The NBA Incubate Initiative strives to encourage and support the development of new and innovative health and social service ministries and organizations by Disciples. These ministries, in turn, inform and inspire fellow Disciples throughout our communities and across the life of the church. Together, we expand the church's understanding of and capacity for health and social service ministry as part of Christ's work in the world.
The goal of this initiative is to support and empower new Disciple-related health and social service organizations, projects, and ministries—what we’re also calling social enterprises—to focus on their growth, strengthen their impact, and work toward sustainability. “Incubate” represents an environment of support with a menu of resources that the initiative has available to new social enterprises in the early years of their development. Those resources vary depending on whether a project is involved in the initiative as a participant or a partner.
Ways To Be Involved
You can engage with the NBA Incubate Initiative as a Participant, Partner, or Consultant.
Incubate Participants
Those who have attended SENT Seminar/Leadership Academy’s Social Enterprise Track or with whom we are in active conversation about Incubate will be referred to as “participants” for the 12-months following their initial involvement in Incubate. During this time, participants will be able to access certain resources from NBA, while also contributing to the spread and development of the Incubate Initiative. Resources include:
- Project featured one or more times through shared NBA materials
- Access to short-term consultations with NBA-related professionals/consultants
- Incubate Retreat, for spiritual and physical renewal
- Opportunity to apply for assistance with site visits to similar projects/organizations
- Ongoing communications and learning/networking opportunities through NBA
2017 SENT Seminar Participants with NBA Staff
Incubate Partners
Participants who are interested in a longer-term Incubate relationship with
NBA are invited to apply to become an Incubate Partner/Affiliate. (We will use
“partner” more often, but “affiliate” is the legal relationship to NBA.) Partnerships are
established through Memoranda of Understanding, or MOUs, and last for 2-6 years. For participants interested in becoming partners, the application is now open. Please contact Ayanna Johnson Watkins, NBA Incubate Initiative Director, for more information.
To be eligible to become an Incubate Partner, projects should be:
- Disciples-affiliated (this means: having a set percentage of Disciples board members; being founded in partnership with a Disciples congregation or the NBA; and/or having a Disciples executive director/CEO is a member of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).)
- Health and/or social service-related
- Aligned with the mission of the NBA
- Tax-exempt nonprofit
- Incorporated for 10 years or less
- Innovative
- Diverse
UrbanMission Community Partners in Pomona, CA, one of nine current NBA Incubate Partners
Incubate Consultants
Professionals in the fields of marketing, development, leadership/visioning, and more can support and work with Incubate partners and participants in a variety of ways - presenting workshops and webinars, writing blogs, providing resources, offering short-term consultations, etc. For more information, contact Larry Morris, NBA Incubate Program Associate.
Geetha Rao Sant presenting at the 2017 SENT Seminar
Meet the Incubate Partners
Click the links below to learn more about these innovative and impactful organizations!
- HER Faith Ministries - Memphis, TN
- Mission Behind Bars and Beyond - Louisville, KY
- Oakland Peace Center - Oakland, CA
- Oklahoma Family Empowerment Center - Tulsa, OK
- QC Family Tree - Charlotte, NC
- Reach Beyond Mission - Austin, TX
- Recovery Cafe San Jose - San Jose, CA
- Tulsa's Table - Tulsa, OK
- UrbanMission Community Partners - Pomona, CA
Read Incubate Stories
- NBA Incubate Initiative blog feed >>
- Reflections from the 2017 SENT Seminar Participants >>
- Reflections from the 2016 SENT Seminar Participants >>
- Reflections from the 2015 Leadership Academy Entrepreneur Track Participants >>
Attend Incubate Events
2018 In-Person Gatherings
- Incubate Retreat, for spiritual and physical renewal: March 22-24, 2018 - Scottsdale, AZ (For current Incubate Partners and Participants only)
- SENT Seminar, equipping social entrepreneurs for leadership and change: September 12-15, 2018 - St. Louis, MO (Application will open in June 2018)
2018 Webinars
- January 17: Planning Your Fundraising Year
- June 5: Mission, Vision, and Values
- June 28: Grant Writing
- September 7: Board Development
2018 Virtual Wisdom Tables*
- February 21: Anti-Racism
- April 25: Technology and Tools
- July 25: Theology of Fundraising
- October 17: How to Become Paid Staff
*Limited registration available; designed for current Incubate Partners and Participants only.
