Freshwater Institute, a Taipei-based regional human rights platform, wrapped up its inaugural 2023-24 Human Rights Accelerator with its first-ever NGO Pitch Forum on May 29. The Accelerator is modeled after a social enterprise accelerator, but customized to the needs, goals and challenges of those working on issues with a human rights impact in East Asia. Its goal is to help human rights groups and activists develop business models that enable them build a more diverse and sustainable revenue stream. The Accelerator began in September 2023 with 10 Accelerator participants working with Freshwater to develop, prototype and refine their business model. It ended on May 29 with five finalists competing for $10,000 in prize money. 

Each of the finalists had 12 minutes to pitch the business idea they had been developing over the last nine months in front of three judges and an audience of their colleagues and guests from the human rights and social impact circles. After the last pitch, the finalists and audience were invited to a reception of appetizers and drinks while the judges convened in a separate room. Fifteen minutes later, the judges came back and announced that they had decided to award a first and second prize. 

The first prize award of $7000 went to Lady Liberty Hong Kong which uses art exhibitions and sales to support pro-democracy Hong Kong activists around the world. 

The second prize of $3000 went to the Taiwan Equality Campaign, a LGBTQ+ NGO, which organizes a Q Power Festival with various creative events to encourage the public to engage with LGBTQ+ communities through art, music, literature and bar crawls and attract corporate sponsorships and public donations. 

Freshwater would like to congratulate the winners and the finalists for making it to the NGO Pitch Forum and taking proactive steps to develop business ideas to make their NGOs more financially sustainable.

思流學院 NGO Pitch Forum

設立於台北的區域性人權平台思流學院於5月29日舉行了第一屆2023-24人權加速器計劃的NGO Pitch Forum，為此計劃畫下圓滿的句點。本計劃參考社會企業加速器模式，針對東亞人權工作者的需求、目標和挑戰量身打造，以期協助人權組織和倡議者開發商業模式，建立更加多元且永續發展的收入來源。自2023年9月啟動以來，共有10位參與者與思流學院合作，開發、設計商業原型並改善他們的商業模式。本計劃於5月29日告終，最終有5位入圍者競爭總額一萬美元的獎金。

每位入圍者有12分鐘的時間，向三位評審以及來自人權和社會影響力領域的嘉賓展示他們過去九個月來開發的商業構想。最後一場提案結束後，入圍者和嘉賓一同享用點心和飲料，評審則在另一個房間進行討論。十五分鐘後，評審回到現場宣布並頒發一等獎和二等獎。

獎金七千美元的一等獎由香港民主女神獲得，該組織透過藝術展覽和藝術品銷售來支持世界各地推動民主的香港倡議者。  

獎金三千美元的二等獎由彩虹平權大平台獲得，他們是一個支持LGBTQ+族群的非政府組織，透過舉辦Q Power Festival，結合藝術、音樂、文學和酒吧串連等創意活動，鼓勵大眾與LGBTQ+社群互動，吸引企業贊助和大眾捐款。

思流學院恭喜所有獲獎者和入圍者，感謝他們參加本次NGO Pitch Forum，積極採取行動，開發商業構想，讓他們所屬的非政府組織在財務上能永續發展。