If the prize is right, solutions to our most stubborn challenges are within reach.

The inspiration for this month's Emerging Idea was taken from a study by Deloitte Consulting (which Donors Forum Members New Venture Fund and The Joyce Foundation helped fund), and was brought to our attention by Carla Denison Bickett* at The Cara Program.

Everyone loves a good contest, and local governments are getting in on the game by taking the public/private partnership model to a new level.

Over the summer, Deloitte released a must-read roadmap on lessons from government and the use of incentive prize design to solve problems. They identified six outcomes of prize design, and three of them are particularly relevant to the social sector: raising awareness, mobilizing action, and inspiring transformation.

Sure, I'm intrigued by the study's wonkiness. But, I like the pragmatism: competitions and carefully designed rewards expand the innovation pool so solutions don't just rest in the hands of experts, but in the 'ingenuity of the public.'

We can find examples here of contests pairing a public need with resources and expertise from the private sector — what about the social sector?

I'm positive our community has untapped ingenuity to overcome our most entrenched societal problems — after all, we are the experts!

What do you think? How would you construct a contest to help address an issue you're working on? Share your ideas below by clicking on "leave a new comment" (log-in required).

— Delia Coleman, Director, Strategic Initiatives

* It's a contest! Got an emerging idea?
Do you have a finger on the pulse of ideas that make a person go "Hmmm. . .?" Submit a compelling idea to us and if we highlight it as an Emerging Idea, you win a prize! This month, Carla Denison Bickett will be able to take her friends out for a treat at Starbucks. Send your idea to me at dcoleman@donorsforum.org, and together we can curate some of the best content for our community — by our community.