A Case Study in Community Innovation

Alliant Energy provides regulated electric and natural gas services to approximately 975,000 electric and approximately 420,000 natural gas customers in the Midwest.

THE CHALLENGE

Alliant Energy had goals to 1) make an impact in the communities they serve, and 2) foster innovation among the Alliant Energy team. To achieve these goals, the Alliant Energy Foundation invited nonprofit organizations in the Madison area to present challenges their

organization was facing. From there, the Alliant team got to work.

THE SOLUTION

Through a custom Innovation Works® recipe, we leveraged the knowledge and experience

of 35 diverse Alliant Energy team members to identify solutions for challenges posed by

three area nonprofits.

Through a game-based process, we engaged participants who had expertise in fields like

engineering, marketing, finance, sales, and customer service. The teams tackled challenges that included improving volunteer training, expanding membership diversity, and making an annual cookie sale into a volunteer engagement powerhouse. The teams developed, refined, and pitched ideas. From this, three key strategies were identified and stakeholders worked together to create and pitch implementation plans.

THE RESULTS

“This process allowed our team to take on a new skill set they can use on a daily basis. Plus,

it was exciting hearing the impressive ideas pitched and the value our nonprofit partners found in them.”

- Julie Bauer, Executive Director of the Alliant Energy Foundation