The City of Guelph was faced with a problem 18 months ago – they were interested in restructuring their community investment programs but were unsure of the direction to take. To solve their problem, the City of Guelph called upon consultant Rebecca Sutherns, whose efforts would eventually lead to the formation of The Elevator Project.
Working in collaboration with 10 Carden, Innovation Guelph, the Guelph Community Health Centre, and Mayor Karen Farbridge’s office at the City of Guelph, The Elevator Project is a collaborative effort intended to work with the community to find new ways to make the city better.
On March 25 at the River Run Centre, The Elevator Project hosted an innovation fundraiser dubbed “The Big Show.” The purpose of the event was to showcase 52 Guelph-based teams whose ideas were presented as ways to make a difference in the community.
As a large-scale and completely public crowd-funding event, “The Big Show” allowed members of the Guelph community to invest money and resources in order to bring the 52 ideas to life.
“The Elevator Project is different from other [similar crowd-funding] models in a number of ways,” explained Gabrielle Clermont, Community Animator for The Elevator Project. “Cross sectorial partnership [is the cornerstone of the project]. Our model deals with every facet of the community.”
In the River Run Centre’s Canada Company Hall, Clermont’s words of cross-sectorial partnership rang true. Ideas from a wide range of community interests were on display, including environmental projects to aid Guelph farmers, arts projects to empower future generations of musicians and actors, and even neighbourhood projects designed to aid new-immigrants settling in the community.
Scott McGovern is a member of Ed Video, a media arts centre with the purpose of enabling the creation and exhibition of independent media arts. At the River Run Centre, McGovern and Ed Video attempted to raise funding for eight video displays that would allow Guelph artists and exhibitionists an opportunity to showcase their work outside of gallery settings.
“Ed Video heard about [The Elevator Project] several months ago,” explained McGovern. “We always have several projects on the go that we are looking for additional funding for. Based on the parameters of [the project], we decided to apply with [our pitch].”
The Elevator Project prides itself on being a unique business model separate from the largely impersonal crowd-funding model.
“Our model is a complete cycle,” explained Clermont. “We work on both sides of the issues. [Other initiatives] rarely deal with idea/project development. You have an idea, you bring it forward, and you are either awarded funds or you aren’t.”
The Elevator Project gives initiatives and organizations a platform to showcase their ideas in a way that enables members of the community to actively aid them. Monetary contributions are donated, alongside less-tangible donations, like that of management consultation and expert mentorship.
“Ed Video feels very lucky that our pitch was funded with real money, as so many great ideas were pitched for The Elevator Project,” said McGovern. “Usually, we propose projects to a jury of peer evaluators, such as what happens with the Canada Council for the Arts. This process was new to us.”
Following the reception in the Canada Company Hall, attendees were directed to the River Run Centre’s Co-operators Hall for a summary presentation. Here, Clermont announced the 15 initiatives that were selected by a committee of their peers, including Ed Video.
“I know you’ve all been waiting for months to find out who was selected,” joked Clermont before announcing the winners.
One of the 15 winners was the Yorklands Green Hub, a project with the vision to create an ecological research hub at the former site of the Guelph Correctional Centre. The Yorklands Green Hub was also the People’s Choice winner.
“[Our purpose] is to create for Ontario’s public domain a self-sustaining education, demonstration, and research hub,” explained the Yorklands Green Hub website.
For the members of The Elevator Project, in addition to all 52 initiatives on display at the River Run Centre, the goal was simply to make Guelph a better place to live.
“We believe that everyone has something to give and we value the many different types of contributions individuals and companies can make,” said Clermont. “It isn’t all about cash. If we want to solve big community issues, we have to come up with new ways of making those things happen.”