Elevate people.
Ignite ideas.
Rise together.
Dough is a social entrepreneurship initiative of Wayzata Community Church created to help people and ideas rise.
Hunger? Homelessness? Job creation?
Get ready to be tackled.
How Dough works
Applicants city-wide are invited to submit an introduction to their ideas to change the world for the better via this website.
All ideas will be screened according to an objective set of criteria evaluating the concept around three questions:
- Is this a good idea?
- Is this a feasible idea?
- Is this fit with Wayzata Community Church values?
Selected semi-finalists will be moved to Phase 3
Semi-finalists will be paired up with a “Navigator” who will serve as a main point of contact to shepherd applicants forward through the process. In this phase, “Skills Coaches”–church members who have deep knowledge and who are willing to provide their support to you at no cost–will be available to help you polish your idea.Learn more about how DOUGH’s coaching works via this video.
An in-person “Rise Day” gathers all semi-finalists to experience hands-on consulting support, critical pitch help, business and strategy planning assistance, as well as invaluable networking with other like-minded young social entrepreneurs. The point of “Rise Day” is to prepare for “Pitch Week”.
“Pitch Week” will be an applicant’s opportunity to finally pitch their idea to a group of judges empowered by the church to award funding from a pool of $225,000 to the best pitches and ideas.
Get to know our winners
Five ventures funded in the last cycle. Every one of them started with an application like the one you are about to write.
Popcorn
Shamus O’Meara
Mission
Provide meaningful life and employment opportunities for people with intellectual & developmental disabilities.
Highland Popcorn is a friendly local popcorn business that features a uniquely qualified workforce of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities who successfully produce, sell, and deliver high quality retail and wholesale popcorn products.
Bullerly
Amber Brown
Mission
To provide women with a second chance to pursue better futures.
Black Butterfly Women’s Services pioneers an inspiring and transformative model, creating a nurturing community for justice-involved women and those on the path to recovery. With a capacity to house seven women at a time, Black Butterfly places a strong emphasis on tailored and compassionate care.
Shoot Hoop
Tommy McBrayer
Mission
To eliminate gun violence one community at a time.
Don’t Shoot Guns, Shoot Hoops is dedicated to creating a safe space for violence prevention initiatives and activities in high crime communities. Their unique approach utilizes basketball to implement a violence prevention youth mentorship program.
Control
Kelsey Joson
Mission
To solve the quality of life crisis for adults with disabilities.
InControl targets adults with disabilities, addressing a significant gap in wellness services that emerges as they transition into adulthood. The in-home one-on-one services address the critical need of adults with disabilities who are disproportionately affected by chronic health conditions due to sedentary lifestyles, allowing them to lead healthy, more independent lives.
The goods
The outcomes of Dough will help people and ideas rise.
Why Dough?
Wayzata Community Church is a community of humble followers of Jesus Christ who choose, by God’s grace, to live by love, seek continual transformation, and equip all to be servant leaders in the Twin Cities and throughout the world. In other words, the energy Christians gain from their relationship to Jesus within this faith community is ultimately intended for the sake of others.
The purpose of Dough is to identify, empower, and prioritize the use of the human and financial resources from within Wayzata Community Church for the sake of entrepreneurial ventures with program models that would ideally serve as catalysts for self-reliance and empowerment, promoting human flourishing.
Wayzata Community Church intends to be faithful stewards of our resources for the sake of the Kingdom of God. WCC has people, relationships, experience, and facilities to assist and direct mission endeavors. We desire to unleash these resources for the sake of Christ’s work in the world. Further, WCC desires to be a place where people are drawn to develop and use their particular gifts, talents, and skills.
Finally, Wayzata Community Church has been challenged to heed a personal and collective calling to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with our Lord. Historically, common mission works to generate enthusiasm, galvanize service, solicit deeper faith, necessitate prayer, build community, and bear fruit for the kingdom of God. Wayzata Community Church seeks to do that which will stretch us toward greater faith and dependence on Christ as we demonstrate love for our neighbors.
Questions?
We’re glad you asked.
The five we hear most. Everything else — criteria, judging, ownership, long-term support — is on the full FAQ.
