Plywood Process

Path Foundations Layers

Over the past 13 years, Plywood has worked with over 1000+ social impact leaders. These are individuals working to solve problems in our communities. Through the experience of advising, challenging, and encouraging these business owners and nonprofit leaders, our team has developed our own Process.

Path is the first step, and it is a 7 week digital training. Path is used for for two kinds of individuals: People with an idea who want to make it reality or legacy organizations implementing new initiatives to accelerate their organizations.

Foundations is a two-day experience designed to set the groundwork for creating an entity or program. The leaders walk away with a business model, and gain knowledge in areas ranging from marketing, finance, legal, partnerships, operations, and more.

Layers is for those in need of consistent community, feedback, and mentorship. These groups meet monthly and challenge the leaders toward growth.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING:

“The hands-on exercises were the most useful part-- having space to reflect, discuss, plan, and get ideas down on paper. The highlight though was the mentor dinner. There’s nothing like having a thought partner spend dedicated time on your business with you.”

“The process gave me the opportunity to do a lot of self reflection on how to be a better leader who is present and focused on relationships instead of transitions, appreciating the importance of rest and how it benefits our work, and gave me the accountability and motivation to make a positive impact

47 people through Path, 26 people through Foundations, and 62 people through Layers

In August 2022, we launched the Plywood Impact Fund, community grants for social entrepreneurs. Our goal is to educate, fund and connect the innovative leaders in Atlanta, who are committed to doing good work, through community grants and scholarships.

We scholarship aspiring social entrepreneurs and nonprofit leaders through the Plywood Process, which includes mentorship, small group coaching, and education. We invest in social entrepreneurs with a proven track record through financial grants and mentorship. We grant innovative nonprofits through financial gifts and mentorship to those working to solve the greatest social challenges.

WHAT IS A COMMUNITY GRANT?

A community grant is a collection of funds given by individuals, families, and corporations of any dollar amount. When you give to the Plywood Impact Fund, you invest in the work of real people doing the hard work of making their communities better.

HOW DO WE DEFINE STARTUPS DOING GOOD?

Plywood defines “startups doing good” as organizations (for-profits or nonprofits) that make significant or positive changes that solve or address social challenges and or injustices.

It could look like this:

• Social impact programs that create public value— ideally, in systemic, sustainable, disruptive, and innovative ways.

• Social impact programs that exist to address a local or global community need.

• Social impact programs that work with the hurting, the oppressed, the under-resourced, and those experiencing poverty.

$60,000 given to three organizations.

Become plywoodimpactfund.com

In 2022, The Impact Fund selection committee met to create standards and review applications. We received over 30 applications, and selected two organizations to receive funding for their requests.

Introducing Bridge of Light and 3D Girls, Inc. Both organizations presented scaling ideas and received funds to catalyze their impact.

We also awarded Culturally Relevant Science with funding as the winners of the 2022 Plywood Presents Idea Competition.

The Plywood Advisors is a curated group of seasoned entrepreneurs and subject experts who wish to steward their expertise by advising the Plywood People community. We rely on our Advisors in a variety of ways: from serving as a coach to someone in our community who needs one on one advice, a facilitator in our groups, or as a content provider to our participants in Plywood's programming (The Process: Path, Foundations, and Layers).

Plywood Advisors are a dedicated group whose interest is to support our community of startups doing good whether with their time, connections, and/or monetary gifts. We remain grateful for the servant leadership and generosity of this group.

Stat: 150+ hours from 27 different Advisors donated to social impact leaders in the Plywood Community Opportunity: Become an advisor! plywoodpeople.com/advisors

ADVISOR OPPORTUNITIES:

Facilitate

This person leads group discussion covering the content in Path by Plywood (our digital curriculum), leads a weekly Zoom connection call, and answers questions.

Commitment : 7 weeks, 2-3 hours/per week (prep & facilitation)

Coach

The advisors who are interested in coaching can serve through the year and offer as many hours as they want to the Plywood Community based on their expertise. Coaches can also serve at Foundations to be paired with a program participant for a conversation over dinner.

Commitment: 1 time meeting, usually 1-3 hours

Teach

This individual leads a session around a specific content topic during Layers or our Foundations retreat. The opportunity is for a seasoned presenter with niche expertise. Commitment: ~2 hours during Foundations or Layers, prep, presentation, Q&A