The Yale School of Management-the Goldman Sachs Foundation Partnership on Nonprofit Ventures has announced the finalists for its last National Business Plan competition, which is being phased out after four years.

Twenty nonprofits from across the country have been selected to present their earned-income-venture business plans to the partnership and compete for $500,000 in prize money and business planning assistance. The partnership, an initiative of the Yale School of Management, was created in 2001 with funding from the Goldman Sachs Foundation and the Pew Charitable Trusts to respond to a growing interest among nonprofits to supplement their charitable activity with business income. In addition to educating organizations about nonprofit enterprise, the partnership developed the first-ever National Business Plan Competition for Nonprofit Organizations as a way to provide targeted guidance and resources to nonprofits most capable of launching and operating revenue-generating business ventures.

"While we are delighted that the three business plan competitions helped recognize and provide capital for some outstanding earned income ventures, we are most pleased with the growth in intellectual capital in this field," said Goldman Sachs Foundation president Stephanie Bell-Rose. "The partnership has fostered interest and enthusiasm for the work of nonprofit enterprises, and we look forward to seeing new growth in this field as it moves into maturity."

In June, the finalists will present their business plans to a panel of judges at the partnership's final conference and awards ceremony, where the four grand-prize recipients will receive $100,000 each and four runners-up will receive $25,000 each. In addition to the cash awards, the winners will receive hundreds of hours of business planning consultations to assist them in implementing their ventures.

For a complete list of finalists, visit: http://www.ventures.yale.edu/statusreport_third_competition.asp.