareness of a deadly, hereditary incurable disease. How might we ... find innovative ways to deliver programs to effectively inform, educate, and engage the community at large about the disease, its impacts, and preventative measures they might take?
THE CHALLENGE: We focus on building awareness of a deadly, hereditary incurable disease. How might we ... find innovative ways to deliver programs to effectively inform, educate, and engage the community at large about the disease, its impacts, and preventative measures they might take?
NONPROFIT: SICKLE CELL ASSOCIATION
INNOVATION PARTNER: FILAMENT
“Thinksgiving allows nonprofits to get assistance that they may not otherwise have access to, while allowing corporations to give back in ways other than financial. I love the idea and am excited to see the impact that it makes.”
“I believe [Thinksgiving] to be an incredibly innovative and altruistic event. To help those who can use help; to offer thoughts on how to grow and sustain their initiative is unselfish and remarkable. Kudos, kudos. If you care, then you should be involved.”
THE WORK
Limitless Foundation + Emerson
Though we’re a new nonprofit, we’re experiencing huge nationwide demand for our services. How might we ... quickly scale our current team, operations, and systems to keep up with demand and grow our impact?
THE CHALLENGE: Though we’re a new nonprofit, we’re experiencing huge nationwide demand for our services. How might we ... quickly scale our current team, operations, and systems to keep up with demand and grow our impact?
NONPROFIT: LIMITLESS FOUNDATION
INNOVATION PARTNER: EMERSON
“Thinksgiving was a great way for us to identify critical opportunities to optimize our processes. It’s helped us really chart our path or the next quarter and year, by challenging us to think outside our comfort zones.”
“Thinksgiving helped point out inefficiencies and provided various solutions to solve them. This allowed our nonprofit to continue to grow!”
THE WORK
Women’s Foundation of Greater St. Louis + SLU
While our team members and volunteers believe deeply in our mission to help women, our message is often told in inconsistent ways. How might we … align our messaging and effectively communicate our story to stakeholders?
THE CHALLENGE: While our team members and volunteers believe deeply in our mission to help women, our message is often told in inconsistent ways. How might we … align our messaging and effectively communicate our story to stakeholders?
NONPROFIT: WOMEN’S FOUNDATION OF GREATER ST. LOUIS
INNOVATION PARTNER: ST. LOUIS UNIVERSITY MENTORS
“I am thrilled to be participating!! I am really excited about our non-profits goal and how I can contribute to their success!Katie Kennedy, Sales Manager at DocsCorp”
THE WORK
—graphic by Carola Vaqueiro, Clayton High School
STEMSTL + Clayco
We’re a workforce-focused nonprofit founded by several of our city’s most civic-minded entities. How might we … become known as the go-to resource that connects teachers and students with future-focused employers designing jobs for the new economy?
THE CHALLENGE: We’re a workforce-focused nonprofit founded by several of our city’s most civic-minded entities. How might we … become known as the go-to resource that connects teachers and students with future-focused employers designing jobs for the new economy?
NONPROFIT: STEMSTL
INNOVATION PARTNWER: CLAYCO
Artists First + Cannonball
We used to deliver art-centered programs to young people, veterans, and people with disabilities in our now-unavailable studio before COVID. How might we … help our amazing artists tell their stories, share, and sell their art in creative, virtual-friendly ways?
THE CHALLENGE: We used to deliver art-centered programs to young people, veterans, and people with disabilities in our now-unavailable studio before COVID. How might we … help our amazing artists tell their stories, share, and sell their art in creative, virtual-friendly ways?
NONPROFIT: ARTISTS FIRST
INNOVATION PARTNWER: CANNONBALL
THE WORK
—graphic designed by Elyse Lewandowski, Student at St. Louis University