Sparking Community Solutions Through Innovation

Each April, The Innovation Lab proudly participates in Dubuque Days of Caring by hosting a Community Innovation Session, an energetic, hands-on volunteer experience that blends creativity, problem-solving, and community impact. Dubuque Days of Caring mobilizes volunteers from businesses across the area to support nonprofits in meaningful ways, and The Innovation Lab adds a unique twist: instead of painting walls or landscaping, volunteers spend the day designing bold ideas to help a local nonprofit overcome a real organizational challenge.

Each year, The Innovation Lab partners with a corporate sponsor and selects a local nonprofit to benefit from the session. Past partners include St. Mark Youth Enrichment, Boys and Girls Club of Dubuque, and Two by Two Character Development, with each session tailored to the organization’s mission and needs. Volunteers apply creative thinking tools and collaborate in teams to generate solutions, culminating in a pitch session where their best ideas are presented.

These sessions don’t just serve nonprofits, they strengthen the community. Volunteers gain practical innovation skills they can take back to their workplaces, nonprofits walk away with fresh, actionable ideas, and participants make new connections with fellow problem-solvers across the region. The Innovation Lab’s Community Innovation Sessions demonstrate how bringing people together around creativity can help build a stronger and more resilient nonprofit community.