--- title: Innovating With Purpose description: The value of an innovation is the value of the change it effects, not its novelty, and certainly not in the process that was followed to get to that point. image: https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/hubfs/social-suggested-images/Notes%20on%20notepad%2053.jpg --- [![20yrLogo-2_WhiteOrange](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/Administration/Tamarack%20Logos/20yrLogo-2_WhiteOrange.png?width=200&height=47&name=20yrLogo-2_WhiteOrange.png "20yrLogo-2_WhiteOrange")](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/?hsLang=en-us) # Innovating With Purpose Posted on April 10, 2018 [By Galen MacLusky](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/author/galen-maclusky) - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) ![Notes on notepad 53](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/social-suggested-images/Notes%20on%20notepad%2053.jpg?width=300&height=180&name=Notes%20on%20notepad%2053.jpg)My colleague Sylvia Cheuy recently gave a great overview of the Community Innovation landscape in her paper *[The Community Innovation Imperative](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/library/the-community-innovation-imperative?hsLang=en-us). *Sylvia highlighted the incredible momentum driving us towards innovation and the adoption of tools and methods to help us get there. In this context ­­­‑ a context where innovation is increasingly the norm demanded by and of funders, government, and communities, it is particularly important to keep the following in mind: **To what end will we innovate?** This question is fundamentally important. Innovations do not start with a toolkit or a process, but with purpose: a challenge to be addressed. Microfinance and housing-first approaches to ending homelessness did not start by picking a framework from the innovation toolbox. Instead, they focused on a problem, drew upon existing tools, and built new ones to address it. In pushing for innovation, the looming risk ahead is that we treat it as a box to be ticked, as a line item on a budget, or as merely a strategy, while taking our eyes off the change that we want to see in the world and how we intend to get there. As a facetious example, it would be a fantastic innovation for Food Banks to partner with SpaceX, for Community Health Centers to operate out of casinos, or any number of other incongruous combinations. **The value of an innovation is the value of the change it effects, not its novelty, and certainly not in the process that was followed to get to that point.** But that’s not to say that innovation tools, processes, case studies, and training are valueless. Instead, keeping our eyes on the challenge to be faced helps guide us to the most appropriate resources, adjust them to *our* context, and create new ones as needed. Labs, social finance, and design thinking are all resources to draw upon in tackling problems – they’re exciting and present new ways of approaching challenging problems – but they are not ends in and of themselves.  Within the Tamarack Community, and particularly within the Community Innovation Idea space, we have an opportunity to explore the world of innovation and identify the tools that help us along the way, as well as the ways that we learned and adapted to setbacks. As Tamarack’s Director of Community Innovation, I’m excited to work with all of you to hear the challenges and opportunities you face, what has and hasn’t worked in your communities, and to share those lessons so that we can all grow together. I’d love to hear from you! What are you most interested in learning about or exploring within the Community Innovation Idea area? Send me an email at [galen@tamarackcommunity.ca](mailto:galen@tamarackcommunity.ca) and let’s get the conversation started.   **Learn More:** - Read Sylvia’s paper: [The Community Innovation Imperative](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/library/the-community-innovation-imperative?hsLang=en-us) - Get inspired by stories of people who didn’t set out to innovate, but were compelled to do so by the problems they encountered in [The Rise of the Reluctant Innovator](https://ssir.org/articles/entry/the_rise_of_the_reluctant_innovator) by Ken Banks - Get in touch with Galen at [galen@tamarackcommunity.ca](mailto:galen@tamarackcommunity.ca)    Topics: [Community Innovation](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/topic/community-innovation), [Blog](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/topic/blog), [Galen MacLusky](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/topic/galen-maclusky) ![Galen MacLusky](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/hubfs/Administration/Team%20Headshots/Galen%20MacLusky%20Headshot%20Square.jpg) ### By [Galen MacLusky](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/author/galen-maclusky) While Galen was at Tamarack he led the Community Innovation Idea Area. He is passionate about working with community organizations to help build and scale new ideas that deepen their impact. An experienced design, innovation, and co-creation consultant, at the core of his work are approaches that help organizations engage with those who are impacted by their services and test new programs and services with minimal investment. Over the past five years, Galen has used these approaches to help Fortune 500 companies and non-profit organizations across North America reinvent the services and programs they provide. ## Related Posts [![](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/hubfs/ABCD-2.png)](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/three-benefits-of-asset-based-community-development-abcd-for-communities-and-governments?hsLang=en-us) #### [Three Benefits of Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) for Communities (and Governments)](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/three-benefits-of-asset-based-community-development-abcd-for-communities-and-governments?hsLang=en-us) [![](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/hubfs/Living%20Labs%20Infographic%20.png)](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/place-based-innovation-a-new-community-centred-approach-to-community-change?hsLang=en-us) #### [Place-Based Innovation: A new community-centred approach to community change](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/place-based-innovation-a-new-community-centred-approach-to-community-change?hsLang=en-us) [![](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/hubfs/2022_ttcblog_featuredimage2.png)](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/building-trust-in-a-virtual-world?hsLang=en-us) #### [Building Trust in a Virtual World](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/building-trust-in-a-virtual-world?hsLang=en-us) [![BACK TO THE LATEST](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/316071/e6ffa9bb-4467-4833-8ecc-eb340b11d829.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/316071/e6ffa9bb-4467-4833-8ecc-eb340b11d829) [![20yrLogo-2_WhiteOrange](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/Administration/Tamarack%20Logos/20yrLogo-2_WhiteOrange.png?width=3401&name=20yrLogo-2_WhiteOrange.png "20yrLogo-2_WhiteOrange")](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/?hsLang=en-us) ### Tamarack [Home](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/?hsLang=en-us) [Latest](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest) [Events](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/eventlisting?hsLang=en-us) [Donate](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/donate?hsLang=en-us) [About](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/whoweare?hsLang=en-us) ### Follow Us [** ** ](https://www.facebook.com/TamarackInstitute) [** ** ](https://twitter.com/Tamarack_Inst) [** ** ](https://www.linkedin.com/company/tamarack-institute-for-community-engagement)   In the spirit of respect, reciprocity, and truth we honour and acknowledge that our work occurs across Turtle Island (North America), which has been home since time immemorial to the ancestors of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Peoples. ### Subscribe Be in the know. 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